Ezra Simms prides himself with being the oldest of nine children and the son of a preacher and teacher in Waco, Texas. He stands nearly 6 feet tall, thrives in his community and can outwit and outrun most teenage boys in his town. The family has taken up tenant farming during the 1930s after narrowly escaping a race riot, and like most families, are doing all they can to stay alive during the depression. However, after tragedy befalls his family, Ezra strikes back and he and his cousin Kirmee find themselves on the run, leaving everything that they know behind them. The journey pushes Ezra to new limits and puts his skills to the test. He and his cousin must learn how to ride the rails through Texas and New Mexico and evade the law and burly men who are looking for any reason to throw free riders from the train. Through perseverance and determination to survive, Ezra convinces his cousin of a new life beyond Waco and that the only way forward is to rebuild their lives with the hobos that they meet along the way.