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.