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Books about Self Reliance
The Glass Castle
by Jeannette Walls
A story of resilience and strength in the face of poverty and struggle.
Young Jeannette Walls lives with her parents, Rex and Rose Mary, her older sister, Lori, her younger brother, Brian, and her younger sister, Maureen. When Jeannette is seven, the family moves to ... (Wikipedia)
These Is My Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine, 1881-1901
by Nancy E. Turner
A young woman's struggle for independence, chronicles her journey through the American Southwest.
“Belongs on your must-read list. This novel is a gem.” — Omaha World-Herald Nancy E. Turner's unforgettable, These Is My Words, melds the sweeping adventures and dramatic landscapes of, Lonesome ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope
by William Kamkwamba
An inspiring tale of a young boy from Malawi who, against all odds, invents a windmill to power his village.
Now a Netflix Film, Starring and Directed by Chiwetel Ejiofor of 12 Years a Slave William Kamkwamba was born in Malawi, a country where magic ruled and modern science was mystery. It was also a land ... (Barnes & Noble)
Princess Academy
by Shannon Hale
A young girl's journey of self-discovery and empowerment, finding her own strength and potential.
Miri is a fourteen-year-old girl from Mount Eskel, an isolated territory of Danland, who has never been allowed to work with the rest of the villagers in the quarry that keeps the community alive. ... (Wikipedia)
The Hired Girl
by Laura Amy Schlitz
A young girl's journey of self-empowerment and determination to seek a better life.
Today Miss Chandler gave me this beautiful book. I vow that I will never forget her kindness to me, and I will use this book as she told me to—that I will write in it with truth and refinement…But ... (Goodreads)
Little House in the Big Woods
by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Childhood memories of living on a family farm in the Midwest during the late 19th century.
The novel describes the homesteading skills Laura observed and began to practice during her fifth year. It does not contain the more mature (yet real) themes addressed in later books of the series ... (Wikipedia)
Earth Abides
by George R. Stewart
A post-apocalyptic tale of a man's journey to rebuild civilization.
While working on his graduate thesis in geology in the Sierra Nevada mountains, Ish is bitten by a rattlesnake. As he heals from the bite, taking refuge in a cabin, he gets sick with a disease that ... (Wikipedia)
This Boy's Life
by Tobias Wolff
A young man's memoir of his tumultuous childhood and his struggle to overcome obstacles.
In the 1950s, nomadic and flaky Caroline Wolff wants to settle down and find a decent man to provide a better home for herself and her son, Tobias "Toby" Wolff. She moves to Seattle, Washington and ... (Wikipedia)
How to Be Alone
by Jonathan Franzen
A collection of essays exploring the complexities of solitude, self-reliance, and personal growth.
From the National Book Award-winning author of, The Corrections, a collection of essays that reveal him to be one of our sharpest, toughest, and most entertaining social critics While the essays in ... (Goodreads)
The Revenant
by Michael Punke
A 19th century fur trapper's epic battle of survival in the wilderness of the American West.
Hugh Glass isn’t afraid to die. He’s done it once already. Rocky Mountains, 1823. The trappers of the Rocky Mountain Fur Company live a brutal frontier life. Hugh Glass is one of the most respected ... (Goodreads)
The Little House Collection
by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Series of stories recounting a pioneer family's journey through the American West.
This nine-book paperback box set of the classic series features the classic black-and-white artwork from Garth Williams. The nine books in the timeless Little House series tell the story of Laura’s ... (Goodreads)
Walden
by Henry David Thoreau
A reflective journey into nature, exploring the power of contemplation and simplicity.
Originally published in 1854, Walden; or, Life in the Woods, is a vivid account of the time that Henry D. Thoreau lived alone in a secluded cabin at Walden Pond. It is one of the most influential and ... (Goodreads)
Island of the Blue Dolphins
by Scott O'Dell
A young girl is stranded on an island and must find a way to survive on her own.
