What do you think?
Rate this book
That Girl in The Boxcar: An American Historical Family Saga
A suffocating secret may consume her.
A chance meeting offers salvation.
Will she sink into the dark or rise to the light?
Idaho 1925. Desperate and with nowhere to go, Heidi Schlager's life hangs in the balance. Growing up with an abusive, alcoholic father, the exhausted and traumatized teen, eager to flee home, stows away on a train where she encounters an aging hobo. And after the intelligent bookworm recites a poem to her literary companion, she sparks an instant friendship and delights in sticking together.
Riding to a town in Iowa to meet her new pal's sometime-lover, Heidi's unrelenting feelings of despair intrude on the warm friendship developing between the three. Plagued by powerful emotional conflicts, confusing sexual desires, and ghosts from her past threatening to drown her, she struggles with the temptation to give up.
Can this warm-hearted teen with no one to hold on to discover a found family to help her survive?
That Girl in The Boxcar is the sweeping first book in The Reisen historical fiction series. If you like courageous heroines, hopeful themes, and redeeming relationships, then you’ll adore Tim Wickenden's tale of self-discovery.
A chance meeting offers salvation.
Will she sink into the dark or rise to the light?
Idaho 1925. Desperate and with nowhere to go, Heidi Schlager's life hangs in the balance. Growing up with an abusive, alcoholic father, the exhausted and traumatized teen, eager to flee home, stows away on a train where she encounters an aging hobo. And after the intelligent bookworm recites a poem to her literary companion, she sparks an instant friendship and delights in sticking together.
Riding to a town in Iowa to meet her new pal's sometime-lover, Heidi's unrelenting feelings of despair intrude on the warm friendship developing between the three. Plagued by powerful emotional conflicts, confusing sexual desires, and ghosts from her past threatening to drown her, she struggles with the temptation to give up.
Can this warm-hearted teen with no one to hold on to discover a found family to help her survive?
That Girl in The Boxcar is the sweeping first book in The Reisen historical fiction series. If you like courageous heroines, hopeful themes, and redeeming relationships, then you’ll adore Tim Wickenden's tale of self-discovery.
283 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 26, 2024
1 person is currently reading
3 people want to read
About the author
Tim Wickenden
6 books16 followersTim is a novelist and multidisciplinary artist whose work spans film, photography, and digital art. Through his collaboration with Y Cerrig, he advocates for wider access to creative industries—developing programmes that open doors to publishing, filmmaking, and digital art through affordable or free training opportunities.
Born in Zimbabwe and raised between Hong Kong and the UK, Tim’s early experiences shaped a deep interest in history and storytelling. He later spent time in West Germany, where his fascination with the country’s turbulent past began. After a career in IT, he transitioned into adult education, eventually moving to Southwest Wales in 2005 to focus on creative writing and film.
Tim published his debut historical novel in 2019 and followed it with two more titles—Take Back and That Girl in The Boxcar (2024). His work reflects a passion for history, resilience, and the transformative power of storytelling.
As a dyslexic writer, Tim is a firm believer that neurodiversity should never be a barrier to creativity. His journey demonstrates that with persistence and vision, obstacles can be turned into strengths.
Born in Zimbabwe and raised between Hong Kong and the UK, Tim’s early experiences shaped a deep interest in history and storytelling. He later spent time in West Germany, where his fascination with the country’s turbulent past began. After a career in IT, he transitioned into adult education, eventually moving to Southwest Wales in 2005 to focus on creative writing and film.
Tim published his debut historical novel in 2019 and followed it with two more titles—Take Back and That Girl in The Boxcar (2024). His work reflects a passion for history, resilience, and the transformative power of storytelling.
As a dyslexic writer, Tim is a firm believer that neurodiversity should never be a barrier to creativity. His journey demonstrates that with persistence and vision, obstacles can be turned into strengths.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
September 16, 2024
What a beautiful story! It was a cross country trip with Heidi and all the friends she meets along the way.
The book uses the characters that come into Heidi’s to make this wonderful book incredible.
It was a very fast read that kept my attention until the last syllable.
Do not miss reading this book. I think it would make a fantastic movie.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The book uses the characters that come into Heidi’s to make this wonderful book incredible.
It was a very fast read that kept my attention until the last syllable.
Do not miss reading this book. I think it would make a fantastic movie.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
September 16, 2024
I thoroughly enjoyed That Girl in the Boxcar! I believe he is a new author and this is possibly his first book! This book will keep you up way past your bedtime. It certainly did me!
