This award-winning modern classic is a survival story that stands out against all others, a page-turning breathtaking adventure, and a Newbery Award winner. It was also nominated as one of America's Favorite Novels by The Great American Read. 13-year-old Brian Robson flew a single-engine flight to visit his father for the first time since his divorce because he was secretly aware of his mother's affair. Brian is the sole survivor when the plane crashes and the pilot dies. He is alone in the Canadian wilderness with only his clothes, a tattered windbreaker and a hatchet given to him by his mother. Initially overwhelmed by desperation and self-pity, Brian slowly learns survival skills such as how to build a shelter, how to hunt, how to fish, forage, how to start a fire, and a tornado devastating him. Sometimes I even find the courage to start over. camp site. When Brian was finally rescued after his 54 days in the wild, he came out of the ordeal with a newfound patience and maturity, and a better understanding of himself and his parents.