Survival in the Wilderness (Great Escapes #4) Steven Otfinoski. 2020. 128 pages. [Source: Library]
First sentence: It was now or never. The young men reached for the cord connected to the gas valve. He gave it a sharp tug and listened as the helium in the balloon rushed out with a loud hiss.
Premise/plot: Survival in the Wilderness is a fictionalized account of three navy lieutenants--Walter Hinton, Louis Kloor, and Stephen Farrell--and their failed "routine" training flight in a hot air balloon. It is based on a true story. (The structure is true enough based on records we have, but all dialogue has been fictionalized.) The story is set in December 1920. The balloon went off course--way, way, way off course--and the balloon ended up crashing in Canada. These three would have to work together in order to survive...
My thoughts: This one is for those who love reading survival stories and/or adventure stories. The setting is the Canadian wilderness in winter. Three men battling the elements--and sometimes arguing about how to best battle the elements--and looking for any sign of civilization. As I mentioned earlier, the year is 1920. This is still the age of Arctic/Antarctic exploration. But these men weren't looking for that kind of adventure; nor were they prepared...not even slightly.
I personally found it an interesting read. I have never really given any thought to the military's use--at the times--of the hot air balloon. This was a "routine" training flight that went very, very wrong. But plenty of training flights went right. Just something to think about. This one also makes use--though this might need a trigger warning--messenger pigeons.
© 2022 Becky Laney of Young Readers
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