by Laura Youells

Sometimes the best adventures can be had from the comfort of your favorite reading chair! As you enjoy the great outdoors of West Michigan this summer, check out the following inspiring books about women overcoming adversity in the wild.

If We Make it Home: A Novel of Faith and Survival in the Oregon Wilderness

by Christina Suzann Nelson

Nelson tells the story of four college friends who lost touch after school and find their way back after 25 years, only to learn that one of them has passed away from breast cancer. The remaining three decide to honor their friend and embark on an adventure in the Oregon Cascade Mountains. However, they all have secrets of their own and situations from which they are running.  After an unfortunate circumstance leaves them without a guide or supplies, they must work together and fight their inner demons if they are going to survive.

The Wolves of Winter

by Tyrell Johnson

In this post-apocalyptic world, survival in a cold landscape is vital. Lynn McBride and her small community learned how to hunt and trap in the snowy Canadian Yukon. When a man with dark secrets sets a chain of events in motion, Lynn is called into a role she never imagined to save her community.

Promise

by Minrose Gwin

A story of loss, hope and courage, Promise by Minrose Gwin paints a picture of the Deep South in the 1930s. After a devastating tornado rips through town and kills more than 200 people, a black woman and a white woman come together to navigating the landscape of the disaster. Based on historic events.

Stranded: A Story of Frontier Survival

by Matthew P Mayo

In the late 1800s, young Janette Riker travels with her father and two brothers to the Oregon Territory. While in Montana, the men leave camp to hunt buffalo and never return. All alone, Janette confronts a long cold winter on the harsh American frontier. As she faces off with grizzly bears, wolves, mountain lions and blizzards, Janette finds strength in herself. Based on true events and written in diary format.

Laura is an Adult Paraprofessional at the Comstock Park branch pf Kent District Library. When she isn't working, she enjoys reading, doing home improvements and going for hikes with her dog Wyatt.