Red Fox Road

Francie and her parents are on a spring road trip: driving from British Columbia, Canada, to hike in the Grand Canyon. Her mom and dad are fighting because her dad is relying on GPS, while her mom wants to follow a (paper) map. When the GPS leads them down an old logging road, disaster strikes. Their truck hits a rock and wipes out the oilpan. They are stuck in the middle of nowhere. Francie can’t help feeling a little excited, as she’d often imagined how she’d survive if she got stranded in the bush, and now here they are. Her dad sets off to walk for help. Francie and her mom are left on their own, with little food, but that’s okay: her dad will be back in a few hours, with help—and hot chocolate, he promised. But hours go by. And then a day. And then another. Francie relies on her outdoor living lessons and her keen interest in nature for distraction, gathering dandelion leaves and fir needles for tea. Then one morning, Francie wakes up all alone.