Red Fox Road

August 1, 2020
A hazardous choice on a family trip generates cascading events that leave a teen struggling to survive in the Oregon wilderness. Unlike her father, 13-year-old Francie and her mother enjoy hiking. During the family's drive from Penticton, British Columbia, to the Grand Canyon, Dad opts for a shortcut that his new GPS indicates should cut 100 miles from their trip. Mom's doubts--his road's not on her paper map--prove justified as the road grows rougher and night approaches. Francie reads her survival guidebook and naps until a rock takes out their truck. Making the best of things--they've got camping gear, though little food and no cellphone (her parents don't like them)--they spend a night in the vast, beautiful forest. The next morning, Dad sets off for help, carrying their tent and the GPS. As days of waiting pass, Mom--mentally unstable since Francie's twin sister died from a congenital heart defect--starts behaving erratically. Francie copes with her own fear by planning and preparing for contingencies. She'll need all her hard-won knowledge as challenges mount. Resourceful, doggedly careful, courageous Francie brightens this often somber tale. As she's recovering from a scary bear encounter, the clear night sky enchants her. Her love and respect for the wilderness, its plants and denizens who are simply trying--like her--to survive, shine. Francie and her parents are White. Rendered with exquisite sensory detail, this hero's journey is a resonant read for unsettling times. (Fiction. 10-14)

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