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For years Ingrid has begged her free-wheeling dad to let her join him on the road as a tool-selling vagabond to escape the suffocating poverty and religion at home. When her devout Mormon mother married Earl―a homeless Vietnam vet who exploits the religion's male-dominated culture to oppress and abuse her family―she finally gets her wish. Ingrid spends the next few summers living on the margins while hustling tools with her dad and his slimy, revolving sales crew. He becomes her lifeline and escape from Earl. But when he's arrested, she learns the lesson that will change her life: she can't look to others to save her; she has to save herself.
CrankyCuss
Posted December 15, 2011
Ingrid Ricks' "Hippie Boy: A Girl's Story" is her memoir of growing up with a devout Mormon mother, a traveling salesman father and the abusive Earl, who does not deserve the dignity of the word "stepfather." Despite the sometimes downbeat subject matter, it is a compelling, enjoyable read; I read half of it the first day. Ingrid nails the narrative voice of her youthful, enthusiastic self, and it's a pleasure to spend time with her. She sketches in the characters so fully and vividly that I actually had to stop reading a couple of times when I got furious at Earl's antics. Absolutely terrific book, and highly recommended for all readers.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.John-J
Posted October 13, 2011
Ingrid's struggle to overcome her situation and eventually conclude that only she can save herself is inspiring and masterfully written in Hippie Boy. I devoured this book in two days.
I can still see Ingrid (9) and her older sister Connie (12) standing in the entrance of a store holding $100 and charged with buying the groceries for the next month. They're there because their dad, tired of fighting with their mother over money, grabbed them, drove them to the store, shoved a $100 bill in Connie's hand, and ordered them to buy groceries for the family. I can see them wondering what's happening, and trying to figure out how they're going to do this. Still makes me laugh (and cry).
And there are many more such stories, all weaved into Ingrid's struggle. Even though my struggles pale in comparison, I can completely empathize.
Where there's a will there's a way!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.LaNovakAuthor
Posted November 27, 2011
If this is Ingrid Ricks' first foray into publishing, I can only hope that there is more where this came from. Her talent for telling a tale of a brutal upbringing is amazing. As a child, Ingrid coped with an absentee but magical father, a depressed mother struggling with the guidelines of the Mormon church, a creep of a stepfather, and a group of siblings. I held my breath through the perfectly written sequences of Ingrid's life as she tries to find stability in a horribly unstable environment and as she struggles with poverty and uncertainty. That she triumphs in the end is not only perfect for this story arc, but a gift to all of us. I recommend this book highly for anyone: adult, teen or child. Anyone will come away with the notion that they can fight their own odds with the pluck and determination of this amazing heroine.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted December 15, 2012
Hippie Boy is an amazing and entertaining story of a young teen who learns to take life into her own hands. I constantly found myself in awe off the life she led thinking how could this be real , but every bit of this story really happened to Ingrid. I love how the author writes abour her life in a storytelling style. It makes for a compelling read that you won't want to put down.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted March 20, 2013
Enjoyed this book
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Posted March 19, 2013
If you like reading about people who have been through life and come out on the other side, this is it!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted March 8, 2013
Very interesting story. Never got borinh.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.A story of growing up in a dysfunctional family. It was ok but I think I wanted her to delve more into the emotions of the family and the reasons why they acted the way they did. The step-father was an odd duck and emotionally abusive, the mother was extremely religious but distant and the father was absent much of the time and apparently she was the only one that was close to him, but the reasons they were that way was never really explored. I liked the book but I wanted more. It seemed like it was more of a diary than an examination of the inner workings of the family. It seemed like she had a hard life but it was fairly mild compared to others I have read.
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Posted December 2, 2012
I really enjoyed this book.
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Posted November 14, 2011
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Overview
For years Ingrid has begged her free-wheeling dad to let her join him on the road as a tool-selling vagabond to escape the suffocating poverty and religion at home. When her devout Mormon mother married Earl―a homeless Vietnam vet who exploits the religion's male-dominated culture to oppress and abuse her family―she finally gets...