Nowhere to Call Home

Nowhere to Call Home is about a twelve-year-old, privileged girl named Frances. Her father learns that he his loosing all his money and kills himself. Frances has to leave behind everything and everyone to go live with her Aunt in Chicago. She decides that the life of a hobo sounds like fun - being free. She cuts off her hair, dresses like a boy, changes her name to Frankie and begins hopping trains. She meets Stewpot and it doesn't take long for them to become great friends. Stewpot gives Frankie the name Frankie Blues and teaches her all about finding food and hopping trains. She never tells him that she is actually a girl. She meets many characters and manages to see the country and even spend the night in jail. Eventually, Frankie show more confesses that she is a girl and Stewpot confesses that he cannot read. Frankie grows tired of the hobo life and wants to go back to her Aunt, but does not want to leave Stewpot. Stewpot becomes very sick with pneumonia and Frankie does everything she can to help him recover. Stewpot grows too ill and dies. Frankie is heartbroken, but changes back into her female attire and heads to her Aunts. show less

When her father kills himself after losing his money in the stock market crash, twelve-year-old Frances, now a peniless orphan, decides to hop aboard a freight train and live the life of a hobo.

1930's story about hobos.