The author’s writing style fit extremely well for his purpose in this book! I was fascinated with the use of the lingo “boes” might have used and how they relied on one another. Knowledge of how they moved from one place to another was very interesting and I can only imagine the author had to do a great deal of research to learn the lines used to get from one city or state to another.
I truly enjoyed reading Tim Wickenden’s book and will be looking for others!
The author’s writing style fit extremely well for his purpose in this book! I was fascinated with the use of the lingo “boes” might have used and how they relied on one another. Knowledge of how they moved from one place to another was very interesting and I can only imagine the author had to do a great deal of research to learn the lines used to get from one city or state to another.
I truly enjoyed reading Tim Wickenden’s book and will be looking for others!
January 1, 2025
3.5/5 stars
Quick Summary: This book starts with Hiedi and Bo Scribbler (Joe) on a boxcar together. After this initial meeting, this book turns into a found family, finding who you are type of adventure.
This book was a great coming-of-age story and battles with a lot of heavy topics (SA, physical abuse, violence- check the triggers before reading), but I think it is done in such a good way that shows the development of the main characters throughout life. Hiedi, as we learn in the book, is running away from home due to her dad being an alcoholic and abusive. As the story moves along, we learn that Heidi wants to belong and wants to be comfortable in her skin like any other teenager. While there are 3 POVS (Joe, Ella, and Heidi), most of the book is from Heidi's POV. This book is heavy on found family and Heidi learns about the hobo life and creates a family with Joe and Ella. I think the character development of all 3 characters was really well done and their backstories helped to understand their motivations and actions throughout the book.
I feel like there were some parts of the book that I found myself confused as to why they were included. With that being said, I feel like the unnecessary details made the book flat in some places. The book follows them as they travel around the US and I feel like some of it became repetitive and made it hard to hold my attention in some parts. Overall, I think this was a solid book and it's definitely something I will recommend.
Some tropes (HEA, found family, coming of age, exploring identities and historical fiction)
Thank you to the author Tim Wickenden and bookstasters for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Quick Summary: This book starts with Hiedi and Bo Scribbler (Joe) on a boxcar together. After this initial meeting, this book turns into a found family, finding who you are type of adventure.
This book was a great coming-of-age story and battles with a lot of heavy topics (SA, physical abuse, violence- check the triggers before reading), but I think it is done in such a good way that shows the development of the main characters throughout life. Hiedi, as we learn in the book, is running away from home due to her dad being an alcoholic and abusive. As the story moves along, we learn that Heidi wants to belong and wants to be comfortable in her skin like any other teenager. While there are 3 POVS (Joe, Ella, and Heidi), most of the book is from Heidi's POV. This book is heavy on found family and Heidi learns about the hobo life and creates a family with Joe and Ella. I think the character development of all 3 characters was really well done and their backstories helped to understand their motivations and actions throughout the book.
I feel like there were some parts of the book that I found myself confused as to why they were included. With that being said, I feel like the unnecessary details made the book flat in some places. The book follows them as they travel around the US and I feel like some of it became repetitive and made it hard to hold my attention in some parts. Overall, I think this was a solid book and it's definitely something I will recommend.
Some tropes (HEA, found family, coming of age, exploring identities and historical fiction)
Thank you to the author Tim Wickenden and bookstasters for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 14, 2024
Highly recommended
A chance encounter with Joe (aka Bo Scribbler) results in Heidi travelling across America, primarily in rail box-cars, as a hobo with him and Ella. This riveting novel, describing the life of hoboes in the 1920s who, though all itinerant, are nevertheless a closely bonded group, is narrated from the points of view of these three main characters as they develop into a cohesive family group.
The author focuses on Heidi as she not only shares the trauma and lost relationships she has lived through, but comes to terms with her past as she deals with new predicaments. In the process, she discovers herself as a unique individual with the courage to confront her past mistakes and plan to achieve her future dreams. It is a story of her ‘coming of age’ in less than a year!
Meeting and getting to know Heidi unlocks Joe’s memories, giving him the courage to expose his past and ultimately regain peace of mind. Although Ella has not experienced the horrific trauma of Joe and Heidi, she nevertheless learns to trust in a relationship again and is, in effect, the leader of this small group of initially disparate individuals.
This is an all-encompassing, impressively well-researched novel, written in a fluent, easy-to-read style.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
A chance encounter with Joe (aka Bo Scribbler) results in Heidi travelling across America, primarily in rail box-cars, as a hobo with him and Ella. This riveting novel, describing the life of hoboes in the 1920s who, though all itinerant, are nevertheless a closely bonded group, is narrated from the points of view of these three main characters as they develop into a cohesive family group.