The main character is a Nicoleño girl named Won-a-pa-lei, whose secret name is Karana. She has a brother named Ramo, whose curiosity usually leads to trouble, and a sister named Ulape. Her people ... (Wikipedia)
Moon Called
by Patricia Briggs
A shapeshifter embarks on a journey to reclaim her heritage and defend her people.
Mercedes Thompson, aka Mercy, is a talented Volkswagen mechanic living in the Tri-Cities area of Washington. She also happens to be a walker, a magical being with the power to shift into a coyote at ... (Goodreads)
Brian's Hunt
by Gary Paulsen
A young boy's journey of self-discovery and survival in the wilds of the North.
Brian, who is now sixteen years old, is canoeing through the Canadian wilderness. He realizes that the woods are now his home and he will never be happy in modern society with its noise , pollution, ... (Wikipedia)
Brian's Winter
by Gary Paulsen
A retelling of the classic novel, "Hatchet", from the perspective of a young boy struggling to survive in the frozen wilderness.
The story deals with Brian, still stranded at the L-shaped lake during the fall and winter, constructing a winter shelter, building snow shoes , being confronted by a bear , befriending and naming a ... (Wikipedia)
The Hunter
by Richard Stark
A criminal mastermind navigates a dangerous web of crime and violence to carry out the perfect heist.
Double-crossed, shot, and left for dead — by his wife. The thriller that introduces Parker. “A brilliant invention”. Played by Lee Marvin in the John Boorman movie. “The funnies call it the ... (Goodreads)
Hatchet
by Gary Paulsen
A boy must learn to survive in the wilderness after a plane crash leaves him stranded.
Brian Robeson is a thirteen-year-old son of divorced parents. As he travels from Hampton, New York on a single engine Cessna bush plane to visit his father in the oil fields in Northern Canada for ... (Wikipedia)
Robinson Crusoe
by Daniel Defoe
A shipwrecked sailor's struggle to survive on an isolated island, and his eventual redemption.
Crusoe (the family name corrupted from the German name "Kreutznaer") set sail from Kingston upon Hull on a sea voyage in August 1651, against the wishes of his parents, who wanted him to pursue a ... (Wikipedia)
Walden & Civil Disobedience
by Henry David Thoreau
A philosophical exploration of solitude, nature and civil disobedience.
Henry David Thoreau's masterwork, Walden , is a collection of his reflections on life and society. His simple but profound musings—as well as Civil Disobedience , his protest against the government's ... (Goodreads)
Two Old Women: An Alaskan Legend of Betrayal, Courage and Survival
by Velma Wallis
Tale of two elderly women struggling to survive in the harsh Alaskan wilderness.
Long before the Europeans came, nomads roamed the polar region of Alaska in constant search for game. The people of the Gwich'in , who belong to the Athabaska tribes, wander the areas around the ... (Wikipedia)
Little Town on the Prairie
by Laura Ingalls Wilder
A young girl's story of growing up on the prairie, facing the joys and struggles of pioneering life.
The novel opens in May 1880, after the Hard Winter . At the Ingalls' claim, Pa begins planting the corn and oats that will serve as cash crops for the family, after which he builds the second half of ... (Wikipedia)
A Pocket for Corduroy
by Don Freeman
A teddy bear's quest to find a pocket for himself, learning the power of friendship and resilience along the way.
Come along with Corduroy as he goes on an all-new adventure. Corduroy, with his unaffected simplicity and childlike emotion, is one of the best-loved bears in children's books. His story has become ... (Goodreads)
32 Yolks
by Eric Ripert
Memoir of a world-renowned chef's journey from a difficult childhood to culinary success.
NEW YORK TIMES, BESTSELLER • Hailed by Anthony Bourdain as “heartbreaking, horrifying, poignant, and inspiring,”, 32 Yolks, is the brave and affecting coming-of-age story about the making of a French ... (Barnes & Noble)
Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century
by Jessica Bruder
A chronicle of a new American subculture of nomadic older adults, coping with economic precarity.
An alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780393356311 can be found, here., The inspiration for Chloé Zhao's 2020 Golden Lion award-winning film starring Frances McDormand. From the beet fields of North ... (Goodreads)
Harris and Me
by Gary Paulsen
A young boy spends a summer on a farm with his cousin Harris, experiencing wild adventures and learning life lessons.
A young boy spends his tenth summer on his aunt and uncle’s farm, where he is constantly involved in crazy escapades with his cousin Harris. “On the Larson farm, readers will experience hearts as ... (Goodreads)
Farmer Boy
by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Story of a young boy's life on a farm in 19th century America.
The novel is based on the childhood of Wilder's husband, Almanzo Wilder , who grew up in the 1860s near the town of Malone, New York . It covers roughly one year of his life, beginning just before ... (Wikipedia)
Pippi Longstocking
by Astrid Lindgren
A young girl’s wild adventures, full of imagination and mischief.
Tommy and his sister Annika have a new neighbor, and her name is Pippi Longstocking. She has crazy red pigtails, no parents to tell her what to do, a horse that lives on her porch, and a flair for ... (Goodreads)
Half Broke Horses
by Jeannette Walls
A novel based on the life of the author's grandmother, Lily Casey Smith, a resilient and adventurous woman who overcomes numerous obstacles in the American West.
Jeannette Walls's memoir The Glass Castle was "nothing short of spectacular" (Entertainment Weekly). Now, in Half Broke Horses, she brings us the story of her grandmother, told in a first-person ... (Goodreads)
Dodger
by Terry Pratchett
A street urchin's journey of survival, maturation, and self-discovery through the labyrinthine streets of Victorian London.
One night on the streets of London, a battered young woman leaps from a carriage , followed and assaulted by two men. The protagonist Dodger, a street urchin and tosher , emerging from a sewer drain, ... (Wikipedia)
The Warrior's Path
by Louis L'Amour
A young man seeks to avenge his father's death and becomes a skilled warrior on the frontier.
Filled with exciting tales of the frontier, the chronicle of the Sackett family is perhaps the crowning achievement of one of our greatest storytellers.In The Warrior’s Path, Louis L’Amour tells the ... (Goodreads)
The Paper Bag Princess
by Robert Munsch
A young princess rescues her prince from a dragon, learning to stand up for herself along the way.
Princess Elizabeth plans to marry Prince Ronald, who she thinks is perfect. However, a dragon arrives who destroys her castle, kidnaps Ronald, and burns all her clothes, so she must look for ... (Wikipedia)
The Black Stallion
by Walter Farley
A young boy's friendship with a wild horse, overcoming challenges and finding courage.
Published originally in 1941, this book is about a young boy, Alec Ramsay who finds a wild black stallion at a small Arabian port on the Red Sea. Between the black stallion and young boy, a strange ... (Goodreads)
Dies the Fire
by S.M. Stirling
After a mysterious global catastrophe, a small group of survivors must adapt to an ancient way of life.
Mike Havel is a former United States Marine , a veteran of the 1991 Persian Gulf invasion , and bush pilot. On March 17, 1998, at 6:15 pm PST , Havel is flying over the Bitterroot Mountain Range in ... (Wikipedia)
Sandworms of Dune
by Brian Herbert
Epic conclusion to the beloved "Dune" series, intertwining themes of religion, politics, and ecology.
As Sandworms of Dune begins, the passengers of the no-ship, Ithaca, continue their nearly two-decade search for a new home world for the Bene Gesserit , while Duncan Idaho evades the tachyon net of ... (Wikipedia)
The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents
by Terry Pratchett
A group of rats and a young street-smart cat use their wits to con the townsfolk.
The book opens with Amazing Maurice (a sentient cat), a group of talking rats (the Clan), and the human boy Keith travelling in a mail coach to a small town called Bad Blintz . The group plans to ... (Wikipedia)
Today I Will Fly!
by Mo Willems
A young bird's journey of self-confidence and courage, learning to fly on his own.
