During the Great Depression, many families lost their homes and had to travel long distances to find work and shelter. “The Christmas Promise” is the story of one such family, a girl and her father, who become hobos in order to find their way across country. They must sneak onto railroad cars, careful of the “railroad bulls,” or guards, who would throw them off if they got caught. They rode through town after town, but everyone was in the same sorry condition, and there was no work to be had.
The girl’s father taught her the symbols the hobos used to communicate with each other, chalking small pictures on curbs, walls, and bridges. They shared campfires with other hobos, shared what food they had, and sometimes shared their hunger too.
As Christmas grew near, the girl started to wonder if there would be a Christmas for her. Her father said that hobos always find a way. But as they tried to climb aboard the next train, they were caught by a bull and thrown in jail for the night.
The jailer and his wife treated them kindly, and even made a suggestion – what if the girl stayed with a kind lady in the neighborhood while the father went to find work. He could come back for her after he got that job. She would have food, and warm clothes. It was a hard choice, but he did decide to leave her in the care of a good woman. He promised to be back soon.
She watched for him every day, wondering if he was finding that good job. Finally, just as he promised, he was able to return, and they were reunited at last.
I’m glad this story had a happy ending – so many of the stories of families separated during the Depression end differently.
(This book was published in 2001 by Blue Sky Press and was illustrated by David Christiana. It includes a sample of what the hobo signs looked like.)
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