fine first novel.'Oh, I will always remember that moment when, even with the universe spackled above us, bright with an infinity of stars and dark with infinite space, it was impossible for me to believe that Ptolemy wasn't right, that our own Earth, our little tribe, and Eli's hand on my waist were not the center of everything there was.' - Into the Forest by Jean Hegland

“Jean Hegland’s sense of character is firm, warm, and wise. “This beautifully written story captures the essential nature of the sister bond: the fierce struggle to be true to one’s own self, only to learn that true strength comes from what they are able to share together.” -Carol Saline, co-author of Sisters A truly admirable addition to a genre defined by the very high standards of George Orwell's 1984.” - Publishers Weekly (starred review) “From the first page, the sense of crisis and the lucid, honest voice of the. “A work of extraordinary power, insight and lyricism, Into the Forest is both an urgent warning and a passionate celebration of life and love.” -Riane Eisler, author of The Chalice and the Blade “ beautifully written and often profoundly moving novel.” - San Francisco Chronicle

Reminiscent of Margaret Atwood's A Handmaid's Tale, Into the Forest is a mesmerizing and thought-provoking novel of hope and despair set in a frighteningly plausible near-future America. Their arrival into adulthood, however, forces them to reexamine their place in the world and their relationship to the land and each other.

The sisters consume the resources left in the house, waiting for the power to return. There is talk of a war overseas and upheaval in Congress, but it still comes as a shock when the electricity runs out and gas is nowhere to be found. Over 30 miles from the nearest town, and several miles away from their nearest neighbor, Nell and Eva struggle to survive as society begins to decay and collapse around them. Set in the near-future, Into the Forest is a powerfully imagined novel that focuses on the relationship between two teenage sisters living alone in their Northern California forest home.

Into the forest by jean hegland