Be Not Far From Me

 McGinnis, Mindy. Be Not Far From Me. 2020. 240p. ISBN 9780062561626. Available as an audiobook from Overdrive.

Ashley has grown up poor in Tennessee, and her life has always been hard. Living with her dad in a run-down trailer, he working double shifts just to make ends meet, and they rarely do. Ashley's not that pretty, not that smart. What she's got going is a killer instinct for survival, and her love of running. When friends think it's a great idea to have a drinking party while camping in the Smokies, Ashley rolls her eyes but goes with it. Her friend Meredith even brings a hair dryer, like she expects an electrical outlet out in the woods. Ashley is more practical, and her backpack barely weighs 5 pounds while containing everything she would need to survive an extended stay.

That evening, as the party happening and kids are drinking at the camp site, Ashley has too much to drink. Jealous of her boyfriend Duke hanging out with his ex girlfriend who filled up in the last year, Ashley heads to her tent to sleep it off. Awakened by the need to go to the bathroom, she comes upon a couple having sex away from the campsite, only to discover Duke is involved! Angry, hurt, and drunk, Ashley takes off running, and she soon hurts herself by breaking her foot. Wearing only her pants, underwear, and a t-shirt, Ashley sobers up enough to realize that she is lost and that no one will look for her, since they will think she headed home. 

With her broken foot now infected, with no food, clothes, or shelter, Ashley must make her way out of the forest, or she will end up one of those dead hikers who shouldn't have been out in the woods. Armed only with determination to survive, Ashley heads in an easterly direction, hoping to find help. But when you're alone in the woods, who can help you?

Fans of Hatchet and other survivalist stories will appreciate Ashley's tale of resilience and fighting against the odds!