Nowhere to Call Home

Nowhere to Call Home by DeFelice, Cynthia. paperback edition. ISBN: 9780380733064.

Unable to cope with the financial ruin caused by the Great Depression, Francess father has taken his own life. Sad and bewildered, Frances cashes in the railroad ticket that would have carried her to her aunts home, trades in her dress for trousers and a cap, and hits the rails as a hobo called Frankie Blue. With Stewpot, another young hobo, as her guide, Frankie learns to sneak on and off trains, find food, and protect herself. Then Stewpot gets sick, and Frankie realizes that the reality of life on the rails is far different from her romantic notions.