Gerald is careful. Piggie is not. Piggie cannot help smiling. Gerald can. Gerald worries so that Piggie does not have to. Gerald and Piggie are best friends. Today, I Will Fly! is the funny ... (Barnes & Noble)
On the Other Side of the Hill
by Roger Lea MacBride
A young girl and her family move to a new homestead in the American West, facing challenges and making new friends.
A new addition to the popular series written by the adopted grandson of Rose Wilder, Laura Ingalls Wilder's daughter. The Wilder family struggles to make a success of Rocky Ridge, their little farm ... (Goodreads)
First Shift: Legacy
by Hugh Howey
A post-apocalyptic world where survivors must find a way to restore their crumbling society.
The story of Wool takes place on a post-apocalyptic Earth. , Humanity clings to survival in the Silo, a subterranean city extending one hundred forty-four stories beneath the surface. The series ... (Wikipedia)
A Wanted Man
by Lee Child
Thrilling journey of an ex-military fugitive on the run, pursued by dangerous enemies.
The novel opens with Jack Reacher, whose nose is broken from his last adventure (Worth Dying For), trying to get a ride out of Nebraska, hitch-hiking in the middle of the night, without any car ... (Wikipedia)
Five on a Treasure Island
by Enid Blyton
Exciting adventure of five siblings looking for buried treasure on a mysterious island.
When siblings Julian, Dick and Anne cannot go for their usual summer holiday to Polseath , they are invited to spend the summer with their Aunt Fanny and Uncle Quentin at their home Kirrin Cottage, ... (Wikipedia)
Casting Off
by Hugh Howey
A young woman's journey across the ocean in a sailboat, finding her way in life.
The silo has appointed a new sheriff. Her name is Juliette, and she comes not from the shadows of deputies, but from the depths of the down deep. But what does being a mechanic have to do with ... (Goodreads)
Self-Reliance and Other Essays
by Ralph Waldo Emerson
Collection of essays exploring the potential of individualism and the power of self-reliance.
Essayist, poet, and philosopher, Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882) propounded a transcendental idealism emphasizing self-reliance, self-culture, and individual expression. The six essays and one ... (Goodreads)
Carry On, Mr. Bowditch
by Jean Lee Latham
A young man's struggle to gain knowledge and self-confidence, inspiring a revolution in navigation.
In Revolutionary War–era Salem, Massachusetts, a young Nat Bowditch, the smallest member of a sea-faring family, astounds his schoolteacher with his talent for mathematics. He dreams of someday ... (Wikipedia)
My Side of the Mountain
by Jean Craighead George
A young boy runs away to the Catskill Mountains, where he learns to survive on his own and befriends a falcon.
Sam Gribley is a 12-year-old boy who intensely dislikes living in his parents' cramped New York City apartment with his eight brothers and sisters. He decides to run away to his great-grandfather's ... (Wikipedia)
Father and I Were Ranchers
by Ralph Moody
A boy's coming-of-age story, learning the values of hard work and perseverance while growing up on a ranch.
Ralph Moody was eight years old in 1906 when his family moved from New Hampshire to a Colorado ranch. Through his eyes we experience the pleasures and perils of ranching there early in the twentieth ... (Barnes & Noble)
Strawberry Girl
by Lois Lenski
A young girl and her family face the challenges of living on a rural farm in the 1940s.
The land was theirs, but so were its hardships Strawberries – big, ripe, and juicy. Ten-year-old Birdie Boyer can hardly wait to start picking them. But her family has just moved to the Florida ... (Goodreads)
Gone
by Michael Grant
All adults disappear, leaving a group of teens to fend for themselves in a world where supernatural powers emerge.
In the blink of an eye, everyone disappears. Gone. Except for the young. There are teens, but not one single adult. Just as suddenly, there are no phones, no internet, no television. No way to get ... (Goodreads)
Plain Kate
by Erin Bow
A young woodcarver trades her shadow for safety, but must fight to reclaim it and save her town from a dark magic.
Katerina "Kate" Svetlana is an orphan who lived in the small eastern European market town of Samilae. She was called "Plain Kate" because her father introduced her to a butcher as Katerina Svetlana ... (Wikipedia)
The Higher Power of Lucky
by Susan Patron
A young girl's journey of self-discovery, learning the power of resilience and hope.
