This visceral survival story pits Willa against both arctic temperatures and her own self-doubt. She’ll need more than snow boots and her pilot’s training if she ever wants to see home again.

Honors

Books for the Teen Age —NYPL

Best Children's Books of the Year, Bank Street College of Education

Special Recognition from The Poetry Center at Passaic County Community College's Paterson Prize for Books for Young People

Reviews

“The mortal challenges Willa faces make for a gripping narrative, one sharpened by visceral details: the slushy snot after a despairing sob, the cold so frigid that 'inhaling air . . . was like trying to breathe ammonia.' This promising debut, which will help introduce gender balance into the survival-adventure genre, will appeal most to older middle-graders and younger YAs who were riveted by Gary Paulsen's Hatchet (1987).”
     —Booklist

“Even though this is essentially a gripping survival story, it is also a well-written, thoughtful book about a girl's desperate efforts to gain her father's approval.”
     —School Library Journal

“Although parts of this book scream "move over" to Paulsen's Brian in "Hatchet" (Bradbury, 1987/VOYA February 1988), the story of seventeen-year-old Willa, who can take care of herself in the challenging Canadian wilderness, overall does not quite fly. Willa has taken serious flying lessons with her Uncle Jordy. She ends up taking the Cessna, a little ski plane, out by herself since her uncle decided to drink a half bottle of Crown Royal the night before. Willa needs to pick up Jean, her nurse mom, and fly her to Kasabonika, the next village, where she will work for a week. Unfortunately the Cessna crashes because of a winter storm and failed mechanics, and Willa must learn how to survive for more than two weeks. Teens will appreciate emotions expressed by Willa as well as the landscape that paints strong feelings: "She would rather die trying to walk out than sit here like a ninny. But if she could make a fish trap, maybe she could catch enough fish to feed herself for a few days. And if she had some ham, she could make a ham sandwich, if she had some bread." The descriptions of making snowshoes, figuring out what to eat, and staying warm, while accurate, are a bit too drawn out and slow to engage most teen readers. Teens looking for strong female survivalists will appreciate the story of Elizabeth Fama's "Overboard" (Cricket Books, 2002), which is a true story and quick read.”
     —Voice of Youth Advocates

“So thorough is the realization of Willa's surroundings that readers may well feel they've gone through a whole survival course with her.”
     —Horn Book

“Remarkable story of ingenuity and courage. ... While this novel will remind readers of Gary Paulsen’s Hatchet, it is a welcome survival tale with a young woman as the sympathetic, brave and resourceful protagonist.”
     —Publishers Weekly

“How Willa survives will immediately engage any young adult, male or female, especially those with a fondness for the great outdoors. Readers will cheer her on in all her spirited ingenuity and will to survive. Educators will appreciate the non-stereotypical teenage female character and could successfully pair this novel with Gary Paulsen's Hatchet in a thematic unit on survival.”
     —Kirkus Reviews

“A story of survival and self discovery and shows how one girl finds value in herself through determination and perseverance.”
     —ALAN Review

“Gr. 6-8. 9-12. Learning to pilot her uncle's Cesna 185 provided 17-year-old Willa with an escape from the boredom of high school and the loneliness enveloping her since her brother Ray died in a snowmobile accident. When Willa's emotions explode, she storms from school and packs her bag to ride with Uncle Jordy to deliver supplies to a Cree Village near Hudson Bay, and to pick up her mom. Finding Jordy ill, Willa decides to fly the Cesna solo and disaster strikes. A winter storm melts the battery, disables the radio, and causes Willa to skid the plane across a remote lake and into the woods. Stranded in an uninhabited area of Canada's Northwest Territories, Willa adapts plane pieces into survival gear, builds snow huts, traps fish, and steals moose from a pack of wolves to survive while she treks towards civilization. After 18 days, Willa stumbles upon a winter road and meets Gilbert and his pickup. He drives her to safety. From the compelling first chapter to the terrifying and frigid details, this survival adventure clearly engages all readers into the mystic and challenging northern Canadian wilderness. Purchase this first book for all middle and high school libraries. Recommended. Donna Steffan, Instructional Library Media and Technology Consultant, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction”
     —Library Media Connection

“[Y]ou might want to have a few copies of "The Winter Road" by Terry Hokenson for the girls. They will appreciate the skills and determination of 17-year-old Willa who was supposed to accompany her uncle, flying medical supplies to remote towns. When she finds him passed out drunk, she decides to do the job herself, is caught in a snowstorm, and crash-lands in the wilderness of Hudson Bay. Her radio is out, supplies are limited, and temperatures are in the double digits below zero.”
     —School Librarian's Workshop, The

about the author

Terry Hokenson grew up in southeast Texas and central Minnesota and worked as a carpenter and an attorney. An avid year-round camper, he lives in Minneapolis and is active in the Minneapolis Quaker Meeting. He has one grown daughter.