Red Fox Road

Francie, 13, and her parents are on their way to hike the Grand Canyon in the United States. Coming out of their last stop at a gas station, they take a wrong turn and drive for many miles before discovering they had done so. When they figure it out, Dad decides to drive cross-country on a little-known country lane to try to make up for lost time. As they drive along, the road becomes more like a trail and is deeply rutted. The truck bottoms out on a big rock and ruptures the oil pan, leaving the three of them stranded in the middle of the Oregon forest. There is no cell reception, and it is obvious that no one has used the lane for a long time. After a couple of days of living in the forest, Dad decides to hike north up the road, looking for help. He promises to return within a day or two. Francie and her mother are left rationing the bit of food and water they have and gathering twigs and branches for fire in order to keep warm.

Francie and her parents are struggling and in crisis. They are coping with the grief of losing close family members, guilt, and Mom deals with her mental health issues by smoking her “special” tobacco mixture. As the days surviving in the bush drag on, Mom becomes increasingly distant and irrational, and Francie is concerned and afraid. After about five days surviving and waiting for Dad, Francie wakes up one morning to find that her mother has left her all alone in the forest. Francie knows that she must stay with the truck, but there is no food or water, and she wonders if anyone is coming to rescue her. Does anyone even realize she is missing? Will she ever see her family again?

Francie is a determined and level-headed young woman. She has grown up going on major hiking trips with her parents and knows a lot about camping and surviving in the wilderness. She is a believable character for this story, and readers will easily relate to her.

The author has obviously had experience in being in the wilderness or has a good relationship with a wilderness camper and hiker. She uses the knowledge to tell a true-to-life page-turner of a story. The reader is with Francie every step of the way as she searches for edible things to eat, chases away a bear, and survives a terrible storm, to name a few of the challenges she must endure, not to mention begin totally alone in the wilderness for days on end. The author skillfully weaves Francie’s memories of past events, both happy and tragic, into her day-to-day life of surviving in the forest. Greenslade does this in such a way that it leaves the reader wanting to know more.

Red Fox Road would make a wonderful read-aloud for any middle years classroom as it is adventurous and exciting. As well, it doesn’t shy away from the issues of death, guilt, mental health, and drug addictions but deals with them in open and honest ways. The book is the winner of the 2021 Arthur Ellis Award for Best Juvenile/Young Adult Crime Book. The novel would make a good read-aloud and/or strong addition to any middle years classroom or school library.