The novel features Lucky, a 10-year-old girl who lives in a small town called Hard Pan (population 43) in the California desert with her two friends Lincoln, who is an avid knot tyer and expected by ... (Wikipedia)
Comanche Moon
by Larry McMurtry
A story of the waning days of the Comanche warriors, set in 19th century Texas.
THE NATIONAL BESTSELLER The second book of Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove tetralogy, Comanche Moon takes us once again into the world of the American West. Texas Rangers August McCrae and Woodrow ... (Goodreads)
Into the Forest
by Jean Hegland
Sisters attempt to survive in their rural home as society collapses around them.
In the near future, two teenage sisters, Nell and Eva, live in a remotely located home with their father, Robert. A massive, continent-wide power outage seems to have resulted in a region-wide ... (Wikipedia)
The Rope
by Nevada Barr
A gripping mystery novel set in the Grand Canyon, where a park ranger investigates a murder and uncovers dark secrets.
Anna Pigeon's first case—this is the story her fans have been clamoring for...this is where it all starts. In The Rope, the latest in Nevada Barr’s bestselling novels featuring Anna Pigeon, Nevada ... (Goodreads)
Countdown City
by Ben H. Winters
Detective finds himself in a race against time to save the world from an impending apocalypse.
With electricity and telecommunications links down, petroleum increasingly scarce and with water supplies of unknown potability, former Concord police detective Henry Palace is in a race with time. ... (Wikipedia)
The Little Red Hen
by Diane Muldrow
A classic tale of a hardworking hen who learns the value of teamwork and cooperation.
Take a gander at his classic folk-tale about perseverance and merit, feature none-other than a hard-working little red hen. Between, Diane Muldrow's, story and, J.P. Miller's, beloved graphic ... (Goodreads)
Mrs. Mike
by Benedict Freedman
A young woman's voyage of self-discovery, learning to survive and thrive in the Canadian wilderness.
The novel is based on the stories of Katherine Mary O'Fallon Flannigan (1899-1954). , , , According to her fictionalized account, in 1907 at age 16 O'Fallon travels to Calgary to visit her uncle and ... (Wikipedia)
Nobody's Boy
by Hector Malot
A young boy's journey of survival, relying on his own resourcefulness to make his way in the world.
A compelling story in which orphaned Remi gets hired out to a traveling street entertainer when his foster parents fall on hard times. Going from village to village with its act, ‘nobody’s boy’ has ... (Goodreads)
An Untamed Land
by Lauraine Snelling
A Norwegian family migrates to America in the 1800s, facing challenges and hardships as they settle in the Dakota Territory.
She had promised herself that once they left the fjords of Norway, she would never look back. The promise of free land lures Roald and Ingeborg Bjorklund from their beloved home high above the fjords ... (Goodreads)
My Name Is Mary Sutter
by Robin Oliveira
A midwife's journey of self-determination, as she strives to become a surgeon in the Civil War.
A, New York Times, bestseller and a moving Civil War novel about a young midwife who dreams of becoming a surgeon. Fans of Caleb’s Crossing by Geraldine Brooks, Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier, and ... (Goodreads)
Small Is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered
by Ernst F. Schumacher
A critique of modern economic systems and a call for a more sustainable and human-centered approach to economics.
"Nothing less than a full-scale assault on conventional economic wisdom." — Newsweek One the 100 most influential books published since World War II — The Times Literary Supplement Hailed as an ... (Goodreads)
Industrial Magic
by Kelley Armstrong
An urban fantasy of a witch navigating a dark underworld of supernatural forces.
The story starts with the attack upon Dana MacArthur, daughter of a Cabal employee. Dismayed by her inability to persuade other witches to form a new coven because of their disapproval of her ... (Wikipedia)
Beauty Queens
by Libba Bray
A group of beauty pageant contestants stranded on a desert island, learning resilience and self-reliance.
