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Tramps and Vagabonds
“We’re in this together, share and share alike, you said, and you got to let me share the bad too.”
Bold, streetwise James has been riding the rails in the midst of the Great Depression ever since he ran away from his uncle’s house two years ago. When he pauses to catch his breath with a stint in the Civilian Conservation Corps, he meets Timothy, who has never spent a day on the road but sure would like to give it a try.
James figures sweet angel-faced Timothy will last a few weeks at most. They’ll jump a train or two, see some of the country, maybe fool around a little: on the road no one minds much about two boys canoodling. Then Timothy will get tired of slumming it, and head on home.
In the meantime, Timothy’s just as much fun as James hoped and then some, and tougher than he looks, too. Soon James and Timothy share everything, splitting whatever food and money and good times they can scrounge, and leaning on each other when they run into trouble.
But summer fades into autumn, and James knows that Timothy ought to go home before the deadly winter arrives. James can’t stand to keep Timothy in danger, but can he bear to lose him?
Content notes for days. Police brutality, general fisticuffs, rampant petty thievery, pervasive low-key peril, transactional sex, sexual menace, references to child abuse, references to sexual assault, period-typical attitudes in general but especially toward homosexuality (by which I mean not only homophobia but “Which parties in this sexual interaction are actually considered queer?”). One of my beta-readers said she read half the book peeking through her fingers because it was so emotionally intense. Make of that what you will.
Bold, streetwise James has been riding the rails in the midst of the Great Depression ever since he ran away from his uncle’s house two years ago. When he pauses to catch his breath with a stint in the Civilian Conservation Corps, he meets Timothy, who has never spent a day on the road but sure would like to give it a try.
James figures sweet angel-faced Timothy will last a few weeks at most. They’ll jump a train or two, see some of the country, maybe fool around a little: on the road no one minds much about two boys canoodling. Then Timothy will get tired of slumming it, and head on home.
In the meantime, Timothy’s just as much fun as James hoped and then some, and tougher than he looks, too. Soon James and Timothy share everything, splitting whatever food and money and good times they can scrounge, and leaning on each other when they run into trouble.
But summer fades into autumn, and James knows that Timothy ought to go home before the deadly winter arrives. James can’t stand to keep Timothy in danger, but can he bear to lose him?
Content notes for days. Police brutality, general fisticuffs, rampant petty thievery, pervasive low-key peril, transactional sex, sexual menace, references to child abuse, references to sexual assault, period-typical attitudes in general but especially toward homosexuality (by which I mean not only homophobia but “Which parties in this sexual interaction are actually considered queer?”). One of my beta-readers said she read half the book peeking through her fingers because it was so emotionally intense. Make of that what you will.
261 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 9, 2022
16 people are currently reading
304 people want to read
About the author
Aster Glenn Gray
17 books176 followersAster Glenn Gray writes fantasies with a romantic twist, or romances with a fantastic twist. (And maybe other things too. She is still a work in progress.) When she is not writing, she spends much of her time haunting libraries, taking long walks, and doing battle with the weeds that seek to topple her tomato plants.
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May 23, 2022I'm still sifting through my thoughts on this book, but it doesn't have a ton of reviews on Goodreads, and I know some friends have expressed interest in reading it, so I'm going to try to get some preliminary ideas down. But fair warning that a lot of this is just me... rambling through my own Big Feelings.
Luckily the part where I summarize the plot is pretty straightforward, because this book runs mostly on angst, atmosphere, and historical detail: James and Timothy meet in the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression. When their time working there is over, they decide to "ride the rails" together, hopping trains and seeing a swath of America that mostly covers Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. James is seasoned at riding the rails, and mostly takes charge of finding food and shelter; Timothy has never done such a thing before in his life. We watch the two men grow together and fall in love - and take care of each other - in a way that's really intensively shaped by the instability of life on the road in the Depression-era Midwest.
Reading Aster Glenn Gray means confronting head-on the idea of "accuracy" in historical romance: what it means, what it does, who decides what it is, what it offers the reader. In general, "accuracy" isn't a term I'm wild about, especially not in fiction. I think creating the past in fiction is less about a yardstick of "accuracy" and more about deploying a set of codes - invented or at least agreed upon long after the fact - to express something to readers in the moment of their reading. I also think accuracy is problematic because of the way it gets disproportionately wielded against marginalized authors. Sometimes, "inaccurate" is simply a shorthand for "why didn't your marginalized characters suffer more?"... because some readers can't imagine the happiness of anyone other than cishet white men. Sometimes, a desire for "accuracy" is part of a tendency for readers to consume narratives about marginalized "others" for their anthropological truth value rather than their artistic merits ... because we're largely taught about artistic merit from within a very white and cishet canon. Either way, I think it's a term to be taken with a pound of salt, and a really careful eye towards what we're trying to express when we use it. Myself included.
All of this to say, I think Aster Glenn Gray has a totally original approach to the strange thing we call "accuracy." It's pretty easy to see, on picking up this book, that the author has gone for an immersive approach to the period she's writing about. There's obviously been a ton of meticulous research done into what life was like on the road, and the book is full of vivid detail and interesting tidbits: about how to keep your clothes clean when jumping on and off trains, how to find shelter and move through life only with what you can carry, how to stretch food and money to last as long as possible. Both the dialogue and the 3rd-person POV narration are highly stylized, using Depression era slang, and phonetic markers for a Midwestern accent of a specific era and social class. And as the POV character, James uses terminology around queerness that is very much of the era. He has also internalized many of the attitudes he sees around him towards sexual relationships between men, and it influences what kind of relationship he thinks can have with Timothy, and his understanding of how others will interpret it and label it and accept it (or not). This is, I guess, what some people would term accuracy: James doesn't think about queerness in a way that always feels legible to me as a reader in 2022.
That being said, what I appreciate about this book is that the attitudes James has internalized ... ultimately don't circumscribe how he experiences sex and attraction and love, nor do they define the relationship he ultimately builds with Timothy. As alienating as I found James's way of articulating his sexuality at times, there was something compelling about how his experience eventually escaped the terms that society had given him to describe it, or the frameworks he'd inherited to understand it.
And to me, that worked on two really interesting levels. Personally, I think for anyone that has had the experience living in a way that doesn't fit the social scripts they've been given about gender and sexuality... there's something very relatable about how this book explores the crushing pressure of those expectations, how tightly they can limit your world-view and your understanding of yourself, and how that doesn't mean they're deterministic about the way you eventually live your life. And in a genre/literary sense, I think it's fascinating to see how the author can present the "attitudes of the past" as shaping her characters, without constraining the horizon of possibility for them? What James and Timothy eventually build together will escape the very dominant narratives that the author used to construct her world, which I find just... really intriguing, as a take on "accuracy."
That being said, every reader's experience is incredibly subjective - not to mention affected by their own positionality- and just because I ended up feeling that the book was interrogating and destabilizing our received wisdom about Depression-era attitudes and homophobia (internalized or otherwise) doesn't mean that it will land that way for everyone. Or that I have any authority to say so, because I super don't. But I do hope that writing some of this down might help people... at least get a sense for the questions one might end up asking themselves while reading this book?
Anyway, at this point I have probably accidentally made this book sound like a homework-y slog. That's 100% my brain, not the book. I found the setting extraordinarily immersive: for anyone who grew up on The Boxcar Children or similar, this book is probably going to push a lot of your buttons for just the sheer interest of reading about the strategies and experiences of living life "on the road." And the romance truly is lovely. Timothy and James are both richly-drawn characters, though by the virtue of the POV, we get to know James a lot better. So much of his journey is about allowing himself to be cared for, to be vulnerable, and most of all, to imagine a future for himself that the world hasn't allowed him to imagine, much less want. He gets his HEA in subtle touches, and the book is all the more poignant for that. And along the way, there is some serious angst. For readers who want that "please surgically remove my heart through my nose and then put it back together" feeling from a book, this might well fit the bill.
I don't think this is an easy read, despite the fact that I couldn't put it down by the end. But easy isn't always what I want from my books. It's imperfect but it's going for something big, and it's uneasy but honestly pushed me to think about the genre and what it does with history. So, I really do appreciate it for that.
Luckily the part where I summarize the plot is pretty straightforward, because this book runs mostly on angst, atmosphere, and historical detail: James and Timothy meet in the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression. When their time working there is over, they decide to "ride the rails" together, hopping trains and seeing a swath of America that mostly covers Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. James is seasoned at riding the rails, and mostly takes charge of finding food and shelter; Timothy has never done such a thing before in his life. We watch the two men grow together and fall in love - and take care of each other - in a way that's really intensively shaped by the instability of life on the road in the Depression-era Midwest.
