Book Review by Jared H.

The book "Hitch" by Jeanette Ingold is a story about a boy becoming a responsible young man during the Great Depression. The story begins when Moss Trawnly, while saving money for radio school, loses his job at the airport in Texas. During the same time, he discovers that his father, who had already abandoned his family, went missing in Montana. So he travels to Montana only to find his father, drunk, without work, and bitter to see his son. He leaves his Dad in search of work to help support his Mom and siblings back home in Illinois. He joined the Civilian Conservation Corp. where he finds himself a hot meal, a place to sleep, money sent home and friendship. But most of all he discoveres through various jobs assigned to him how to be a great leader and persevere through hard times. By the end of the story he was a junior leader and proved to himself that he was not like his father. He saw himself loyal and trustworthy to the CCC and to his family and friends.
My favorite part of the story was when the snow was so high it blocked the roads. The CCC had the only snow plow for the town. The senior officer who could authorize the use of the snow plow was away from the camp at the time. A man from town hiked miles to the CCC camp outside of town to ask for the use of the snow plow to open the roads so the farmers could reach their cows to feed them. The other junior leader said "no" but Moss and a fellow worker took the responsibility and helped the farmers reach their cows. The senior officers returned and congratulated Moss for being responsible and letting the town know that the CCC was there to help. The other junior leader had tried to claim Moss was guilty of using the vehicle without permission hoping the senior officer would see him a better leader than Moss. This was not found to be true.
I think this is a good book to read because it has a life lesson with a good main character. It also tells a little about what the Conservation Corp did during a time when people needed jobs.