My rating: 4 of 5 stars
John Griffith "Jack" London, an American author, journalist, and social activist, has quoted remarkably about "Hobos", i.e. homeward-bound;
"They were hobos, and with every word they uttered...
It all spelt adventure."
Let me be clear one thing, homeless people are not exactly "hobos", "hobos" are more interesting with lots of experience in life. "Hobos" have got a direction in their life and generally people coin "Hobo" in a negative way, but it's actually a positive word! The author, Barbara Stuber has shown that in her award-winning book, Crossing the Tracks. Yeah, I know sounds very hobo indeed, but it’s not, although, in the end, the protagonist is left as homeless and living off in some body else’s home, still, the title is so fitting with the protagonist, Iris's situation, who resided in Atchison, in Kansas, but all of a sudden we see her as a hobo living in a farm in Wellsford. This tale is so profound that it takes away your heart and makes your heart ache for Iris's journey towards her home, to where her heart belongs.
Synopsis:
Iris is 15 years old, after her loving mother's death, her father, who happen to own a very luxurious and quite famous shoe-store, turns sour towards her. This man you would love to hate him, I mean seriously, which father asks her daughter to suppress her from coughing, since her cough irritated him, and since he was too traumatized after his tuberculosis-affected wife's death. But Iris's father finds another woman, named Celeste to share his happiness with and in the city of Kansas, thereby sending Iris to Wells to serve the Nestbitts family for a while-meaning getting rid of her! Iris, all sad and lonely sets off on her journey to Wellsford. Dr. Nesbitt and his mother, Mrs. Nesbitt, used to live in a farm in Wellsford and they had rented their land to a man named Cecil and his daughter, Dot, who were very foul-mouthed people. Soon Iris finds herself adjusting in Nesbitt's home with a aching in her heart for Atchison, her home-town, Leroy, her best friend-cum-neighbor and for her memories with her mother. But one sudden incident leaves her being a hobo for the rest of her lives in Nesbitt's home with a gaping hole in her heart and with hope to happiness.
How I can explain the beauty in this story, a teenager, who longs so many things in her life, but unfortunately left with nothing- only loneliness engulfs her in a foreign land. Iris and Leroy are the epitome of the first blossoming of a beautiful flower, I really loved the way their relationship unfolded, way too innocently and it is something that keeps Iris going forward. Marie, a hobo dog, was Iris's companion in Wellsford and Mrs.Nesbitt, being so old and wise, took Iris into her home like her own flesh and blood. Before leaving Atchison, Iris was dreaded with the idea of working as a house-keeper for an old lady, but the warmth with which the Nesbitt's welcomed her, made her lose herself in their world. Crossing the Tracks is a gorgeously written and strikingly-narrated tale about the pull between finding a way to home and individual freedom and happiness. This story will not only touch your soul but will also leave you craving for the aching in Iris's heart. The author has unraveled the journey of Iris with passion and love. From the very beginning you can feel the pull that the book creates with its humor and profundity.
Verdict: This book is a must read for all teenagers and also for adults who are still searching for their way towards home.
Courtesy: I can't thank enough to the author, Barbara Stuber, for giving me this opportunity to read and review her novel.
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