Castaways

Castaways by Rob Vollmar is a graphic novel portraying the story of young Tucker Freeman who runs away from home in the midst of the Depression to stop being a burden to his mother. Pablo Callejo does a masterful job with the artwork in depicting the era and its people. The scenes are all tinged with blue, as if even the air hung heavy with the sorrow of the times. The people are drawn cleanly and emotions are laid bare. A black hobo Elijah Hopkins takes Tucker under his wing and introduces him to the world of riding the rails. Tucker faces racism and violence in his time away before returning home a changed boy. The story and dialogue are well-done, and the action moves quickly. It would be perfect reading for schools for education about the Great Depression and racism. My one and only complaint is that is was too short. I wanted to read more of the adventures of Tucker and Elijah and their life on the road.

This first graphic novel by the team of 'Bluesman' provides a tale following the exploits of one Tucker Freeman as he hops a train to escape his heritage of poverty. His search for his place in an America broken by the Depression makes for a moving set of adventures presented here in a new edition with a new conclusion not featured in the original release, along with a new two-color edition. Any library strong in graphic novel representations will find this a 'must' classic acquisition. Diane C. Donovan California Bookwatch