Nowhere to Call Home [Hardcover]

Cynthia DeFelice (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 15, 1999 | Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

A Depression-era adventure from a master storyteller

Tramping is for people with nothing to lose and nowhere to call home. Twelve-year-old Frances Elizabeth Barrow thinks that describes her when she clips her hair and, disguised as a boy, "flips" a train west. Left a penniless orphan after her father's bankruptcy and subsequent suicide, Frances is sure that hoboing is better than being sent to live with an unfamiliar aunt in Chicago. On the drag, she meets Stewpot, a fifteen-year-old boy who teaches her the ropes -- everything from the jargon to the signs the hoboes leave for one another, to how to outwit the cops. She also learns that being "free" exacts a price, and comes to appreciate her old life. Cynthia DeFelice captures the despair -- and the hope -- of individuals facing the Great Depression in this story about a spirited young heroine filled with resolve after all she has experienced.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This realistic rags-to-riches (and back again) tale set in the time of Hoovervilles and bread lines follows a girl who takes up a hobos life. Sheltered, wealthy Frances Barrows world is thrown into chaos when her fathers factories go bankrupt and he kills himself during the Depression. When she hears a servants plan to become a hobo and ride the rails, 12-year-old Frances sees a way out of being sent from her home in Philadelphia to live with her stern aunt in Chicago. She gives the slip to the adults, cashes in her train ticket and disguises herself as a boy, leaping into a dark boxcar headed for Pittsburgh and freedom. DeFelice (Clever Crow) convincingly depicts Francess transformation to boy vagabond Frankie Blue, as well as the heroines blossoming friendship with Stewpot, the seasoned 15-year-old who takes her under his wing right from the get-go. By disguising Frances as a boy, the author cleverly evades graphic details of the dangers to frills, or girls on the move (alluding to the dangers through a few cameo appearances by other down-and-out females). Details of the Depression get more weight than character development; while readers will have a clear sense of the destitution that characterized the era, they may have less of a sense of who Frances is. Nonetheless, they will likely be relieved that she finally decides to leave a life on the streets for the safety of her aunts home. Ages 10-up.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 5^-8. Despite the ongoing Depression, 12-year-old Frances leads a life that's comfortable, orderly, and a little dull--until the night her father puts a bullet in his head. Suddenly she must pack a bag and travel by train to her aunt in Chicago. Instead, Frances, who has heard a little about hoboes riding the trains from one of the servants, cashes in her ticket, buys some boys' clothes, cuts her hair, and sneaks aboard a boxcar. Frances, who now calls herself Frankie, quickly realizes that hoboes live in a completely different society with its own rules, routines, and language. Fortunately, she finds a friend to guide her--Stewpot, a 15-year-old boy. Of course, there are a number of books with a similar theme, including Mary Downing Hahn's The Gentleman, the Outlaw, and Me--Eli (1996), but De Felice's historical novel is so real that every bump of the train can be felt. The smooth, vivid writing makes us experience the unfolding events and the nitty-gritty details right along with the characters, so as Frankie becomes increasingly horrified by the squalor and inhumanity she sees along her journey, we get a powerful sense of history. The ending is at once optimistic and poignant: Frankie will appreciate the comfort and security of her life even as she remembers the grim conditions she witnessed, and readers will feel sure that she will take advantage of her privilege to try to improve things for others. Susan Dove Lempke

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR); 1st edition (April 15, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374355525
• ISBN-13: 978-0374355524
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,644,734 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Book, November 11, 2001

By 

Matthew Potts "Matt" (VA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Nowhere to Call Home (Hardcover)

This book was a book that was about a young girl named Frankie who became a hobo after her father's death. This book was based in the Great Depression and painted a good image of what it must be like living back then. I liked how the writer always kept the reader interested. I did not like however how short it was I waish it would have been longer. For who choses to read this I give it a thumbs up. I would recommend any teacher to read it to their class just to explain the hardship of those times.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful book for anyone!, November 27, 2001

By 

William F. Harvey (Nebraska) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Nowhere to Call Home (Paperback)

This great book is about a girl named Frances Elizabeth Barrow who's father kills himself when he loses his fortune. One of her servants tells her about how he hopes to become a hobo since he lost his job, and Frances decides that the life of a hobo would be great. So instead of going to live with her aunt like she's supposed to, she trades in her train ticket for money. She dresses up as a boy. Then, she becomes a hobo and begins a very exciting time in her life. She meets an older boy hobo nicknamed Stewpot and they go through a lot together - good and bad things. Then a tragic occurence happens that changes Frances' life forever in a not so good way. This story explains the hardships of the Great Depression and is a great read for anyone at least 10 years old.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars parents use caution, May 15, 2011

By 

M. Heiss (USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Nowhere to Call Home (Paperback)

This book starts with the gunshot suicide of the lead character's father.

It has a reasonably entertaining plot, but I would be cautious about just giving this book to a child.

Adult themes. Lots of slang and non-standard English. Thefts, threatened violence, plenty of secondary characters talking about sex, getting pregnant, and getting dumped. Police brutality.

Death of the child's companion; hopeful homecoming.

All that aside, if even one kid reads this book and learns more about Hoovervilles, and the misery brought about by Progressive policies, then it will be worth it. Hoover believed the economy should be managed by experts -- always a recipe for disaster.