Ruth Talbot

The Raffle Baby by Ruth Talbot is a difficult book to describe. I suspect it is a book that one would either love or hate. Personally I loved it. This is a tale of children out on their own, riding the rails, working, scheming and thieving for food and shelter during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Written in lyrical language, the author sets a dream-like atmosphere and introduces the reader to Vik, Sonny Boy and Teeny. The story is narrated by Sonny Boy who lived as a hobo with his show more friends for three years.

Sonny Boy was told to make his own way in life when he was twelve and his father abandoned the family. He met and joined up with Vik, a fifteen year old who helped Sonny learn the rules of living a hobo’s life. One night a girl came into their camp and she became the third member of this small family. None of them went by their real names, Vik was short for Viking as he was a tall, blonde boy. Teeny was called so as she was a small and delicate girl, and Sonny Boy earned his name with his agreeable nature. Their earnings were often added to by Teeny’s stories which were magical and strange, although often sad. No one ever knew if her stories were based on true facts or not, but one story in particular, that of the raffle baby, seemed to be close to her heart.

The Raffle Baby is a charming and intriguing story that combines historical fiction and fairy tales in a unique way. This is the author’s debut novel and, although I thought the ending was a little contrived, I enjoyed the story and was enchanted by the relationship between the three main characters. show less