If We Make It Home: A Novel of Faith and Survival in the Oregon Wilderness

Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award WinnerWhen four college friends graduated from the University of Northwest Oregon, their lives stretched before them, full of promise and vows to stay connected. But life has a way of derailing well-laid plans.Now they haven't spoken in twenty-five years. But against all odds, three of them have found themselves back in the same place--at their alma mater, wondering how they got there. When they discover their fourth friend, Hope, has died, Jenna, Ireland, and Vicky decide to embark on a wilderness adventure to honor her memory--and for secret reasons of their own. Jenna wants to show her husband that she's more than a helpless, overweight, middle-aged empty nester. Ireland wants to get back to the nature she loves and hide from the charges being pressed against her. And Vicky wants to show she cares for something besides her ministry--and put off the disaster waiting at home for as long as possible.They never bargained for the dangers they face in an unforgiving wilderness. Now they'll have to work together if they hope to make it home alive. While the three women fight to survive the elements, their toughest battles may be with themselves. Review "Nelson's fiction debut is a tension-filled tour de force of suspense and human emotions. Fans of Cheryl Strayed's Wild and Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild will love this." ? Library Journal Published On: 2017-07-10"Christina Suzann Nelson offers readers a compelling and well-written story in If We Make It Home. The characters are clearly distinct in personality and life circumstances, but bonded by a friendship that survives the toll of years and the battering of their crises. Nelson skillfully draws readers into character emotions in a way that sets us up for what lies ahead. No neat and tidy bows at the end, but hope-filled and courageous conclusions. Nelson's storytelling is a gift to her readers." -- Cynthia Ruchti Published On: 2017-07-25"If We Make It Home is a powerfully well-written novel layered with complex characters, witty dialogue, and superbly plotted collision courses of divine destiny. Three estranged friends, reunited decades after college, make an unusual wilderness journey so life-changing that readers can't help but be changed alongside them. Christina writes with an unpretentious poetry and finesse that charmed me from the first page to the last. A life-and-death drama brimming with tension and wry humor, If We Make It Home moved me with its gut-wrenching honesty and profound wisdom. It's beautifully raw. Elegantly real. Simply stunning. Christina Nelson has created an absolute must-read masterpiece." -- Camille Eide, award-winning author of The Memoir of Johnny Devine Published On: 2017-07-25"I turned the final page of If We Make It Home with a sigh of satisfaction. Christina Suzann Nelson is a writer to watch! The adventure these three friends found themselves on had me wide-eyed and holding my breath, but their inner journeys were even more breathtaking. High stakes for each of the characters, yes, but a payoff that is so worthwhile." -- Deborah Raney, author of Home to Chicory Lane Published On: 2017-07-25"If you love discovering new authors with a lyrical, literary voice, then you're in for a treat. If you like those voices to also deliver a powerful, engaging story with true emotional depth, then you're in for a feast. Highly recommended." -- James L. Rubart, best-selling author of The Five Times I Met Myself Published On: 2017-07-25 About the Author Christina Suzann Nelson writes stories featuring women who survive circumstances to live lives closer to God's calling. She focuses on changing legacies from dysfunction to hope. Her first novel, If We Make It Home, was named debut of the month and one of the Best Books of 2017 by Library Journal.For the past ten years, Christina has been a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Oregon Christian Writers, who named her t