Thirteen-year-old Billy Knight leaves home to “ride the rails” across Canada during the 1930s. His encounters with a wide cast of characters — including fellow drifters and grifters, kid gangs, crooks, idealists, ragtag philosophers and railroad bulls as well as everyday folk simply trying to get by — provide much more than he bargained for. And for the first time, he realizes that riding the rails is not just an adventure. It also speaks to the bravery of those drifting like tumbleweeds across the country and seeking a better life. An adventure both life-changing and unforgettable.

It’s the dust-bowl Depression era, and Billy of rural Saskatchewan is 13. His older brother has already run away and when his parents lose their farm, Billy decides he’s a burden to them and leaves a note that says “Don’t worry.” He embarks on the adventure of his life, full of naivety and courage.

Turns out that riding the rails is dangerous and involves months of hunger and fright, from the steel nerves and skill is takes to jump on and off a moving train to the sketchy men (and occasional helper) he meets along the way.

Meticulously researched, the story takes the reader through every aspect of the hobo era, from brief friendships to injury to the politics of the day. (The author gets a little carried away with the latter near the end.) It’s not only lyrically written; you feel you’re right beside Billy every step of the way, hearing and smelling the belching and squealing train, sharing his loneliness and desperation, experiencing his wide-eyed view of the stars overhead and prairies flashing by. His relationships with fellow riders feel authentic, concerning and poignant. But his travels are never romanticized. From narrowly escaping a “perv” to encounters with nasty security guards, rough-and-tumble camps and impoverishment he has never known, Billy comes of age in a difficult era, difficult circumstances.

The plot enraptures while it teaches history; the pace is steady, the plot entirely believable and the ending satisfying. Highly recommended.

-Pam Withers