The author focuses on Heidi as she not only shares the trauma and lost relationships she has lived through, but comes to terms with her past as she deals with new predicaments. In the process, she discovers herself as a unique individual with the courage to confront her past mistakes and plan to achieve her future dreams. It is a story of her ‘coming of age’ in less than a year!
Meeting and getting to know Heidi unlocks Joe’s memories, giving him the courage to expose his past and ultimately regain peace of mind. Although Ella has not experienced the horrific trauma of Joe and Heidi, she nevertheless learns to trust in a relationship again and is, in effect, the leader of this small group of initially disparate individuals.
This is an all-encompassing, impressively well-researched novel, written in a fluent, easy-to-read style.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
December 9, 2024
A testament to the power of faith and trust, and a great choice if you enjoy stories about overcoming adversity and finding love in unexpected places.
January 21, 2025
Even when it seems impossible for circumstances to change, something extraordinary happens that changes everything!
That Girl in the Boxcar is about second chances and regaining trust in yourself and others.
Author Tim Wickenden does an excellent job describing this nomadic lifestyle adventure across America set in the 1920’s.
A child should have a safe place to live and grow up, but what happens when a girl loses her mom as a child and is left being raised by an abusive, alcoholic father?
As a fourteen-year-old teen with few available options, Heidi enlists the help of her boyfriend, Jeremiah, to help her run away from home before her father kills her.
Her father unexpectedly comes home while she’s trying to flee. Her father and Jeremiah get into a confrontation where Heidi accidentally kills her father, protecting Jeremiah.
They both agree to tell a story about how a stranger came into her home, killed her father, wounded Jeremiah, and kidnapped Heidi.
Heidi must leave her home and go where no one can find her or go to jail, so she takes the quickest way out of town: riding a boxcar, where her adventure begins.
She befriends a rider in the same boxcar who wants to help her and understand why she’s running away from home.
Joe, an older career hobo, has ridden the boxcars for decades. He knows all the ins and outs of riding the rails. He introduces her to a new world of hobo families that live on and off the rails.
Along the way, Joe meets an old girlfriend, Ella, who is much younger than Joe. Like everyone else, she is riding the rails and running away from her demons.
Ella’s curiosity about the teenager’s plight grows into concern as she wonders what Heidi's real reason for being on the run is, which she has not shared.
Heidi bonds all three of them together, each broken in their own way, forming a new family.
Their adventures take them from Idaho to the West Coast, where Heidi adapts to her new family environment and experiences the life of a hobo.
For the first time, Heidi feels like she has a family that cares about her. Ella and Joe are conflicted about how to help Heidi. Each one has been running away from their painful memories for years and wonders how they can “fix” Heidi’s issues and help her grow up without confronting their own!
Heidi wants to trust her new family, but her own thoughts get the best of her, and she tries to end her life. Joe and Ella are there to pick up the pieces, and Heidi’s faith in them and herself increases.
Heidi misses her boyfriend and friends from home as she mends her emotional and physical scars but fears if she returns home and tells the truth about what really happened, she’ll be thrown in jail.
Joe and Ella want to help her move forward by confronting her past, as they must do to move forward in theirs. Ultimately, going back enables Heidi, Ella and Joe to move forward.
This coming-of-age drama is contemporary in its cultural and sexual themes as Heidi is confronted with the challenges of growing up.
Initially, I thought this book was a children’s book, but I realized it was a mature, period book with contemporary sexual themes.
I have never considered what it must be like to live the life of a hobo, jumping on boxcars and living wherever the next train was headed. Still, this book took me on adventures with hobos and their “families” and introduced me to a life I never knew existed!
Many hobos rode the rails in the US during the Great Depression as homeless men and women traveled across America in search of work. Riding the rails was illegal and dangerous. Many were injured trying to board or jump off the train, and the railroad police caught many.
This book was an adventure, presenting me with multiple emotional dilemmas, but most of all, I wanted everyone to have a second chance at finding happiness!
That Girl in the Boxcar is about second chances and regaining trust in yourself and others.
Author Tim Wickenden does an excellent job describing this nomadic lifestyle adventure across America set in the 1920’s.
A child should have a safe place to live and grow up, but what happens when a girl loses her mom as a child and is left being raised by an abusive, alcoholic father?