Reading Aster Glenn Gray means confronting head-on the idea of "accuracy" in historical romance: what it means, what it does, who decides what it is, what it offers the reader. In general, "accuracy" isn't a term I'm wild about, especially not in fiction. I think creating the past in fiction is less about a yardstick of "accuracy" and more about deploying a set of codes - invented or at least agreed upon long after the fact - to express something to readers in the moment of their reading. I also think accuracy is problematic because of the way it gets disproportionately wielded against marginalized authors. Sometimes, "inaccurate" is simply a shorthand for "why didn't your marginalized characters suffer more?"... because some readers can't imagine the happiness of anyone other than cishet white men. Sometimes, a desire for "accuracy" is part of a tendency for readers to consume narratives about marginalized "others" for their anthropological truth value rather than their artistic merits ... because we're largely taught about artistic merit from within a very white and cishet canon. Either way, I think it's a term to be taken with a pound of salt, and a really careful eye towards what we're trying to express when we use it. Myself included.
All of this to say, I think Aster Glenn Gray has a totally original approach to the strange thing we call "accuracy." It's pretty easy to see, on picking up this book, that the author has gone for an immersive approach to the period she's writing about. There's obviously been a ton of meticulous research done into what life was like on the road, and the book is full of vivid detail and interesting tidbits: about how to keep your clothes clean when jumping on and off trains, how to find shelter and move through life only with what you can carry, how to stretch food and money to last as long as possible. Both the dialogue and the 3rd-person POV narration are highly stylized, using Depression era slang, and phonetic markers for a Midwestern accent of a specific era and social class. And as the POV character, James uses terminology around queerness that is very much of the era. He has also internalized many of the attitudes he sees around him towards sexual relationships between men, and it influences what kind of relationship he thinks can have with Timothy, and his understanding of how others will interpret it and label it and accept it (or not). This is, I guess, what some people would term accuracy: James doesn't think about queerness in a way that always feels legible to me as a reader in 2022.
That being said, what I appreciate about this book is that the attitudes James has internalized ... ultimately don't circumscribe how he experiences sex and attraction and love, nor do they define the relationship he ultimately builds with Timothy. As alienating as I found James's way of articulating his sexuality at times, there was something compelling about how his experience eventually escaped the terms that society had given him to describe it, or the frameworks he'd inherited to understand it.
And to me, that worked on two really interesting levels. Personally, I think for anyone that has had the experience living in a way that doesn't fit the social scripts they've been given about gender and sexuality... there's something very relatable about how this book explores the crushing pressure of those expectations, how tightly they can limit your world-view and your understanding of yourself, and how that doesn't mean they're deterministic about the way you eventually live your life. And in a genre/literary sense, I think it's fascinating to see how the author can present the "attitudes of the past" as shaping her characters, without constraining the horizon of possibility for them? What James and Timothy eventually build together will escape the very dominant narratives that the author used to construct her world, which I find just... really intriguing, as a take on "accuracy."
That being said, every reader's experience is incredibly subjective - not to mention affected by their own positionality- and just because I ended up feeling that the book was interrogating and destabilizing our received wisdom about Depression-era attitudes and homophobia (internalized or otherwise) doesn't mean that it will land that way for everyone. Or that I have any authority to say so, because I super don't. But I do hope that writing some of this down might help people... at least get a sense for the questions one might end up asking themselves while reading this book?
Anyway, at this point I have probably accidentally made this book sound like a homework-y slog. That's 100% my brain, not the book. I found the setting extraordinarily immersive: for anyone who grew up on The Boxcar Children or similar, this book is probably going to push a lot of your buttons for just the sheer interest of reading about the strategies and experiences of living life "on the road." And the romance truly is lovely. Timothy and James are both richly-drawn characters, though by the virtue of the POV, we get to know James a lot better. So much of his journey is about allowing himself to be cared for, to be vulnerable, and most of all, to imagine a future for himself that the world hasn't allowed him to imagine, much less want. He gets his HEA in subtle touches, and the book is all the more poignant for that. And along the way, there is some serious angst. For readers who want that "please surgically remove my heart through my nose and then put it back together" feeling from a book, this might well fit the bill.
I don't think this is an easy read, despite the fact that I couldn't put it down by the end. But easy isn't always what I want from my books. It's imperfect but it's going for something big, and it's uneasy but honestly pushed me to think about the genre and what it does with history. So, I really do appreciate it for that.
August 22, 2024
✰ 3.75 stars ✰
“James,” Timothy said.
“Hmm?”
“I like you better than any boy I ever met.”
“Aw, don’t get soppy.”
Even though I've only read one other book by Aster Glenn Gray, I do know that they put in a lot of effort to make their stories as historically accurate as possible; which I totally respect and appreciate. So, in lieu of that, I do find that as much as certain aspects may feel offensive and harmful, it was very appropriate of that time. To capture the grappling of emotions over one's sexuality and attraction to another male is in itself something that is hard to grasp, especially when one compares it to the lifestyle, in which these characters were living.
“You’re not sweet-talkin’ me for no reason. Whadja want from it?”
“I just want you to let me be sweet on you.”
That stuck in James’s throat going down. He wanted to say, Why?”
Set in the post-Great Depression days, Tramps and Vagabonds tells of two twenty-year-old friends - James and Timothy - fresh out of serving their time in the Civilian Conservation Corps, and hopping the rails as they ease their way through summer into winter. For James, it's the carefree life that he does feel most comfortable in - knowing how to earn his way to make his keep - to find the odds to meet the ends by any means - streetwise beyond his years. Bringing beautiful and innocent Timothy along for the ride may simply be for companionship, but along the way, it starts to sneak up on him, that maybe there lies that feeling that transcends beyond fooling around as friends, to something that is more present and tangible between them both. 🫂
That is pretty much how I felt while reading; it snuck up on me at how much I was enjoying their story. It's not the ideal life; who would willingly give up food and clothing and shelter, to live on the lam, here being the bulls and the wolves (euphemism, of course) who can target an unsuspecting persons - each day without knowing what the next meal will be? But there is a secret thrill of the unexpected and the uncertainty; for sweet and angelic Timothy, who has lived a cushioned and ideal life, slumming is a whole other world for him - a sight that he's never seen - 'he didn’t smile because the world had been good to him, he smiled to pacify a world that had treated him pretty bad.' 🥲 And to share it with someone that he cares for more, more than the other would care to admit. It's that inner battle of rising to the attraction, and still fending off other threats that made their journey all the more intimate and dangerous. Timothy did care deeply for James - a little more so than what James wanted him to - thought himself deserving of .There is also that latent feeling of freedom and learning different talents and exploring new surroundings that is just as alluring and appealing as it is to share it with someone you care for. 🫶🏻🫶🏻
“You’re a good kid, you know that?”
“You think so?” Timothy sounded surprised.
“Yeah, I do.” James punched his shoulder again. “You make me want to be good, too.”
I appreciated how the author captured the grittiness of the 30s; of both the good and the bad of living a life on the road. I was a little familiar already with the train hopping tactics from Nicky James series, so that did not surprise me too much. It's how she showed how everyday is a new day with its own set of hardships that made it feel genuine - the hardships - palpable. 'I shouldn’t’ve left you. We got to stick together.' 🤧 They shared in the aspirations of a better life and education - the dream of following a greater dream. With its fair share of ups and downs, and the ugly side rearing its face when it comes to the difficult trials of adversity in the face of those who prey on helpless victims or target one's naivete, there is also a beauty of kinship and friendship that comes with the sense of adventure and freedom. 😥 That with the danger of the ride, there is also the joy of freedom. A certain tranquility that prevailed when sharing it with someone, who could comfort you in the face of adversity. It's double-edged sword that when there is the offer of a steady home and a comforting meal, is it enough to convince someone to let go of this experience?
It would become tedious to read about their day-to-day lives as they work their way to find their way. She keeps the pacing fluid, because of how their own dynamic keeps changing as the seasons change. The author balanced their struggles very well, against their own struggles of their heart. James has such a conflicting and complicated notion of what it means if a man is attracted to another man; in a way, it does seem authentic to the time, when homosexuality - while existing, was not ever broached upon as something acceptable to exist. 😟 So, to see the little hints of where Timothy expresses his gratitude in affectionate ways, it is difficult for James to understand this warmth inside his heart with the fierce desire of reciprocating that love and kindness - 'feeling a little silly about Timothy, the kind of silly that made him want to do nice things for him.' It kind of hurt the narrative not having Timothy's perspective, but I get that it was a trial that James had to get over for him to realize how important his friendship with Timothy was. How his certain actions hurt Timothy, without him realizing it was portrayed in a believable way that was bittersweet and yet, cathartic. ❤️🩹❤️🩹
“Timothy—”
“Won’t you miss me at all?”
James’s tears scalded his cheeks. He rubbed them away angrily. “Why you gotta make this so hard?”
“I’d make it impossible if I could.”
