Customer Reviews

The Last Great American Hobo

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Yes, there IS a difference between being a hobo and being homeless. And, unfortunately, hobos are a dying breed. This marvelous (yet ultimately tragic) photo-essay takes us into the life of Montana Blackie, perhaps the oldest hobo alive (at that time). Not overly sentimental, but richly empathetic, it will make the phrase "there but for the grace of God go I" come alive.
All too often the value that is in EVERYONE is hidden behind the facades that portray an image that makes it easy to be condescending. And, yet the hobo code and the brotherhood of 'bos is shown time and again in Blackie's tales.
This is a book that will (or should) break down the stereotypes of the "wrong side of the tracks". Times changes, and often the changes in modern technology do nothing to sustain the genuine character of the past.
Blackie speaks from the heart and without regard to political correctness. He speaks of an era that is virtually gone. Of hobo camps and ridin' the rails. As the author says, "A train is a poem that will take you anywhere you want to go". This book will also take you places - places that dwell within the soul of us all, if we just look deep enough

This is just a wonderfully written book and the photographs provide depth to its power. This is not a condescending or an overly sympathetic account nor is it a book that will draw pity. It tells the story and gives honor and dignity to the lives of the men around whom this story focuses.

I work with the homeless in my hometown and have long been drawn to the lives they lead. There is something appealing about their independence and apparent freedom. This story reveals to what extent that is true and to what extent it is not. It is ultimately the story that speaks. We must draw our own conclusions.

I believe this taps into the deepest parts of our being. Part of my journey in working with the homeless has been the amount of teaching they have given to me. They are not 'homeless'; 'they' are not 'they'; 'they' are human beings just like the rest of us. This book is one more story that teaches us about these men, yes, but more importantly about ourselves.