From bestselling, Printz Award-winning author Libba Bray, the story of a plane of beauty pageant contestants that crashes on a desert island.,Teen beauty queens. A "Lost"-like island. Mysteries and ... (Barnes & Noble)
Jungle: A Harrowing True Story of Survival
by Yossi Ghinsberg
A thrilling account of Yossi Ghinsberg's survival in the Amazon jungle after getting lost.
“A powerful story of self-discovery, survival in the wild.” —,Los Angeles Times, Four travelers meet in Bolivia and set off into the heart of the Amazon rainforest, but what begins as a dream ... (Goodreads)
The Midwife's Apprentice
by Karen Cushman
A young girl's journey from poverty to independence as she learns the craft of midwifery.
In medieval Europe, a homeless orphan girl who has no name, and can recall being named Brat, attempts to nestle in a warm dung heap on a cold night. She wakes up to the taunts of village boys, and ... (Wikipedia)
Letters of a Woman Homesteader
by Elinore Pruitt Stewart
A collection of letters from a woman who moves to Wyoming to homestead, detailing her struggles and triumphs in the American West.
"Peopled with the kinds of characters most novelists only dream of"(Christian Science Monitor), this classic account of American frontier living captures the rambunctious spirit of a pioneer who set ... (Goodreads)
Ashfall
by Mike Mullin
After a supervolcano erupts, a teenage boy must survive in a world of ash and chaos.
Under the bubbling hot springs and geysers of Yellowstone National Park is a supervolcano. Most people don't know it's there. The caldera is so large that it can only be seen from a plane or ... (Goodreads)
The Duckling Gets a Cookie!?
by Mo Willems
A duckling tries to figure out how to get a cookie from a stubborn, strict grown-up.
Much to the chagrin of Pigeon, little Duckling uses very polite manners to request a cookie, and actually gets one. Filled with righteous fury, Pigeon loses his temper and complains bitterly about ... (Goodreads)
The Virtue of Selfishness: A New Concept of Egoism
by Ayn Rand
A philosophical exploration of the concept of egoism, advocating for rational self-interest.
Ayn Rand here sets forth the moral principles of Objectivism, the philosophy that holds human life–the life proper to a rational being--as the standard of moral values and regards altruism as ... (Goodreads)
Between a Rock and a Hard Place
by Aron Ralston
A harrowing true story of one man's fight for survival after being trapped in a canyon.
A brilliantly written, funny, honest, inspiring, and downright astonishing report from the line where death meets life which will surely take its place in the annals of classic adventure stories. One ... (Goodreads)
Kidnapped
by Robert Louis Stevenson
A young man's thrilling escape from kidnappers and the pursuit of justice.
The main character and narrator is 17-year-old David Balfour. (Balfour is Stevenson's mother's maiden name.) His parents have recently died, and he is out to make his way in the world. He is given a ... (Wikipedia)
Half Way Home
by Hugh Howey
A group of teenagers are sent to colonize a new planet, but their journey takes a deadly turn. They must survive and uncover the truth about their mission.
Less than sixty kids awaken on a distant planet. The colony ship they arrived on is aflame. The rest of their contingent is dead. They've only received half their training, and they are being asked ... (Goodreads)
Gold Fame Citrus
by Claire Vaye Watkins
In a dystopian future, a couple flees a parched Los Angeles for a better life, but their journey is fraught with danger and uncertainty.
The novel concerns a future California damaged by drought. , Luz Dunn Luz Dunn is a 25 year old former model squatting in Los Angeles. At birth, Luz was symbolically adopted by the Bureau of ... (Wikipedia)
Walden on Wheels: On the Open Road from Debt to Freedom
by Ken Ilgunas
Ken Ilgunas lives in a van to pay off his student loans and find freedom. He discovers a new way of living and learning on the open road.
In this memoir, Ken Ilgunas lays bare the existential terror of graduating from the University of Buffalo with $32,000 of student debt. Ilgunas set himself an ambitious mission: get out of debt as ... (Goodreads)
AWOL on the Appalachian Trail
by David Miller
A man's journey of self-discovery on a 2,200 mile hike along the Appalachian Trail.