For that part of their story definitely bothered me; Walter's existence in their trials was a bruise that left an unpleasant taste in my mouth. 💔😣💔 I did not like it; it hurt me, as much as it hurt Timothy; but it was - in a way, necessary for James to accept that his feelings for Timothy meant more than this returning a favor with repayment of his body. It's a painful realization to show just how different they are - how so not appealing James' life has been. Timothy's frustration of feeling rejected - that heartbreaking swell of emotional distraught was so searing to read, let alone see how it broke the both of them - mentally and emotionally. 'We’re in this together, share and share alike, you said, and you got to let me share the bad too, you got to, James, do you understand me, you got…' 🥺 But, it is also that crucial moment where James realizes just how much Timothy means to him; . how his actions have damaged their relationship, for something that was pure, was now tainted. It's that turning point of pushing him away, that was as much to convince him to stay. If that makes sense. 😔
I really liked how they were so very sweet on each other, it was captured with a lot of heart and sincerity that showed how much they cared for each other. I liked how Timothy's own innocence and vulnerability toughened his character. 🤍🩶 His honesty touched a part of James deeply, even more than when they braved being physically intimate together. It was nice to see James break down his own walls when he saw how much Timothy cared for him, to act upon their fervent pull to each other -'because Timothy was smiling at him, like ten thousand kilowatts, so bright that even with his face hidden James could feel it shining like a noonday sun.' There was a wholesomeness to his fear, even when Timothy was so reassuring and comforting of accepting his own fear. 😢 The trust of their intimacy blazed with the emotional vulnerability of wanting more than just to fool around; for it to mean something that they could not define or speak of, but knew existed between the two of them. And the author really captured that tug of war of angsty feelings really well, against the backdrop of the difficult challenges they had to face together. 👍🏻 It's not perfect and it can be hard to forgive James for his misconceptions and how he fought so hard to push Timothy away in order to protect him from any more difficulties he did not deserve to endure; but seeing the two of them get their happy ending - deservedly so - made the trials they faced all the more worth my while. 💮
“James,” Timothy said.
“Hmm?”
“I like you better than any boy I ever met.”
“Aw, don’t get soppy.”
Even though I've only read one other book by Aster Glenn Gray, I do know that they put in a lot of effort to make their stories as historically accurate as possible; which I totally respect and appreciate. So, in lieu of that, I do find that as much as certain aspects may feel offensive and harmful, it was very appropriate of that time. To capture the grappling of emotions over one's sexuality and attraction to another male is in itself something that is hard to grasp, especially when one compares it to the lifestyle, in which these characters were living.
“You’re not sweet-talkin’ me for no reason. Whadja want from it?”
“I just want you to let me be sweet on you.”
That stuck in James’s throat going down. He wanted to say, Why?”
Set in the post-Great Depression days, Tramps and Vagabonds tells of two twenty-year-old friends - James and Timothy - fresh out of serving their time in the Civilian Conservation Corps, and hopping the rails as they ease their way through summer into winter. For James, it's the carefree life that he does feel most comfortable in - knowing how to earn his way to make his keep - to find the odds to meet the ends by any means - streetwise beyond his years. Bringing beautiful and innocent Timothy along for the ride may simply be for companionship, but along the way, it starts to sneak up on him, that maybe there lies that feeling that transcends beyond fooling around as friends, to something that is more present and tangible between them both. 🫂
That is pretty much how I felt while reading; it snuck up on me at how much I was enjoying their story. It's not the ideal life; who would willingly give up food and clothing and shelter, to live on the lam, here being the bulls and the wolves (euphemism, of course) who can target an unsuspecting persons - each day without knowing what the next meal will be? But there is a secret thrill of the unexpected and the uncertainty; for sweet and angelic Timothy, who has lived a cushioned and ideal life, slumming is a whole other world for him - a sight that he's never seen - 'he didn’t smile because the world had been good to him, he smiled to pacify a world that had treated him pretty bad.' 🥲 And to share it with someone that he cares for more, more than the other would care to admit. It's that inner battle of rising to the attraction, and still fending off other threats that made their journey all the more intimate and dangerous. Timothy did care deeply for James - a little more so than what James wanted him to - thought himself deserving of .There is also that latent feeling of freedom and learning different talents and exploring new surroundings that is just as alluring and appealing as it is to share it with someone you care for. 🫶🏻🫶🏻
“You’re a good kid, you know that?”
“You think so?” Timothy sounded surprised.
“Yeah, I do.” James punched his shoulder again. “You make me want to be good, too.”
I appreciated how the author captured the grittiness of the 30s; of both the good and the bad of living a life on the road. I was a little familiar already with the train hopping tactics from Nicky James series, so that did not surprise me too much. It's how she showed how everyday is a new day with its own set of hardships that made it feel genuine - the hardships - palpable. 'I shouldn’t’ve left you. We got to stick together.' 🤧 They shared in the aspirations of a better life and education - the dream of following a greater dream. With its fair share of ups and downs, and the ugly side rearing its face when it comes to the difficult trials of adversity in the face of those who prey on helpless victims or target one's naivete, there is also a beauty of kinship and friendship that comes with the sense of adventure and freedom. 😥 That with the danger of the ride, there is also the joy of freedom. A certain tranquility that prevailed when sharing it with someone, who could comfort you in the face of adversity. It's double-edged sword that when there is the offer of a steady home and a comforting meal, is it enough to convince someone to let go of this experience?
It would become tedious to read about their day-to-day lives as they work their way to find their way. She keeps the pacing fluid, because of how their own dynamic keeps changing as the seasons change. The author balanced their struggles very well, against their own struggles of their heart. James has such a conflicting and complicated notion of what it means if a man is attracted to another man; in a way, it does seem authentic to the time, when homosexuality - while existing, was not ever broached upon as something acceptable to exist. 😟 So, to see the little hints of where Timothy expresses his gratitude in affectionate ways, it is difficult for James to understand this warmth inside his heart with the fierce desire of reciprocating that love and kindness - 'feeling a little silly about Timothy, the kind of silly that made him want to do nice things for him.' It kind of hurt the narrative not having Timothy's perspective, but I get that it was a trial that James had to get over for him to realize how important his friendship with Timothy was. How his certain actions hurt Timothy, without him realizing it was portrayed in a believable way that was bittersweet and yet, cathartic. ❤️🩹❤️🩹
“Timothy—”
“Won’t you miss me at all?”
James’s tears scalded his cheeks. He rubbed them away angrily. “Why you gotta make this so hard?”
“I’d make it impossible if I could.”
For that part of their story definitely bothered me; Walter's existence in their trials was a bruise that left an unpleasant taste in my mouth. 💔😣💔 I did not like it; it hurt me, as much as it hurt Timothy; but it was - in a way, necessary for James to accept that his feelings for Timothy meant more than this returning a favor with repayment of his body. It's a painful realization to show just how different they are - how so not appealing James' life has been. Timothy's frustration of feeling rejected - that heartbreaking swell of emotional distraught was so searing to read, let alone see how it broke the both of them - mentally and emotionally. 'We’re in this together, share and share alike, you said, and you got to let me share the bad too, you got to, James, do you understand me, you got…' 🥺 But, it is also that crucial moment where James realizes just how much Timothy means to him; . how his actions have damaged their relationship, for something that was pure, was now tainted. It's that turning point of pushing him away, that was as much to convince him to stay. If that makes sense. 😔
I really liked how they were so very sweet on each other, it was captured with a lot of heart and sincerity that showed how much they cared for each other. I liked how Timothy's own innocence and vulnerability toughened his character. 🤍🩶 His honesty touched a part of James deeply, even more than when they braved being physically intimate together. It was nice to see James break down his own walls when he saw how much Timothy cared for him, to act upon their fervent pull to each other -'because Timothy was smiling at him, like ten thousand kilowatts, so bright that even with his face hidden James could feel it shining like a noonday sun.' There was a wholesomeness to his fear, even when Timothy was so reassuring and comforting of accepting his own fear. 😢 The trust of their intimacy blazed with the emotional vulnerability of wanting more than just to fool around; for it to mean something that they could not define or speak of, but knew existed between the two of them. And the author really captured that tug of war of angsty feelings really well, against the backdrop of the difficult challenges they had to face together. 👍🏻 It's not perfect and it can be hard to forgive James for his misconceptions and how he fought so hard to push Timothy away in order to protect him from any more difficulties he did not deserve to endure; but seeing the two of them get their happy ending - deservedly so - made the trials they faced all the more worth my while. 💮
May 11, 2022
Very sweet, beautiful story set in a fascinating and under-depicted time in American history.
It’s so rare to find historical fiction about queer characters that feels absolutely true to the era. These characters felt both so much like products of their time that they couldn’t exist anywhere else, and yet so absolutely, fully human.
As I get older, it gets so much clearer to me how some of the things I thought were foundational when I was younger were actually, simply, indicia of the time period I was living in. Yet I also remember so clearly at the the time believing that’s just the way things were. These two characters feel so human (and so accurately 20!) that I just wish I could follow along as they live the rest of their lives, growing and changing over decades in that slow/fast way people actually grow and change.
And I really loved how accurately this book captures that experience! Most of the book is slice-of-life as our two main characters tramp around the Midwest with no real destination in mind… and yet when the change comes - and yes, how stressed was I about whether their stories would resolve happily! - it’s both out of nowhere and yet so logical and true that I was fully tearing up by the last page.
