by Diane Cook
First published 2020
Five-year-old Agnes wastes away from the smog choking the overcrowded City. Her mother Bea faces an impossible choice: watch her daughter die or join an experimental group living as nomads in the Wilderness State, the country's last protected land. Twenty volunteers leave civilization behind to prove humans can coexist with nature without destroying it. They hunt, gather, and wander under strict ranger supervision, following Leave No Trace rules. But survival in the wild changes people. Agnes grows feral and bonds with the land while Bea clings to her urban identity. The group fractures as members compete for leadership and resources. Mother and daughter drift apart just as they find their footing in this harsh new home. Then the government threatens to reclaim the wilderness for development. The community must decide whether to fight for their territory or trust official promises of relocation.
Genres: fiction, dystopia, survival, adventure, post-apocalyptic, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: City, Wilderness State
Period: Present Day
Audio CD · HarperCollins
Content warnings: child-death