As a fourteen-year-old teen with few available options, Heidi enlists the help of her boyfriend, Jeremiah, to help her run away from home before her father kills her.
Her father unexpectedly comes home while she’s trying to flee. Her father and Jeremiah get into a confrontation where Heidi accidentally kills her father, protecting Jeremiah.
They both agree to tell a story about how a stranger came into her home, killed her father, wounded Jeremiah, and kidnapped Heidi.
Heidi must leave her home and go where no one can find her or go to jail, so she takes the quickest way out of town: riding a boxcar, where her adventure begins.
She befriends a rider in the same boxcar who wants to help her and understand why she’s running away from home.
Joe, an older career hobo, has ridden the boxcars for decades. He knows all the ins and outs of riding the rails. He introduces her to a new world of hobo families that live on and off the rails.
Along the way, Joe meets an old girlfriend, Ella, who is much younger than Joe. Like everyone else, she is riding the rails and running away from her demons.
Ella’s curiosity about the teenager’s plight grows into concern as she wonders what Heidi's real reason for being on the run is, which she has not shared.
Heidi bonds all three of them together, each broken in their own way, forming a new family.
Their adventures take them from Idaho to the West Coast, where Heidi adapts to her new family environment and experiences the life of a hobo.
For the first time, Heidi feels like she has a family that cares about her. Ella and Joe are conflicted about how to help Heidi. Each one has been running away from their painful memories for years and wonders how they can “fix” Heidi’s issues and help her grow up without confronting their own!
Heidi wants to trust her new family, but her own thoughts get the best of her, and she tries to end her life. Joe and Ella are there to pick up the pieces, and Heidi’s faith in them and herself increases.
Heidi misses her boyfriend and friends from home as she mends her emotional and physical scars but fears if she returns home and tells the truth about what really happened, she’ll be thrown in jail.
Joe and Ella want to help her move forward by confronting her past, as they must do to move forward in theirs. Ultimately, going back enables Heidi, Ella and Joe to move forward.
This coming-of-age drama is contemporary in its cultural and sexual themes as Heidi is confronted with the challenges of growing up.
Initially, I thought this book was a children’s book, but I realized it was a mature, period book with contemporary sexual themes.
I have never considered what it must be like to live the life of a hobo, jumping on boxcars and living wherever the next train was headed. Still, this book took me on adventures with hobos and their “families” and introduced me to a life I never knew existed!
Many hobos rode the rails in the US during the Great Depression as homeless men and women traveled across America in search of work. Riding the rails was illegal and dangerous. Many were injured trying to board or jump off the train, and the railroad police caught many.
This book was an adventure, presenting me with multiple emotional dilemmas, but most of all, I wanted everyone to have a second chance at finding happiness!
September 23, 2024
Wow! What a breath of fresh air and inspiration! Not to mention, an absolutely beautiful read!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The writer is new to me but he has earned a permanent place on my virtual and physical bookshelves. I read the book in one day; I simply couldn’t put it down.
The narrative was so different, the writing style unique, and the characters so rich and well-developed, that I felt I was on their cross-country journey alongside them. With realistic semantics incorporated into the prose, I got a real feel for the life of a hobo, the joys of independent travel, and the horrors, too. I had never known or thought much about this lifestyle, although I knew it to be part of this era in history.
Heidi, the Girl in the Boxcar, flees an abusive father, who is a drunk and a child and wife beater when a situation gets so out of hand, she has no choice and nowhere to go. Leaving a boyfriend behind, fifteen-year-old Heidi hops a train to worlds unknown, hungry, scared, and alone. She meets a guardian angel who becomes a friend and father to her, meeting a couple of other new ‘second family members’ along the way.
None of us have any say in the type of first family we are born into, but this young girl has the spunk, the guts, and the gumption to create a new second family to help her cope with the horrors of the first. The writing is beautiful, the setting so vivid you feel the campfires burning, the desperation, the fears, and the personal traumas of each character Heidi meets along the way.
I haven’t read such a great novel in a long time. I found it intriguing and easy to read all the way. And utterly captivating from the first chapter to the last. The plot was great, with plenty of twists and turns to keep me reading. The entire book captivated me and resonated, the story keeping me up half the night until I completed it.
I highly recommend The Girl in the Boxcar for anyone wanting to read a different, well-researched, well-written story about a lifestyle in the 1930s that will have you waiting with anticipation for the next installment in the Reisen Series. I love discovering new authors and Tim Wickenden did not disappoint. The book 'literally' blew me away.