Now that I’ve thought about it, I’m really struck by how these characters’ experiences resonated with me personally, given that I was their age around the late 2000s/early 2010s - in some ways a very similar period to the 1930s. :/
It’s so rare to find historical fiction about queer characters that feels absolutely true to the era. These characters felt both so much like products of their time that they couldn’t exist anywhere else, and yet so absolutely, fully human.
As I get older, it gets so much clearer to me how some of the things I thought were foundational when I was younger were actually, simply, indicia of the time period I was living in. Yet I also remember so clearly at the the time believing that’s just the way things were. These two characters feel so human (and so accurately 20!) that I just wish I could follow along as they live the rest of their lives, growing and changing over decades in that slow/fast way people actually grow and change.
And I really loved how accurately this book captures that experience! Most of the book is slice-of-life as our two main characters tramp around the Midwest with no real destination in mind… and yet when the change comes - and yes, how stressed was I about whether their stories would resolve happily! - it’s both out of nowhere and yet so logical and true that I was fully tearing up by the last page.
Now that I’ve thought about it, I’m really struck by how these characters’ experiences resonated with me personally, given that I was their age around the late 2000s/early 2010s - in some ways a very similar period to the 1930s. :/
Read
May 9, 2022I beta read this wonderful book, and since I'm confessing that up front, I think maybe I had better not rate it officially, but it's FIVE STARS in my heart. It's a very tender story, right in that place where friendship bleeds into romantic love and sexual attraction, and the characters are so, so finely drawn. And it's a wonderful window onto a time and place that's fascinating: the world of young people on the road during the Great Depression. Aster Glenn Gray absolutely nails the combination of the romance of the road and the awful realities of it, without having "awful reality" crush out the romance. In the summertime, it really can be glorious. If, like me, you've ever wondered what it would be like to ride the rails, WELL HERE YOU GO. She shows hobo camps and the protective/exploitive relationships that develop there, and just--she's really good at showing all this without passing judgment and without giving you a sense that she's withholding judgment but boy could she lay it on you if she wanted. Things just are presented. Or okay, because you're seeing things from experienced James's point of view, you do get *some* opinions and judgments, but they're the opinions and judgments of an adolescent who doesn't even know who he is or what he's feeling or what he's going to do with himself.
And the details of 1930s middle America are just to die for. There's a scene early on where James is drawing soap art on a diner window in trade for a meal--wonderful.
And then into all that, there's what it was like to be gay in such a setting.
When it comes to tropes in romance, I need them to feel organic to the story. That's a YMMV requirement, but I am happy to report that their appearance in Tramps and Vagabonds feels very organic.
There are some emotionally intense moments that I had to read quickly through, but some readers will adore those moments most of all. There's also some surprisingly hot sex--surprising for me, that is, because I don't have any of the bits. Human desire is such a weird thing! To borrow from Jacob Proffit, romance reviewer extraordinare, this was at the top end of my steaminess scale.
And the details of 1930s middle America are just to die for. There's a scene early on where James is drawing soap art on a diner window in trade for a meal--wonderful.
And then into all that, there's what it was like to be gay in such a setting.
When it comes to tropes in romance, I need them to feel organic to the story. That's a YMMV requirement, but I am happy to report that their appearance in Tramps and Vagabonds feels very organic.
There are some emotionally intense moments that I had to read quickly through, but some readers will adore those moments most of all. There's also some surprisingly hot sex--surprising for me, that is, because I don't have any of the bits. Human desire is such a weird thing! To borrow from Jacob Proffit, romance reviewer extraordinare, this was at the top end of my steaminess scale.
January 1, 2025
I’ll need to come back and write a better review soon but for now I have to say that Tramps and Vagabonds was one of my favorites of the year and what a fantastic way to end 2024.
KU borrowed but definitely buying outright as this will be one I return to as a comfort read. LOVED it!
Happy New Year’s Eve everyone! 🎉😘
KU borrowed but definitely buying outright as this will be one I return to as a comfort read. LOVED it!
Happy New Year’s Eve everyone! 🎉😘
November 3, 2022
Well this tugged at all the right heartstrings for me ... I absolutely loved both MCs. The between wars historical setting and the struggle to survive the great depression era was authentically laid out via our boys road-trip journey from town to city in the mid-west states. Plus some well crafted secondary characters too! 4.5 stars.
March 29, 2024
Okay. Aster Glenn Gray is a new auto-buy for me I think. I swear she just reaches in my head for the things that interest me and puts them on paper.
This book follows James and Timothy as they travel around as tramps during the Great Depression and James shows Tim the ropes—and they fall in love along the way. This book had its dark moments for sure and I cried a few times but James and Timothy were surprisingly cute and tender.
This book was such an interesting look into the traveling lifestyle of the 1930s and I learned so much about queer culture from the time. I love how she includes a decent balance of period-accurate trauma and homophobia but also a healthy amount of queer community so there’s moments of levity and hope in the darkness.
This book was lowkey reminiscent of On The Road by Jack Kerouac but 10 years earlier and also gayer and significantly less self-indulgent. And also a romance. It lowkey felt like Ride by Lana Del Rey too in a fun way lol.
Anyways, I loved it and now I’m off to order every single book by this author.
This book follows James and Timothy as they travel around as tramps during the Great Depression and James shows Tim the ropes—and they fall in love along the way. This book had its dark moments for sure and I cried a few times but James and Timothy were surprisingly cute and tender.
This book was such an interesting look into the traveling lifestyle of the 1930s and I learned so much about queer culture from the time. I love how she includes a decent balance of period-accurate trauma and homophobia but also a healthy amount of queer community so there’s moments of levity and hope in the darkness.
This book was lowkey reminiscent of On The Road by Jack Kerouac but 10 years earlier and also gayer and significantly less self-indulgent. And also a romance. It lowkey felt like Ride by Lana Del Rey too in a fun way lol.
Anyways, I loved it and now I’m off to order every single book by this author.
May 20, 2022
I don't have any special feelings towards this book. It was good.
Both James and Timothy are a bit naive and innocent, combined with some hurt/comfort, it set a rather bleak tone to the story.
I'm a little confused about James's sexuality, coz what he was saying didn't add up with what he was feeling. Maybe this story was trying to show us how people can be confused by their own feelings because of society's expectations. But I think it's more than that, I just can't find the right words to say it.
Both James and Timothy are a bit naive and innocent, combined with some hurt/comfort, it set a rather bleak tone to the story.
I'm a little confused about James's sexuality, coz what he was saying didn't add up with what he was feeling. Maybe this story was trying to show us how people can be confused by their own feelings because of society's expectations. But I think it's more than that, I just can't find the right words to say it.
June 21, 2023
I've rated this A-/4.5 stars - read for the June 2023 TBR Challenge prompt "Love is Love.
Reading something for a ‘Love is Love’ prompt is a bit like a Busman’s Holiday for me because I read so much queer romance anyway, so I tried to pick a book that had a little bit of something different about it – hence Aster Glenn Gray’s Tramps and Vagabonds, which is set in the US during the Depression. I don’t think I’ve ever read a romance set in that time period, so that was ‘something different’ enough!
Despite the setting, the book generally has an upbeat feel to it as we join James and Timothy, who decide to ride the rails after they finish a six-month stint at the CCC – the Civilian Conservation Corps, an organisation founded in 1933 that provided jobs for unemployed young men. There’s not a lot of plot here; the book is really a series of vignettes spread over one memorable summer as the two young men – they’re twenty – tramp around the Midwest with no real destination in mind and fall in love along the way.
Even though they’ve both been at Camp McCormick for six months, James and Timothy don’t know each other at all really, and have only exchanged a few words now and then. But on the last Sunday at camp, James finds himself sitting down next to Timothy and telling him he’s not going to sign up for another six months - he’s going to ride the rails for a bit instead. Tim’s wide-eyed questioning lead James into talking about the places he’s seen and the people he’s met – and how great it is to not have to wake up at a set time and just do what you want. He’s a bit taken aback when Timothy asks if he can go with him – he doesn’t think that Timothy, who is sweet and so pretty, and whose mama sends him packets of home made ginger snaps - is cut out for the rough life, but the company might be nice for a bit. Chances are Tim will get tired or bored pretty soon and go home anyway.
James and Timothy are superbly drawn characters, although as James is the PoV character, we get to know him better, and their romance is beautifully written. It starts as a friendship which slowly turns into genuine affection and romantic love; it’s sweet and tender and will tug at the heartstrings, but is complicated by the (period appropriate) attitudes towards queerness James has internalised. He doesn’t label himself as queer although he’s happily fooled around with whoever comes along; he had a relationship with a woman when he was on the road the year before, and is also obviously attracted to Tim – “that pretty hair, and that easy way he moved; and he had a pretty mouth on him, too.” In today’s world, he’d probably identify as bi (or pan) sexual, but of course, those wouldn’t be familiar terms – he just likes who he likes. Still, those attitudes (which the author discusses in her very informative historical note at the end) – and the kind of unwritten rule that“it ain’t queer if you play the man’s part” - influence his understanding of the kind of relationship he can have with Timothy. They start having casual sex fairly quickly, but as far as James is concerned, he and Timothy are just friends scratching an itch, and it takes James a while to see what the reader has been seeing for ages, that he’s falling in love with his travelling companion.
