Wildland
A Novel
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- $22.99
Publisher Description
For fans of Jodi Picoult and Anita Shreve comes an exhilarating debut novel of one woman's courage in the face of catastrophe.
She'll do anything to save them.
But what will she do to save herself?
When Kat Jamison retreats to the Blue Ridge Mountains, she's counting on peace and solitude to help her make a difficult decision. Her breast cancer has returned, but after the death of her husband, her will to fight is dampened. Now she has a choice to make: face yet another round of chemotherapy or surrender gracefully.
Self-reflection quickly proves impossible as her getaway is complicated by a pair of abandoned dogs and two friendly children staying nearby, Lily and Nirav. In no time at all, Kat's quiet seclusion is invaded by the happy confusion of children and pets.
But when lightning ignites a deadly wildfire, Kat's cabin is cut off from the rest of the camp, separating Lily and Nirav from their parents. Left with no choice, Kat, the children, and the dogs must flee on foot through the drought-stricken forest, away from the ravenous flames. As a frantic rescue mission is launched below the fire line, Kat drives the party deeper into the mountains, determined to save four innocent lives. But when the moment comes to save her own, Kat will have to decide just how hard she's willing to fight to survive--and what's worth living for.
A heart-pounding novel of bravery, sacrifice, and self-discovery, Wildland will keep you on the edge of your seat to the very last page.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Rebecca Hodge’s debut novel explores what happens when everyday people are forced to look death in the eye. After undergoing chemotherapy, cancer patient Kat heads to North Carolina’s mountainous wilderness to ponder whether she wants to continue treatment. But her retreat is far from peaceful. Kat’s solitude is constantly interrupted by the raucous kids in the neighboring cabins—12-year-old Lily and 9-year-old Nirav—and then a devastating wildfire breaks out. Hodge describes the breathtaking landscape of the Blue Ridge Mountains in gorgeous detail, making it all the more gripping when that natural paradise becomes a smoldering battleground. Kat is such a richly drawn character that we fully got the massive impact of all her past trauma as she stares down a single question: How hard will you fight to survive? Hodge never rushes this heart-pounding story, letting us savor every exhilarating, life-affirming moment.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Cancer patient Kat Jamison, the heroine of Hodge's assured debut, a suspense novel, has rented a cabin in Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains in order to contemplate her future whether to face another round of chemotherapy or let the advanced-stage disease take its course. Kat's grown daughter, Sara, who works at an animal shelter, drops off Juni, a golden Labrador, to keep her company. Exuberant Juni, pulling an unwilling Kat along, quickly makes friends with the children in the two neighboring cabins, Lily and Nirav, each of whom is vacationing with their single fathers: one a divorced computer programmer, the other a security consultant. When a forest fire cuts off Kat's cabin from everything while the children are staying over, Kat must find a way to get Lily, Nirav, Juni, and a rescued puppy to safety. The novel starts slowly, allowing readers to get to know the protagonists. Once the players are in place, the thrilling action begins. Those looking for an inspirational story about one woman coming to terms with life and death will be rewarded.