Thank you to Book Sirens for the opportunity to get to know this new author via this ARC. My review is voluntary and is mine alone.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The writer is new to me but he has earned a permanent place on my virtual and physical bookshelves. I read the book in one day; I simply couldn’t put it down.
The narrative was so different, the writing style unique, and the characters so rich and well-developed, that I felt I was on their cross-country journey alongside them. With realistic semantics incorporated into the prose, I got a real feel for the life of a hobo, the joys of independent travel, and the horrors, too. I had never known or thought much about this lifestyle, although I knew it to be part of this era in history.
Heidi, the Girl in the Boxcar, flees an abusive father, who is a drunk and a child and wife beater when a situation gets so out of hand, she has no choice and nowhere to go. Leaving a boyfriend behind, fifteen-year-old Heidi hops a train to worlds unknown, hungry, scared, and alone. She meets a guardian angel who becomes a friend and father to her, meeting a couple of other new ‘second family members’ along the way.
None of us have any say in the type of first family we are born into, but this young girl has the spunk, the guts, and the gumption to create a new second family to help her cope with the horrors of the first. The writing is beautiful, the setting so vivid you feel the campfires burning, the desperation, the fears, and the personal traumas of each character Heidi meets along the way.
I haven’t read such a great novel in a long time. I found it intriguing and easy to read all the way. And utterly captivating from the first chapter to the last. The plot was great, with plenty of twists and turns to keep me reading. The entire book captivated me and resonated, the story keeping me up half the night until I completed it.
I highly recommend The Girl in the Boxcar for anyone wanting to read a different, well-researched, well-written story about a lifestyle in the 1930s that will have you waiting with anticipation for the next installment in the Reisen Series. I love discovering new authors and Tim Wickenden did not disappoint. The book 'literally' blew me away.
Thank you to Book Sirens for the opportunity to get to know this new author via this ARC. My review is voluntary and is mine alone.
February 6, 2025
"That Girl In The BoxCar" is a poignant and powerful tale of resilience, hope, and the transformative power of human connection. This gripping narrative follows a young girl's courageous journey as she escapes the darkness of her abusive past and finds refuge in the unlikeliest of places.
With its vivid prose and unforgettable characters, this book masterfully conveys the complexities of the human experience. The story is both heart-wrenching and uplifting, as the protagonist finds love, acceptance, and a sense of belonging. This book is a testament to the strength of the human spirit and the impact that kindness, compassion, and love can have on our lives. It's a must-read for anyone who's ever felt lost, alone, or in need of a reminder that they are not alone.
Overall, "That Girl In The BoxCar" is a beautifully written, thought-provoking novel that will linger in your heart long after you finish reading it.
With its vivid prose and unforgettable characters, this book masterfully conveys the complexities of the human experience. The story is both heart-wrenching and uplifting, as the protagonist finds love, acceptance, and a sense of belonging. This book is a testament to the strength of the human spirit and the impact that kindness, compassion, and love can have on our lives. It's a must-read for anyone who's ever felt lost, alone, or in need of a reminder that they are not alone.
Overall, "That Girl In The BoxCar" is a beautifully written, thought-provoking novel that will linger in your heart long after you finish reading it.
August 15, 2025
Two words, Highly. Recommended.
This is not the first time I've read a book by the author and he didn't disappoint.
The writing style suits the historical genre so much whether it was in this book or the previous one i've read maybe a year ago "Angel Avenger"
I appreciate the details and search and description on Heidi's trip leaving a life she was forced into to the life of her chosen family who compensated her with all the things she didn't have before and all she had to do is take the risk and hop on that boxcar
This is not the first time I've read a book by the author and he didn't disappoint.
The writing style suits the historical genre so much whether it was in this book or the previous one i've read maybe a year ago "Angel Avenger"
I appreciate the details and search and description on Heidi's trip leaving a life she was forced into to the life of her chosen family who compensated her with all the things she didn't have before and all she had to do is take the risk and hop on that boxcar
Read
March 4, 2025I love the book, I love the buildup of the story line and also the character development.
It also made me further believe that the unexpected can happen in life, that truly, it could turn out well.
Heidi’s life is an adventure I really enjoy
It also made me further believe that the unexpected can happen in life, that truly, it could turn out well.
Heidi’s life is an adventure I really enjoy
March 13, 2025
A good little story, kept reading to find out where it was going! I liked the family dynamic created between strangers, and the characters were likeable. A book for anyone to read, I kept waiting for a big shock but it never came… a good story nonetheless, and well written 😊
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews