In the spirit of A. B.Facey's A Fortunate Life, JackMercer's Hard Times is the true storyof the author's amazing adventures. In 1911, growing up in an Ararat pub, hefaces the terror of a violent stepfather and a mother who barely acknowledgeshis existence. But one thing keeps him sane: a plan to run. And once he startsrunning a page turning story begins. From early Werribee, Sydney, life aboard aNorwegian barque, Chile, Patagonia and Buenos Aires, to working as an elevatorboy in New York and riding the trains as a tramp in Virginia, Jack Mercer'shard times and wonderful times capture our every attention.