Their dynamic works really well as James acquaints Timothy with all the dos and don’ts of life on the road, and is surprised at how well Tim takes to it. Despite the occasional arrest, the hunger and the uncertainty, their summer adventure is one of excitement and fun, but as the summer begins to fade and with the hardships of winter on the horizon, life on the road becomes more grim and James decides it’s time for Timothy to go home.
Right from the start, it’s obvious Aster Glenn Gray has done a lot of meticulous research into what life on the road was like, and the book is full of interesting detail – how to move through life with only what you can wear or carry, how to find shelter, how to stretch food to last as long as possible, how to keep your clothes clean when jumping on and off of trains – it’s all fascinating, and woven skilfully into the narrative in a way that is completely organic. Both narrative and dialogue are stylised in a way that feels true to the era, and the book is drenched in atmosphere; the settings are wonderfully realised, painting a vivid picture of the world of young people on the road during this time – and the author does a terrific job of juxtaposing the romance of the road with the awful realities of it without having those realities completely crushing the joy and the romance out of the story. She shows the best – the freedom, the kindness of random strangers willing to give them a meal and a place to sleep in return for their doing a few chores – and the worst - the older “wolves” who regard the younger “punks” as their sexual prey – sides of the hobo lifestyle, and doesn’t discount the risks of riding the rails, the violence of the police raids and the ever present danger of permanent injury or death every time they jump on or off a train. But the darker aspects of the story are well balanced by the lighter ones – good-natured teasing, gentle humour and affection, a bit of hurt/comfort and what is, ultimately, a delightful love story. You won’t find hearts and flowers or vows of undying love here (the word “love” isn’t said by either of them) – it’s the little things, the way James and Timothy care for each other and the things they do and say to make each other feel better, the subtle understatedness of it that makes their romance so satisfying.
Is the ending a bit convenient? Perhaps, but it doesn’t negate all the things James learns along the way – that it’s okay to let himself be vulnerable, that it’s okay to love Tim and to imagine a future for himself he’d never dared think about before. The book ends with a very strong HFN – after all, being in a same-sex relationship in the 1930s means they’re going to have to be careful - but at least we leave them in a good place and looking forward to future together.
Tramps and Vagabonds was absolutely captivating. It’s full of fascinating historical detail that grounds the reader firmly in the time period, the characters and their emotions feel absolutely real, and the romance at its heart is just beautiful. It’s funny, angsty, heartbreaking and brilliant – and I highly recommend it.
Reading something for a ‘Love is Love’ prompt is a bit like a Busman’s Holiday for me because I read so much queer romance anyway, so I tried to pick a book that had a little bit of something different about it – hence Aster Glenn Gray’s Tramps and Vagabonds, which is set in the US during the Depression. I don’t think I’ve ever read a romance set in that time period, so that was ‘something different’ enough!
Despite the setting, the book generally has an upbeat feel to it as we join James and Timothy, who decide to ride the rails after they finish a six-month stint at the CCC – the Civilian Conservation Corps, an organisation founded in 1933 that provided jobs for unemployed young men. There’s not a lot of plot here; the book is really a series of vignettes spread over one memorable summer as the two young men – they’re twenty – tramp around the Midwest with no real destination in mind and fall in love along the way.
Even though they’ve both been at Camp McCormick for six months, James and Timothy don’t know each other at all really, and have only exchanged a few words now and then. But on the last Sunday at camp, James finds himself sitting down next to Timothy and telling him he’s not going to sign up for another six months - he’s going to ride the rails for a bit instead. Tim’s wide-eyed questioning lead James into talking about the places he’s seen and the people he’s met – and how great it is to not have to wake up at a set time and just do what you want. He’s a bit taken aback when Timothy asks if he can go with him – he doesn’t think that Timothy, who is sweet and so pretty, and whose mama sends him packets of home made ginger snaps - is cut out for the rough life, but the company might be nice for a bit. Chances are Tim will get tired or bored pretty soon and go home anyway.
James and Timothy are superbly drawn characters, although as James is the PoV character, we get to know him better, and their romance is beautifully written. It starts as a friendship which slowly turns into genuine affection and romantic love; it’s sweet and tender and will tug at the heartstrings, but is complicated by the (period appropriate) attitudes towards queerness James has internalised. He doesn’t label himself as queer although he’s happily fooled around with whoever comes along; he had a relationship with a woman when he was on the road the year before, and is also obviously attracted to Tim – “that pretty hair, and that easy way he moved; and he had a pretty mouth on him, too.” In today’s world, he’d probably identify as bi (or pan) sexual, but of course, those wouldn’t be familiar terms – he just likes who he likes. Still, those attitudes (which the author discusses in her very informative historical note at the end) – and the kind of unwritten rule that“it ain’t queer if you play the man’s part” - influence his understanding of the kind of relationship he can have with Timothy. They start having casual sex fairly quickly, but as far as James is concerned, he and Timothy are just friends scratching an itch, and it takes James a while to see what the reader has been seeing for ages, that he’s falling in love with his travelling companion.
Their dynamic works really well as James acquaints Timothy with all the dos and don’ts of life on the road, and is surprised at how well Tim takes to it. Despite the occasional arrest, the hunger and the uncertainty, their summer adventure is one of excitement and fun, but as the summer begins to fade and with the hardships of winter on the horizon, life on the road becomes more grim and James decides it’s time for Timothy to go home.
Right from the start, it’s obvious Aster Glenn Gray has done a lot of meticulous research into what life on the road was like, and the book is full of interesting detail – how to move through life with only what you can wear or carry, how to find shelter, how to stretch food to last as long as possible, how to keep your clothes clean when jumping on and off of trains – it’s all fascinating, and woven skilfully into the narrative in a way that is completely organic. Both narrative and dialogue are stylised in a way that feels true to the era, and the book is drenched in atmosphere; the settings are wonderfully realised, painting a vivid picture of the world of young people on the road during this time – and the author does a terrific job of juxtaposing the romance of the road with the awful realities of it without having those realities completely crushing the joy and the romance out of the story. She shows the best – the freedom, the kindness of random strangers willing to give them a meal and a place to sleep in return for their doing a few chores – and the worst - the older “wolves” who regard the younger “punks” as their sexual prey – sides of the hobo lifestyle, and doesn’t discount the risks of riding the rails, the violence of the police raids and the ever present danger of permanent injury or death every time they jump on or off a train. But the darker aspects of the story are well balanced by the lighter ones – good-natured teasing, gentle humour and affection, a bit of hurt/comfort and what is, ultimately, a delightful love story. You won’t find hearts and flowers or vows of undying love here (the word “love” isn’t said by either of them) – it’s the little things, the way James and Timothy care for each other and the things they do and say to make each other feel better, the subtle understatedness of it that makes their romance so satisfying.
Is the ending a bit convenient? Perhaps, but it doesn’t negate all the things James learns along the way – that it’s okay to let himself be vulnerable, that it’s okay to love Tim and to imagine a future for himself he’d never dared think about before. The book ends with a very strong HFN – after all, being in a same-sex relationship in the 1930s means they’re going to have to be careful - but at least we leave them in a good place and looking forward to future together.
Tramps and Vagabonds was absolutely captivating. It’s full of fascinating historical detail that grounds the reader firmly in the time period, the characters and their emotions feel absolutely real, and the romance at its heart is just beautiful. It’s funny, angsty, heartbreaking and brilliant – and I highly recommend it.
September 16, 2022
Heartbreaking. Brilliant.
Freedom’s just another word.
Slow journey to home.
Freedom’s just another word.
Slow journey to home.
May 20, 2022
3 1/2 stars. I enjoyed the setting and overall enjoyed the story but had a few issues with the plot line which I won’t spoil here.
July 16, 2022
Two men ride the rails during the Great Depression. The historical setting was 5/5 for me, but the romance arc wasn’t as successful.
This read more like historical fiction to me than romance, and most of the issues I had with the romance part of the story were due to my genre-based expectations. For example, the POV character, James, repeatedly grapples with questions about what his attraction to men means about his identity – what term(s) apply to him, what acts are “acceptable” for him to desire, how he wants to be treated by his partner and what he’s willing to offer in return, and so on. The author’s note discusses some of the research that went into this aspect of the story, and it feels realistic without gratuitous homophobia. However, James doesn’t arrive at answers to most of these questions in the book. This makes sense as an authentic character arc for a twenty-year-old man at the time, but as a romance character arc it doesn’t feel satisfying, especially because James’s questions about himself cause him to inadvertently hurt his partner’s feelings multiple times, and it seems inevitable those issues will continue to arise in the future for these characters. I left the book feeling worried about how healthy the relationship would be for Timothy. That’s not the type of note on which romance readers typically want to leave a book.
