Two cousins, one accustomed to living outside civilization and one fleeing the dangers of it, learn to move forward together in this taut and compelling novel in verse that’s a standalone companion to the New York Times bestselling Alone and Away.

River, a budding eleven-year-old nature artist, gains a new viewpoint in life when his estranged cousin, Emma, and her mother come to his off-the-grid mountain compound to escape from a problematic home situation. Through Emma, River learns more about what has been happening in the area outside of their rural outpost (and what his brother, Mustang, has been up to) and starts to question the rules and restrictions that the group has imposed upon the community.

At the same time, Emma’s prevailing sense of dread about her stepfather leads her to cultivate her self-defense skills. With mass evacuations and panic outside the compound and questions stirring within, the cousins must lean on each other to weather the upheaval.