Into the Forest

Set in the near-future, this novel follows two teenage sisters, Nell and Eva, living alone in their Northern California forest home, over 30 miles from the nearest town. As society begins to decay and collapse around them—triggered not by a single event but by overseas conflict and congressional upheaval—the electricity fails and gas becomes unavailable. The sisters must survive on the resources remaining in their house while waiting for power to return. As they transition into adulthood, Nell and Eva are forced to reconsider their place in the world and their relationship to the land and to each other. The novel explores their bond against the backdrop of a plausible near-future American collapse, examining themes of hope and despair.