Two misfits with no place to call home take a train-hopping journey from the cold heartbreak of their Eastern homes to the sunny promise of California in this Depression-era coming-of-age tale.

When Pearl runs away from her abusive father, she has nowhere to go—until she stumbles upon a disguise that gives her the key to a new identity. Reborn as a boy named Soupy, she hitches her star to Ramshackle, a hobo who takes her under his wing.

Ramshackle’s kindness and protection go a long way toward helping Soupy heal from her difficult past. But he has his own demons to wrestle with, and he’ll need Soupy just as much as she needs him.


Excellence in Graphic Literature Nominee 2018
– Best Middle Grade
– Mosaic Award
– Book of the Year
CYBILS Award Finalist 2017
ALA Amelia Bloomer Best Feminist Reads for Kids 2017


“Soupy Leaves Home tells the story of a time no longer familiar to us—a time of living the rails and simmering Mulligan Soup, a time of chosen names and secret languages—yet a tale that anyone with a longing heart and a restless spirit can relate to. It transports you magically to a place long gone, but its tale of poverty and survival are still as relevant as they ever were—the characters may be penniless, but they are so emotionally wealthy that this book leaves you filled with warmth, hope, and love.”— Gerard Way

“Castellucci’s heartfelt odyssey is a reckoning with death and identity on the tracks, brought to life by Pimienta’s patient, ever-evolving use of color. Soupy Leaves Home is for all restless souls hungry to start again.”— Nate Powell (March, Swallow Me Whole)

“A charming and optimistic slice of Americana.”— Hope Larson (Wrinkle in Time, Batgirl)

“I love Cecil Castellucci. She is crazy and cool and full of energy and heart, and so is all of her work. And Soupy Leaves Home may be one of her finest and most affecting works yet!”— Jeff Lemire