Synopsis: "Ben Bruce, 15, lives on a farm near Boston with his mother and mean stepfather. He is not allowed to attend school past the 8th grade but his stepfather gets him a job as an apprentice shoemaker. However, Ben leaves home to seek his fortune in New York City. After several exciting and threatening experiences on the boat from Boston to New York, Ben settles in New York. After briefly selling newspapers, Ben, gets a part in a play, and does well as an actor. His luck, however, does not last. Ben tries his best to become a permanent part of the theatre world, and along the way makes new friends who help him through his troubles.
Horatio Alger Jr. (January 13, 1832 – July 18, 1899) was an American writer of young adult novels about impoverished boys and their rise from humble backgrounds to lives of middle-class security and comfort through hard work, determination, courage, and honesty. His writings were characterized by the "rags-to-riches" narrative, which had a formative effect on the United States during the Gilded Age.