Gone to the Woods

By Gary Paulsen

A boy's escape from neglect leads to survival and storytelling.

4.0/5 Goodreads · 5,449 ratings

357 pages· 67,300 words· Est. 7.5 hour read

$17.99Save 7%

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Bookroo's summary

In a memoir of survival and transformation, a young boy escapes a neglectful Chicago upbringing for the North Woods, sparking a journey that shapes his future as a storyteller. From a pivotal encounter with a librarian to a desperate Army enlistment, each moment is a step toward discovering his true calling. Experience the raw and real story behind the famed survival tales, where grit and resilience forge a literary legend. What challenges will he face, and how will they define his path?

From the publisher

A middle grade memoir from a living literary legend, giving readers a new perspective on the origins of Gary Paulsen’s famed survival stories. His name is synonymous with high-stakes wilderness survival stories. Now, beloved author Gary Paulsen portrays a series of life-altering moments from his turbulent childhood as his own original survival story. If not for his summer escape from a shockingly neglectful Chicago upbringing to a North Woods homestead at age five, there never would have been a Hatchet. Without the encouragement of the librarian who handed him his first book at age thirteen, he may never have become a reader. And without his desperate teenage enlistment in the Army, he would not have discovered his true calling as a storyteller. A moving and enthralling story of grit and growing up, Gone to the Woods is perfect for newcomers to the voice and lifelong fans alike, from the acclaimed author at his rawest and realest.

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