Red Fox Road
By Frances Greenslade
Francie and her parents are on a road trip. They have left their home in Penticton and are driving to the Grand Canyon to do some hiking and camping. As they travel through Oregon, Francie’s dad decides to trust his new GPS and takes a shortcut down a remote logging road.
The road becomes less and less passable and soon their truck begins leaking oil. Eventually the truck stops working altogether and they become hopelessly stuck in the middle of the Oregon wilderness.
Ever-faithful to his technological gadgets, Francie’s dad decides he will walk the rest of the logging road while following directions from his GPS. Francie and her mom are left behind, but are certain that they will be rescued within a day. They sleep rather uncomfortably in the truck and ration their minimal supplies which include two water bottles, a few granola bars, and a bag of Scotch mints.
After a couple of days of waiting, Francie wakes up to find her mother gone as well, searching for rescue in the other direction. Francie is now alone.
Although she is only thirteen, Francie has some experience in the outdoors and has been studying wilderness survival. She gathers her wits, builds a shelter and a fire, and waits patiently for rescue. As it turns out, survival will take much more determination and courage than she ever imagined.
Red Fox Road is beautifully written and Francie’s resilience and knowledge are inspiring. If you love survival stories (like me), you will love this book!