I also felt the book side-stepped some important questions about poverty and class that underpin the characters’ situation by having one MC choose the vagabond life instead of being forced into it and always having a fairly obvious route for the characters to leave behind their poverty once it was inconvenient to the story.
Overall, I really enjoyed the exploration of the historical setting and recommend this book for anyone interested in a story about Great Depression rail riders. But I’d go into it with historical fiction expectations, not romance ones.
This read more like historical fiction to me than romance, and most of the issues I had with the romance part of the story were due to my genre-based expectations. For example, the POV character, James, repeatedly grapples with questions about what his attraction to men means about his identity – what term(s) apply to him, what acts are “acceptable” for him to desire, how he wants to be treated by his partner and what he’s willing to offer in return, and so on. The author’s note discusses some of the research that went into this aspect of the story, and it feels realistic without gratuitous homophobia. However, James doesn’t arrive at answers to most of these questions in the book. This makes sense as an authentic character arc for a twenty-year-old man at the time, but as a romance character arc it doesn’t feel satisfying, especially because James’s questions about himself cause him to inadvertently hurt his partner’s feelings multiple times, and it seems inevitable those issues will continue to arise in the future for these characters. I left the book feeling worried about how healthy the relationship would be for Timothy. That’s not the type of note on which romance readers typically want to leave a book.
I also felt the book side-stepped some important questions about poverty and class that underpin the characters’ situation by having one MC choose the vagabond life instead of being forced into it and always having a fairly obvious route for the characters to leave behind their poverty once it was inconvenient to the story.
Overall, I really enjoyed the exploration of the historical setting and recommend this book for anyone interested in a story about Great Depression rail riders. But I’d go into it with historical fiction expectations, not romance ones.
Read
May 15, 2022After reading this, I must say that Aster Glenn Gray is one of my favorite writers of queer historical romance. Her range is broad, her research is deep, and her characters and settings are so memorable. I loved this book. Who else could pull off a romance between two Depression-era tramps riding the rails? Astounding. This is ultimately a sweet book, but it can be a very rough read at times - pay attention to the content warnings.
August 10, 2025
This was absolutely lovely. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
May 7, 2023
WHAT A BOOK. I’m a melted puddle of feels.
The historical detail is absolutely fascinating and colorful, just what I’ve come to expect from the author. The relationship is sweet and heartfelt and heartstring-tugging. The grappling with sexual identity in the context of a very different era is fascinating.
Starts out with a sweet, fun tramp around the country with two young boys slowly becoming closer and closer. James is happily and unthinkingly bisexual, thinking nothing of “fooling around” with whoever comes along, while its apparent that Timothy is silently more gay than he can safely admit. Meanwhile James is suppressing a lot of trauma to put on a brave face for sheltered Timothy. As their relationship develops so does their situation on the road, with the book not shying away from the deadly dangers of the life. By the end I was desperate for the characters to find safety, while heartbroken for the end of their idyllic tramp at a time when the road also meant freedom from society’s sexual repression. The resolution they find is wonderfully hopeful and leaves them at a point where they can start making a life for themselves, together.
The historical detail is absolutely fascinating and colorful, just what I’ve come to expect from the author. The relationship is sweet and heartfelt and heartstring-tugging. The grappling with sexual identity in the context of a very different era is fascinating.
Starts out with a sweet, fun tramp around the country with two young boys slowly becoming closer and closer. James is happily and unthinkingly bisexual, thinking nothing of “fooling around” with whoever comes along, while its apparent that Timothy is silently more gay than he can safely admit. Meanwhile James is suppressing a lot of trauma to put on a brave face for sheltered Timothy. As their relationship develops so does their situation on the road, with the book not shying away from the deadly dangers of the life. By the end I was desperate for the characters to find safety, while heartbroken for the end of their idyllic tramp at a time when the road also meant freedom from society’s sexual repression. The resolution they find is wonderfully hopeful and leaves them at a point where they can start making a life for themselves, together.
dropped-dnf
March 27, 2023DNF at 35%. I didn't really care for the main character, James. Timothy, supposedly the co-MC, was just a shadow who barely did anything but listen to James explain everything and nod. They were walking or riding trains around the Midwest USA, discussing nothing but hobo culture of the 1930s and I was just so bored. I guess it's not a time period or culture I'm interested in.
May 10, 2022
Set during the Great Depression, James is a streetwise tramp who's used to riding the rails and making his own way in the world. Sweet Timothy seems too soft for the rough life but James lets him tag along anyway, assuming Timothy will eventually get tired and head on home.
When I read one of Gray's novels, I know it's going to transport me to another time and place, it will break my heart a bit and then put it back together, and that there will be amazing descriptions of food. This checks all of the above.
I love how evocative this is of the era, following Timothy and James as they evade the police, sleep in barns, and clamber through abandoned theme parks. Texturally this is so good, it has that tactility I associate with Gray's writing, the little details of weather and food and location, it just lends the whole work a weight that feels real.
The dynamic between the two protagonists works so well. James acquaints Timothy with the rules of the road, shows him how to earn a few bucks, and tries to teach him how to fight. But Timothy doesn't want to learn how to fight. He's from a gentler, less desperate world and as the summer fades and their road trip adventure turns into something more grim, it seems like they're fated to part.
The book doesn't shy away from the darker aspects of their journey, but it's tempered well with lightness and humour, and ultimately their love story is really satisfying and sweet. They suffer! But there's comfort for all the hurt. Enjoyed this so much!
(I received an ARC with no obligation to review.)
When I read one of Gray's novels, I know it's going to transport me to another time and place, it will break my heart a bit and then put it back together, and that there will be amazing descriptions of food. This checks all of the above.
I love how evocative this is of the era, following Timothy and James as they evade the police, sleep in barns, and clamber through abandoned theme parks. Texturally this is so good, it has that tactility I associate with Gray's writing, the little details of weather and food and location, it just lends the whole work a weight that feels real.
The dynamic between the two protagonists works so well. James acquaints Timothy with the rules of the road, shows him how to earn a few bucks, and tries to teach him how to fight. But Timothy doesn't want to learn how to fight. He's from a gentler, less desperate world and as the summer fades and their road trip adventure turns into something more grim, it seems like they're fated to part.
The book doesn't shy away from the darker aspects of their journey, but it's tempered well with lightness and humour, and ultimately their love story is really satisfying and sweet. They suffer! But there's comfort for all the hurt. Enjoyed this so much!
(I received an ARC with no obligation to review.)
June 24, 2022
I really admire Grey’s historical research, how much the setting impacts their romances, and the obvious care put into the structure. And there’s such a lovely melancholy nature to this romance in particular that really adds up the emotional weight of it all.
Book hangover for sure.
Book hangover for sure.
May 12, 2022
Another masterpiece by Aster Glenn Gray.
Well, this was gorgeous. It was a really intense journey with those two lovely boys—and the other tramps riding along. I think I was constantly weeping while reading the last five chapters (for both sadness and joy) and then I just wept again after finishing the book. Sure I will be obsessing over this story for months to come, just as I did with Honeytrap and The Larks Still Bravely Singing.
“Yes,” Tim gasped, and all of a sudden he seemed to crack, and then he was really crying. “Yes. I’m tired of being hungry and cold all the time. I want to sleep in my own bed and have enough to eat every day. But Jesus, James! I can’t just leave you!” And he let go of James to press his hands to his own face, like it might melt off from crying so hard.
Well, this was gorgeous. It was a really intense journey with those two lovely boys—and the other tramps riding along. I think I was constantly weeping while reading the last five chapters (for both sadness and joy) and then I just wept again after finishing the book. Sure I will be obsessing over this story for months to come, just as I did with Honeytrap and The Larks Still Bravely Singing.
“Yes,” Tim gasped, and all of a sudden he seemed to crack, and then he was really crying. “Yes. I’m tired of being hungry and cold all the time. I want to sleep in my own bed and have enough to eat every day. But Jesus, James! I can’t just leave you!” And he let go of James to press his hands to his own face, like it might melt off from crying so hard.
May 18, 2022
4.25 stars. Aster Glenn Gray has a singular talent for historical romance that completely grounds the reader in the time period, accurately reflecting the news, the clothing, the speech patterns, and even the way of thinking. Tramps and Vagabonds, set in the 1930's American Midwest, is told through the POV of orphan and perennial drifter James, who reluctantly agrees to let a near stranger travel the rails with him after the two men finish a stint in the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps, a Depression-era work relief program). James figures that the slender, beautiful Timothy, who comes from a nice family, will last a few weeks at most before he's crying for his Mama. But Timothy takes to the hobo life rather easily, and the two have numerous adventures together during a memorable summer. But when the darker side of the traveling life rears its ugly head, the excitement and fun are replaced by hunger and danger. It's time for Timothy to go back home - but not alone, if Timothy has anything to say about it.
