The Runaways

The Runaways is a Depression-era work of fiction re-living poverty in the tenements of Boston, the perils of a boy living on the street, learning to fly, and going to war. The boy defending his mother from an abusive stepfather result in the separation and flight of the family. Twelve-year-old Matt (my main character) is forced onto the streets of Boston, mother and younger children flee to a friend in Maine, and an angry stepfather searches for Matt and family. Living on the street and close to being caught, Matt joins a group of runaways, living in a slum apartment, attending school, and working part-time under assumed names. When authorities and the stepfather uncover the group, the boys break up. On the run and hoping to find work, Matt sets out alone. From Boston, he drifts through eastern cities, hitchhikes through the South and the Southwest, and finds work in the growing field of aviation. My story is about growing up alone and directionless, suffering hardships, learning, loving, and going to war.