Thirteen year old Brian is the only survivor of a plane crash in the Canadian wilderness. Armed with the hatchet his mother gave him before he left on this trip to see his father, Brian is faced with surviving in a harsh world where there is no one to hand him food, shelter or safety. Brian slowly solves one problem after another and makes some mistakes along the way. Can he survive? As he creates his new world, he spends time sorting through his parents' divorce. This is a great read for boys who look for adventure and who understand that as they grow into men, they will need to figure out the questions and the answers for themselves. A great coming of age/survival/wilderness story. Several sequels follow-Brian's Winter, Brian's Return and The River.