In 2003, software engineer David Miller left his job, family, and friends to hike 2,172 miles of the Appalachian Trail., AWOL on the Appalachian Trail, is Miller’s account of this thru-hike from ... (Barnes & Noble)
Hondo
by Louis L'Amour
A Western adventure of a man on a quest for justice in the Wild West.
In 1870, at a remote ranch in Arizona , homesteader Angie Lowe ( Geraldine Page ) and her six-year-old son Johnny ( Lee Aaker ) are performing chores at their ranch when a stranger ( John Wayne ) ... (Wikipedia)
Mud, Sweat and Tears
by Bear Grylls
Autobiography of Bear Grylls, detailing his adventures and survival skills in extreme environments.
Bear Grylls is a man who has always loved adventure. After leaving school, he spent months hiking in the Himalayas as he considered joining the Indian Army. Upon his return to England after a change ... (Goodreads)
The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner
by Alan Sillitoe
A young man from a working-class background turns to long-distance running as a means of escape and rebellion against societal norms.
When he is caught by the police for robbing a bakery, Smith is sentenced to be confined in Ruxton Towers in Essex , a borstal (young offenders institution) for delinquent youths. He seeks solace in ... (Wikipedia)
The Virginian: A Horseman of the Plains
by Owen Wister
A cowboy in the Wild West navigates love, loyalty, and justice while upholding his own moral code.
The novel begins with an unnamed narrator's arrival in Medicine Bow, Wyoming , from "back East" and his encounter with an impressively tall and handsome stranger. The stranger proves adept at roping ... (Wikipedia)
Return to Del
by Emily Rodda
Lief, Barda and Jasmine return to Del to find it in ruins. They must find a way to restore the city and defeat the Shadow Lord once and for all.
The main characters of the book are Barda, Lief and Jasmine, who have retrieved all seven of the magic gems from their perilous Guardians and lairs. They now have the topaz, ruby, emerald, lapis ... (Wikipedia)
That Old Ace in the Hole
by Annie Proulx
Bob Dollar, a young man from Denver, is sent to the Texas Panhandle to scout out land for a hog farm. He discovers a world of eccentric characters and a vanishing way of life.
Bob Dollar was abandoned by his parents and was brought up by his eccentric uncle. , Dollar is sent by his employer, the multinational "Global Pork Rind Corporation", to scout for locations for ... (Wikipedia)
A Fortunate Life
by Albert B. Facey
Autobiography of an Australian man who overcomes poverty and hardship to live a fulfilling life.
This is the extraordinary life of an ordinary man. It is the story of Albert Facey, who lived with simple honesty, compassion and courage. A parentless boy who started work at eight on the rough West ... (Goodreads)
Paddle Your Own Canoe: One Man's Fundamentals for Delicious Living
by Nick Offerman
A humorous and inspiring look at how to live an authentic and fulfilling life.
How to Raise an Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success
by Julie Lythcott-Haims
A guide for parents to help their children become independent and successful adults by avoiding overparenting and fostering self-sufficiency.
New York Times, Bestseller, ",Julie Lythcott-Haims is a national treasure,. . . ., A must-read, for every parent who senses that there is a healthier and saner way to raise our children." -,Madeline ... (Barnes & Noble)
Hattie Big Sky
by Kirby Larson
A young girl's adventure of resilience, determination and courage in the wilds of Montana.
The novel is set during World War I . Hattie Brooks, a sixteen-year-old orphan who has tired of being shuttled between relatives she hardly knows, receives a letter from an uncle who has recently ... (Wikipedia)
To the Far Blue Mountains
by Louis L'Amour
A young man's journey from England to America, facing danger and adventure in the untamed wilderness.
In To the Far Blue Mountains, Louis L’Amour weaves the unforgettable tale of a man who, after returning to his homeland, discovers that finding his way back to America may be impossible. Barnabas ... (Goodreads)
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