The Gables Home for Foundlings and Young People is cold, quiet, and designed to keep children in. For twelve-year-old Mike, the last six weeks have been a blur of silence and sorrow since his father passed. Now, with a stepmother determined to be rid of him, Mike is being locked away. But he knows a secret: he has family, miles away at a place called Aunt Polly's Farm. Together with his new friends-Donna, the brilliant, calm strategist, and Gav, the class clown with a knack for picking locks-Mike executes a desperate plan: The Great Gables Escape. Using a bent spoon and a length of washing line, the trio slip out of the orphanage and into the dark, intimidating world of the city night. They manage to scramble aboard a dusty freight train heading north, believing they are finally safe. But they quickly learn that escaping the Gables was the easy part. Alone in the maze of unfamiliar streets, they are hunted and terrified, until they meet their only hope: Rebel. Rebel is a fierce, street-smart girl with fiery red hair and a silent little brother named Max. She knows the streets, she knows the shadows, and she knows how to run from the authorities. If Mike wants to reach Aunt Polly's Farm and the safety of the legendary "metal kettle" railway, he has no choice but to strike a deal with Rebel. Now a team of five, they must combine Mike's secret destination with Rebel's survival skills. They have to steal a crucial map from the main station, leap from a moving train, and race the clock toward the misty coast. Can five unlikely allies rely on courage and a shared dream to outrun the whole city and find a true home together? Perfect for readers aged 7-12 who love high-stakes adventure, found family, and thrilling railway journeys.