Hippie Boy: A Girl's Story

A hustler dad. An abusive stepfather. A suffocating religious home life. And a girl determined to break free.
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.

In her gripping NYT-bestselling memoir, Ingrid Ricks takes readers into a tumultuous home life riddled with poverty, oppression and the suffocating brand of Mormon religion she is desperate to escape. Her chance finally comes when she begins hitting the road with her freewheeling dad, traveling throughout the Midwest, selling tools and hanging around with the men on his shady revolving sales crew. It feels like freedom from her controlling mother and cruel, authoritarian stepfather. But it comes with its own disappointments and dysfunctions, and she soon learns the lesson that will change her life: she can't look to others to save her, she has to save herself.


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