First published 1983
Matt watches his father disappear into the forest, leaving him to protect their cabin through the Maine winter. The thirteen-year-old tries to project confidence, but fear gnaws at him as he faces months alone in the 1700s wilderness. His situation turns desperate when a stranger arrives and steals his gun, leaving Matt defenseless against wild animals and unable to hunt for food. Starvation looms until he encounters Attean, a Native American boy from the Beaver clan. Their unlikely friendship develops as Attean teaches Matt survival skills his settler upbringing never provided. Matt learns to track animals, identify edible plants, and navigate the forest like the Penobscot people have for generations. But tensions mount as both boys grapple with the growing conflict between their peoples. White settlers push deeper into Native lands while tribes face impossible choices about their future. Matt discovers that survival requires more than just staying alive in the woods. He must bridge two worlds that seem destined for collision while finding his own place between them.
Genres: survival, historical-fiction, adventure, native-american
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Maine
Period: 1700s
144 pages · Kindle Edition · Clarion Books