Hippie Boy: A Girl's Story

by Ingrid Ricks

Overview

A Grifter Dad. An Abusive Stepfather. A Suffocating Religious Home Life. And A Girl Determined to Break Free.

Praise for Hippie Boy

"[Ricks] adeptly captures a dysfunctional relationship that's steeped in love... Well written and heartbreaking." - Publishers Weekly

"In clear, graceful prose and in a voice that is refreshingly authentic, Ricks tells an uplifting story of heartbreak, hope and self-salvation." - Kirkus Reviews

"A soft-spoken yet resounding reminder of the power plays tied to religion." - Booklist

"The story reads like a novel even though it is an autobiographical account. Ricks' strength to overcome despite desperate odds will likely inspire readers with a desire to do the same." - Deseret News

What would you do if your stepfather pinned you down and tried to cast Satan out of you? For thirteen-year-old Ingrid, the answer is simple: RUN.

For years Ingrid Ricks yearned to escape the poverty and the suffocating brand of Mormon religion that oppressed her at home. Her chance came when she was thirteen and began spending summers with her freewheeling dad, traveling throughout the Midwest, selling tools and hanging around with the men on his shady revolving sales crew. It felt like freedom from her controlling mother and cruel, authoritarian stepfather-but it came with its own disappointments and dysfunctions, and she would soon learn a lesson that would change her life: she can't look to others to save her; she has to save herself. A Grifter Dad. An Abusive Stepfather. A Suffocating Religious Home Life. And A Girl Determined to Break Free.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780985929480
Publisher:	Ingrid Ricks
Publication date:	09/10/2023
Edition description:	3rd ed.
Pages:	242
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.55(d)

About the Author

Ingrid Ricks is also the author of Focus, a memoir about retinitis pigmentosa, and A Little Book of Mormon (and Not So Mormon) Stories. She co-launched WeAreAbsolutelyNotOkay.org, a nationally recognized mentoring/publishing program for at-risk teens. Her essays and stories have been published in Salon, Ladies Home Journal, and The Advocate, among others.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“A soft-spoken yet resounding reminder of the power plays tied to religion...Ricks’ voice is true, and her prose has a poised confidence missing from the repertoires of many established authors.”–Booklist

“A stunning masterpiece...Though this is a memoir, it reads like a fictional story, with all the necessary literary elements including conflict, religious strife and character arcs. Brilliant, emotional...you feel empowered and inspired when you reach the last page.”–eNovelReviews.com

"In clear, graceful prose and in a voice that is refreshingly authentic, Ricks tells an uplifting story of heartbreak, hope and self-salvation."—Kirkus Reviews

"The story reads like a novel even though it is an autobiographical account. Ricks' strength to overcome despite desperate odds will likely inspire readers with a desire to do the same."—Deseret News

"[Ricks] adeptly captures a dysfunctional relationship that's steeped in love...Well written and heartbreaking."—Publishers Weekly 

"Most touching is what the author takes from the experience: the value of forgiveness, which is always the first step to freedom."—Seattle Weekly 

“Ricks’ writing is easy and engaging, and her details are sharp…Readers will likely find her story empowering and inspiring and will cheer for her happy ending.”—The Bust

 

Editorial Reviews

02/03/2014
Originally self-published, Ricks's memoir recounts a childhood spent ping-ponging between two unstable parents. The author's clear-eyed prose keeps the pages turning as she depicts life with a deeply pious and insecure mother and an abusive stepfather. These chapters alternate with those recalling summers spent with her salesman father, Jerry. They drove all over the Western U.S., sleeping in a van and selling locals tool sets using her father's "golden tongue because he can talk his way in or out of anything." These sections are particularly engrossing as she adeptly captures a dysfunctional relationship that's steeped in love. With such a strong and eventful timeline of events, it's easy to overlook the missing pieces in her narrative. Ricks writes in her own young perspective, skimping in the type of reflection that makes this genre so powerful. We are rarely offered the gift of hindsight and the motivations behind her parent's actions are often left unexplored. One wishes she'd been able to provide perspective on how she survived and what she thinks of it now. It makes for a litany of trouble and abuse that's well written and heartbreaking but ultimately not very revealing or empowering. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

A soft-spoken yet resounding reminder of the power plays tied to religion...Ricks’ voice is true, and her prose has a poised confidence missing from the repertoires of many established authors.”–Booklist

“A stunning masterpiece...Though this is a memoir, it reads like a fictional story, with all the necessary literary elements including conflict, religious strife and character arcs. Brilliant, emotional...you feel empowered and inspired when you reach the last page.”–eNovelReviews.com

"In clear, graceful prose and in a voice that is refreshingly authentic, Ricks tells an uplifting story of heartbreak, hope and self-salvation."—Kirkus Reviews

"The story reads like a novel even though it is an autobiographical account. Ricks' strength to overcome despite desperate odds will likely inspire readers with a desire to do the same."—Deseret News

"[Ricks] adeptly captures a dysfunctional relationship that's steeped in love...Well written and heartbreaking."—Publishers Weekly 

"Most touching is what the author takes from the experience: the value of forgiveness, which is always the first step to freedom."—Seattle Weekly 

“Ricks’ writing is easy and engaging, and her details are sharp…Readers will likely find her story empowering and inspiring and will cheer for her happy ending.”—The Bust

 

From the Publisher