Wildland

Kat Jamison goes to the Blue Ridge Mountains hoping for peace and quiet while she makes a hard decision. Her breast cancer has come back, and since her husband died she has had little will to fight it. She must choose between another round of chemotherapy and surrendering gracefully.

Reflection proves impossible almost at once. A pair of abandoned dogs turns up, and two friendly children staying nearby, Lily and Nirav, befriend her. Her solitude is soon filled with the cheerful chaos of kids and pets.

Then lightning sets off a deadly wildfire. Kat's cabin is cut off from the rest of the camp, and Lily and Nirav are separated from their parents. With no alternative, Kat, the children and the dogs flee on foot through a drought-stricken forest, ahead of the flames. A frantic rescue effort begins below the fire line while Kat leads the group deeper into the mountains, determined to save four lives. When the time comes to save her own, she must decide how hard she is willing to fight to survive, and what is worth living for. Wildland is a debut novel of bravery, sacrifice and self-discovery.