Gray has obviously done her research about the tramps and hobos of the Depression (myth busted: they didn't carry bindles of their belongings on a stick - they wore everything they owned). She portrays the best of the vagabond life, including people who are willing to give James and Timothy a hot meal and a place to sleep just for doing a few odd chores. But she doesn't shy away from the worst, such as older "wolves" who consider younger "punks" sexual prey. And the ever present knowledge that one wrong move jumping onto a train can maim or kill you.
James and Timothy start having casual sex fairly quickly. Timothy is beautiful and effeminate, but James is rougher and brawnier. James does not label himself as queer; as far as he is concerned he and Timothy are just BFFs who are using each other to scratch their sexual itches, and besides, "it ain't queer if you play the man's part." Very subtly Gray shows how James catches feelings for his travel partner, even if there are no grand romantic gestures. The word "love" is never uttered by either MC, although James does reluctantly admit that he "kinda missed" Timothy's face. The future for two men who are together in the 1930s seems uncertain, but the end of the book suggests that they have found a place where they will be accepted if they are careful.
Like Gray's Honeytrap, the unlikely romance between a Russian spy and an American FBI agent during the Cold War, this isn't the book for you if you want hearts, flowers and eloquent vows of undying love. But it's the small moments, a tender gesture here or a jokingly affectionate word there, that somehow are even more satisfying.
Spoiler alert for those who are bothered by romances that involve cheating:
Gray has obviously done her research about the tramps and hobos of the Depression (myth busted: they didn't carry bindles of their belongings on a stick - they wore everything they owned). She portrays the best of the vagabond life, including people who are willing to give James and Timothy a hot meal and a place to sleep just for doing a few odd chores. But she doesn't shy away from the worst, such as older "wolves" who consider younger "punks" sexual prey. And the ever present knowledge that one wrong move jumping onto a train can maim or kill you.
James and Timothy start having casual sex fairly quickly. Timothy is beautiful and effeminate, but James is rougher and brawnier. James does not label himself as queer; as far as he is concerned he and Timothy are just BFFs who are using each other to scratch their sexual itches, and besides, "it ain't queer if you play the man's part." Very subtly Gray shows how James catches feelings for his travel partner, even if there are no grand romantic gestures. The word "love" is never uttered by either MC, although James does reluctantly admit that he "kinda missed" Timothy's face. The future for two men who are together in the 1930s seems uncertain, but the end of the book suggests that they have found a place where they will be accepted if they are careful.
Like Gray's Honeytrap, the unlikely romance between a Russian spy and an American FBI agent during the Cold War, this isn't the book for you if you want hearts, flowers and eloquent vows of undying love. But it's the small moments, a tender gesture here or a jokingly affectionate word there, that somehow are even more satisfying.
Spoiler alert for those who are bothered by romances that involve cheating:
October 25, 2024
pretty fine. liked the concept a lot, but it spent the first 2/3 dancing around itself and the last third jamming the entirety of its thought provoking moments and drama in just about as fast as it could. also, this could just be because of the book I read right before this one, but I'm getting real tired of the trope where historical fiction male love interest A doesn't think he likes boys because either he's a top or he also likes girls. i find this concept deeply interesting, but why are none of these (cis women) authors going anywhere with? it's not fun to read about yet another stereotypical sensitive twink fall in love and have to convince his boyfriend they're actually boyfriends despite their clear, deep love connection.
June 6, 2022
This author is in a separate, genius class and I’m so grateful for their work. The characters and emotions feel 100% real and the settings, the action, the plot…flawless.
June 19, 2022
4.5 stars - This was a picaresque tale of two young men leaving the Civilian Conservation Corps camp during the Depression and riding the rails together. The amount of research this author puts into their work is always impressive; however, the period typical attitudes about sexuality might be a little tough to read at points. This gives the typical rambling road trip story a bit more shape, and we are left with a solid HFN with the hope of more.
Truthfully, this probably got bumped up bc I am familiar with some of the settings for this novel, and that made it extra vivid for me. It's very good, but that probably made it feel even more real to me.
Truthfully, this probably got bumped up bc I am familiar with some of the settings for this novel, and that made it extra vivid for me. It's very good, but that probably made it feel even more real to me.
January 2, 2025
A wonderful book. Highly recommended. RTC
January 31, 2023
This is the book about two guys riding the rails that I'd been waiting for, full of the background that I'd always felt needed a novel. (There are a couple of others I've read that are good, but this feels real to the era.) In the 1930s, a lot of America was on the move or displaced, desperately poor, and shoved out of their familiar life. James and Timothy had both taken the chance on joining Roosevelt's CCC - a kind of civilian army/work camp where young men of good character could work hard in exchange for housing, 3 meals a day, and a meager salary to save or send home.
Of course James, having first spent a year riding the rails, had to use the home address of a friend of his late mother's, and ditch his "tramp" belongings in storage, to appear of good character. Timothy joined up despite having family and a home, in an effort to do something acceptable that wasn't going to college, which he didn't feel smart enough to succeed at.
Now at the end of a stint of work, with some money in their pockets, well fed and rested, both 19-year-olds have decided that getting up at 5 AM and the regimented life in the CCC had lost some of its shine. James misses some parts of riding the rails- the freedom to travel, the self-reliance and lack of disapproving authority, and meeting friends now and then. He has a little money as a cushion and that makes all the difference to life on the road. He's set to head out again, and is mostly pleased although surprised when Timothy asks to go with him.
Timothy's likely too soft for that vagabond life. Heck, his mother used to send him boxes of cookies to the CCC. Odds are, he's never gone hungry a day in his life. But James likes the idea of introducing him to the good parts of life on the road, now while the weather is fine, and while they have money so a bad day doesn't mean missing a meal. He'll enjoy having a traveling companion, although it makes hitching rides harder. And he's not loathe to share a hand job or a little mutual pleasure with a guy as handsome as Timothy, with his golden curls and soft mouth.
James isn't queer or a fairy - of course he's not - but sex with men was common in the CCC (a closed all-male environment) and he's heard Timothy was willing. And on the road, gay sex is also common. Far more boys and men than women and girls ride the rails and travel the countryside. That means there is a lot of because-he's-available sex encounters between equals (some of which James has enjoyed.)
There's also a lot of transactional sex, whether it's the young punks being willing to bend over for the older wolves who use them, for the sake of protection and food and company, or at other times, sex for safety, for shelter, for a good pair of shoes. Not money- they aren't whores - but sometimes a guy is so down on his luck that he's willing, to save himself from a bad fate. James has done that too.
He has every intention of giving Timothy just a taste of the best parts of life on the road, and then sending him home to his mother. But as the days pass, they become closer, and Timothy is amazingly obstinate about sticking with him, even through the hard parts. Because life on the road also means dangerous men among the company in the hobo jungles, and railroad bulls who like to beat up tramps. It means cold and wet days when even the jail is full up and won't take them in. It means times when a boxcar becomes a dangerous place and you have to jump into the unknown.
Aster Glenn Gray's romances are slow-burn, subtle, zero-steam, and full of character. The research that went into this one is evident in the vividness of the setting and events, small details reaching beyond the initial reading I've done. But also evident in the way the characters are also true to time and place. James doesn't realize he's falling in love, because he has no experience with what he would recognize as gay love. All the gay relationships he's seen had an element of use or transaction to them. Society's general disdain for men who play the receiving part willingly is also inculcated deep in his worldview.
So while he figures out early on that Timothy is a fairy, their friendship doesn't shine any light on why he likes having Tim around so much, beyond the company and mutual satisfaction. One big pleasure of this story is watching James slowly reach his realizations.
If slow-burn, true to life historicals are something you enjoy, and you can empathize with choices made in moments of desperation, check this one out.
Of course James, having first spent a year riding the rails, had to use the home address of a friend of his late mother's, and ditch his "tramp" belongings in storage, to appear of good character. Timothy joined up despite having family and a home, in an effort to do something acceptable that wasn't going to college, which he didn't feel smart enough to succeed at.
Now at the end of a stint of work, with some money in their pockets, well fed and rested, both 19-year-olds have decided that getting up at 5 AM and the regimented life in the CCC had lost some of its shine. James misses some parts of riding the rails- the freedom to travel, the self-reliance and lack of disapproving authority, and meeting friends now and then. He has a little money as a cushion and that makes all the difference to life on the road. He's set to head out again, and is mostly pleased although surprised when Timothy asks to go with him.
Timothy's likely too soft for that vagabond life. Heck, his mother used to send him boxes of cookies to the CCC. Odds are, he's never gone hungry a day in his life. But James likes the idea of introducing him to the good parts of life on the road, now while the weather is fine, and while they have money so a bad day doesn't mean missing a meal. He'll enjoy having a traveling companion, although it makes hitching rides harder. And he's not loathe to share a hand job or a little mutual pleasure with a guy as handsome as Timothy, with his golden curls and soft mouth.
James isn't queer or a fairy - of course he's not - but sex with men was common in the CCC (a closed all-male environment) and he's heard Timothy was willing. And on the road, gay sex is also common. Far more boys and men than women and girls ride the rails and travel the countryside. That means there is a lot of because-he's-available sex encounters between equals (some of which James has enjoyed.)
