Washoe County Library System

Thirteen-year old Caroline has been raised and home-schooled by her father in a wild nature preserves on the outskirts of Portland, Oregon. They follow a rigid code that enables them to survive in the wilderness. Once a week, they go to the city to buy groceries, attend church and otherwise merge with the civilized world. Yet one small mistake allows the authorities to discover them and their forced relocation is only a brief respite in their flight...

A tale inspired by events in an isolated Idaho mining town in the 1970s traces the experiences of a handful of survivors after a disastrous fire and how they struggle to endure wrenching losses while rebuilding and pursuing dreams made harder by the tragedy.