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Reviewed by Jennifer Senick for Readers' Favorite
Isabella Falconeri’s In the Mountain’s Shadow is a powerful and emotional story about survival, family, and our choices. It follows Park, an older woman who leaves her family behind in a desperate attempt to give them a chance at life when a doctor offers them help, but without her. Park faces hunger, danger, and loneliness alone in the wilderness. She finds a rundown cabin and an old journal with information that helps her learn how to survive. Throughout her time on the mountain, she meets a violent intruder, a desperate family, and even a wolf, while struggling with her fears and guilt. The story builds to a surprising and thought-provoking ending, where Park realizes the true cost of her choices. It leaves you thinking about survival and what it means to truly endure.
When I read In the Mountain’s Shadow, I found myself deeply immersed in Park’s plight. The grandmother’s decision to leave her family behind struck me as both heartbreaking and noble; her love for her family is evident in her willingness to sacrifice everything. I could feel her desperation and determination with every step she took into the wilderness, and her interactions with the journal and the wolf, Ripple, added depth and symbolism to her journey. The ending left me thinking. Certain revelations near the conclusion raised questions about the connections between past and present, about how choices made in moments of desperation can echo in ways we never expect. I also appreciated how the book leaves you contemplating the consequences of choice and the fragility of human connections in a world where survival often eclipses morality. The story stays with you long after you finish the last page. I would definitely read more from Isabella Falconeri.