There's also a lot of transactional sex, whether it's the young punks being willing to bend over for the older wolves who use them, for the sake of protection and food and company, or at other times, sex for safety, for shelter, for a good pair of shoes. Not money- they aren't whores - but sometimes a guy is so down on his luck that he's willing, to save himself from a bad fate. James has done that too.
He has every intention of giving Timothy just a taste of the best parts of life on the road, and then sending him home to his mother. But as the days pass, they become closer, and Timothy is amazingly obstinate about sticking with him, even through the hard parts. Because life on the road also means dangerous men among the company in the hobo jungles, and railroad bulls who like to beat up tramps. It means cold and wet days when even the jail is full up and won't take them in. It means times when a boxcar becomes a dangerous place and you have to jump into the unknown.
Aster Glenn Gray's romances are slow-burn, subtle, zero-steam, and full of character. The research that went into this one is evident in the vividness of the setting and events, small details reaching beyond the initial reading I've done. But also evident in the way the characters are also true to time and place. James doesn't realize he's falling in love, because he has no experience with what he would recognize as gay love. All the gay relationships he's seen had an element of use or transaction to them. Society's general disdain for men who play the receiving part willingly is also inculcated deep in his worldview.
So while he figures out early on that Timothy is a fairy, their friendship doesn't shine any light on why he likes having Tim around so much, beyond the company and mutual satisfaction. One big pleasure of this story is watching James slowly reach his realizations.
If slow-burn, true to life historicals are something you enjoy, and you can empathize with choices made in moments of desperation, check this one out.
November 8, 2023
Well-researched and interesting. Often heartwarming. Great look at historical relationships to sexuality that have been essentially wiped out by the mordern conceptualization of innate queer identity.
Slow, but not a slow-burn. It feels like a slow-burn for awhile as tension builds, but it never truly ignites. They have a clear romantic entanglement and love for each other that we can see, but it never quite reaches a point where it's clear to both of them. The historical relationship to queerness explains some of it, but James's degradation of Timothy is never resolved, so the conclusion is unsatisfying.
I didn't understand (or believe?) why the characters decided to be "tramps" (travelers), especially considering the ending, which essentially hand-waved away the tragedy and tension of the financial struggle in the Great Depression that had been the focus for 95% of the novel up to that point. There are a lot of scenes and temporary characters who add very little and just seem to exist as mouthpieces for the author's love for history. Makes the story drag in parts.
Content warning for a rape scene with a predatory groomer and serial rapist, which is portrayed in a disturbingly casual way. Perhaps period-accurate? Not much comfort in that knowledge. The book does nothing to punish the rapist (it actually punishes the main characters instead) or grapple with the rapist's predatory behavior. Morality isn't a requirement in fiction, but I'm still struck by how the main characters never actually seemed to grapple with it on a personal/relationship level despite clear harm to them. It's hand-waved away alongside the devastation of the Great Depression. The story nosedived. The characters didn't have any personal growth arc or revelations of any variety about themselves despite many a trial.
Slow, but not a slow-burn. It feels like a slow-burn for awhile as tension builds, but it never truly ignites. They have a clear romantic entanglement and love for each other that we can see, but it never quite reaches a point where it's clear to both of them. The historical relationship to queerness explains some of it, but James's degradation of Timothy is never resolved, so the conclusion is unsatisfying.
I didn't understand (or believe?) why the characters decided to be "tramps" (travelers), especially considering the ending, which essentially hand-waved away the tragedy and tension of the financial struggle in the Great Depression that had been the focus for 95% of the novel up to that point. There are a lot of scenes and temporary characters who add very little and just seem to exist as mouthpieces for the author's love for history. Makes the story drag in parts.
Content warning for a rape scene with a predatory groomer and serial rapist, which is portrayed in a disturbingly casual way. Perhaps period-accurate? Not much comfort in that knowledge. The book does nothing to punish the rapist (it actually punishes the main characters instead) or grapple with the rapist's predatory behavior. Morality isn't a requirement in fiction, but I'm still struck by how the main characters never actually seemed to grapple with it on a personal/relationship level despite clear harm to them. It's hand-waved away alongside the devastation of the Great Depression. The story nosedived. The characters didn't have any personal growth arc or revelations of any variety about themselves despite many a trial.
dnf
May 21, 2022DNF at 14%
It’s not the book, it's me. Aster Glenn Gray is a remarkable author. I love that she is constantly mixing things up when it comes to what she’ll write about next. This premise was so intriguing! Unfortunately, the dialogue is not working for me. It feels like an episode of Leave It To Beaver, except about tramps and set during the Depression. It was a really intense work week so I thought maybe I just wasn’t in the right headspace for anything resembling “gee willikers.” I set it aside for a few days and tried again but it’s still a struggle. This is purely a me thing. I was buddy reading with friends and they said the dialogue was an adjustment but they’re loving it and feel like it’s giving them a better sense of the era. I’m going to let them tell me how the story ends. If you're interested in trying this, I recommend reading the sample first to see how the dialogue strikes you. I look forward to whatever the author does next.
Characters: James and Timothy are both white. They met while on the work crews at a Civilian Conservation Corps army base in Indiana. This is set during the Depression.
Content notes: past death of James’s father (flu while overseas during WWI), past death of James’s mother (he was 12), homelessness, poverty, on page sex, references to past war, reference to tramp who lose his leg in the war and made his own prosthetic
It’s not the book, it's me. Aster Glenn Gray is a remarkable author. I love that she is constantly mixing things up when it comes to what she’ll write about next. This premise was so intriguing! Unfortunately, the dialogue is not working for me. It feels like an episode of Leave It To Beaver, except about tramps and set during the Depression. It was a really intense work week so I thought maybe I just wasn’t in the right headspace for anything resembling “gee willikers.” I set it aside for a few days and tried again but it’s still a struggle. This is purely a me thing. I was buddy reading with friends and they said the dialogue was an adjustment but they’re loving it and feel like it’s giving them a better sense of the era. I’m going to let them tell me how the story ends. If you're interested in trying this, I recommend reading the sample first to see how the dialogue strikes you. I look forward to whatever the author does next.
Characters: James and Timothy are both white. They met while on the work crews at a Civilian Conservation Corps army base in Indiana. This is set during the Depression.
Content notes: past death of James’s father (flu while overseas during WWI), past death of James’s mother (he was 12), homelessness, poverty, on page sex, references to past war, reference to tramp who lose his leg in the war and made his own prosthetic
January 28, 2024
Historical m/m romance, which is what this author likes to write. This one in particular is set among the hobos of the 1930s, which is something I know nothing about, so that was fun. Apparently the hobo world was one of those places where everyone was just generally extremely cool with queer people (see also: sailors), which was nice. The main characters were pretty sweet together and fun to read about, but I think the actual draw here is the description of the world around them and the community that they have surrounded themselves in, and also How To Be Gay In The Past. This is a thing that Aster Glenn Gray is very good at -- she writes characters who could have really only existed in the world that they're in.
(My one minor narrative disappointment is that the characters spent several pages explaining why fellatio was the most forbidden queer sex act and how they should never ever do it, which I figured meant they would be trying it at some point, and then as far as I can tell -- unless I really missed something -- the main character does it off-page, once, with somebody else. *bangs hands on table* Give me the forbidden sex act! Please.)
(My one minor narrative disappointment is that the characters spent several pages explaining why fellatio was the most forbidden queer sex act and how they should never ever do it, which I figured meant they would be trying it at some point, and then as far as I can tell -- unless I really missed something -- the main character does it off-page, once, with somebody else. *bangs hands on table* Give me the forbidden sex act! Please.)
Read
June 29, 2022Heat Factor: They fool around, but the real heat occurs when they start snuggling and the emotions come out.
Character Chemistry: They wrestle like puppies.
Plot: James takes care of Timothy when they’re on the road. He knows that he should send Timothy home now that winter is coming, but he doesn’t want him to leave.
Overall: This was a very interesting book, though I’m not sure I would call it swoonworthy.
Read our full review at The Smut Report
I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.
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Character Chemistry: They wrestle like puppies.
Plot: James takes care of Timothy when they’re on the road. He knows that he should send Timothy home now that winter is coming, but he doesn’t want him to leave.
Overall: This was a very interesting book, though I’m not sure I would call it swoonworthy.
Read our full review at The Smut Report
I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.
Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
February 8, 2023
historical mm romance set during the Great Depression, a time period i definitely haven't read much about, so i rly enjoyed it. as usual, aster glenn gray is a master of historical fiction and is so good at making the setting feel so alive. the first half of this book read almost like a non-fiction description of what it was like for a pair of 'tramps and vagabonds' to survive on the road during that time. that was interesting enough but i felt impatient to know more about our characters and get into their relationship. of course, once we got there then i was hooked, because the author has proven that she writes romance that feels so believable and true to the characters' personalities and motivations. and man - because of the setting, there are parts of this book that just made my heart ache. but anyway i rly did enjoy it. four stars because of that slower beginning but anyway im out here mourning that i've run out of her work to read
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