First published 2022
Dave Cartwright once excelled at fixing things and staying composed under pressure. After three tours in Iraq, PTSD has cost him his house, his marriage, and his sense of direction. Only his devotion to seven-year-old Bella keeps him moving forward each day. When disaster strikes their already fractured world, Dave makes a desperate choice. He takes Bella into the wilderness of the Pacific Northwest, where they build a new life inside a cave. The unforgiving mountain landscape becomes their refuge from a world that has failed them both. As they adapt to their harsh surroundings, Bella begins experiencing visions of an ancient mother and child who once sheltered in the same cave at the end of the ice age. Meanwhile, their disappearance captures the imagination of the community they left behind. Winter approaches the mountains as past and present converge around their story of survival and the fierce bond between father and daughter.
Genres: literary-fiction, adventure, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: North Cascades, Pacific Northwest
Period: Present Day
369 pages · Paperback · Algonquin Books
Content warnings: mental-illness