Includes bibliographical references.

When Pearl runs away from her abusive father, she has nowhere to go--until she stumbles upon a disguise that gives her the key to a new identity. Reborn as a boy named Soupy, she hitches her star to Ramshackle, a hobo who takes her under his wing. Ramshackle's kindness and protection go a long way toward helping Soupy heal from her difficult past. But he has his own demons to wrestle with, and he'll need Soupy just as much as she needs him. Two misfits with no place to call home take a train-hopping journey from the cold heartbreak of their Eastern homes to the sunny promise of California in this Depression-era coming-of-age tale.

Grade 3 to 7.

Ages 8-12.