THE CAPTIVE

A woman is challenged to protect her family—and her previous history—in this remarkable debut.

Brooke lives on a secluded cranberry farm with her husband, Milo, and their two daughters, 13-year-old Holly and 8-year-old Sal. It’s a hard life in a rural secessionist state, but they have a home and each other. Then, during Brooke and Milo’s overnight trip to a town auction, a fugitive’s bounty is announced publicly, and Brooke recognizes the escapee’s name—Stephen Cawley. Her immediate reaction is palpable: shock, panic, and a rush of fear-fueled adrenaline. It’s clear that Brooke has dark secrets and that she’ll do just about anything to keep them hidden: “Deep down, Brooke knew she had no right to this life….She should have run farther in the first place.” An altercation back on the cranberry farm quickly confirms the presence of danger, and Brooke takes life-threatening matters into her own hands, setting out with her family across a bleak and unforgiving landscape. With this part–feminist Western, part–dystopian odyssey, part just plain-old nerve-jangling thriller, Foster does a terrific job of maintaining the page-turning pace of her narrative—and of Brooke’s angst-ridden story. The action is full of (often violent) surprises, and the plot exposes one secretive layer after another, embedding a highly contemporary feel to the tale despite its futuristic setting.

Packed with heart-stopping misadventures, this novel makes outdoor challenge–style outings look like a walk in the park.