Brian's Winter

Brian’s Winter (1996), a young adult novel by Gary Paulsen, is the third book in the Hatchet series of survival stories. Brian’s Winter chronologically follows Hatchet, acting as an alternate ending to Hatchet in which Brian is not rescued, and must continue to survive in the woods through the winter. Paulsen uses his own firsthand knowledge of winter survival skills to create a vivid and realistic portrayal of winter in the Canadian woods.

Other works by this author include The River, Brian's Return, and Brian's Hunt.

This guide refers to the 2017 edition of the book, published by Ember.

Plot Summary

Brian Robeson has been surviving in the north Canadian woods for almost three months, ever since a plane crash left him stranded. Now that the mild summer weather is ending, Brian faces a new challenge: surviving the winter. He prepares for the cold as best as he can, learning to make a small fire in his shelter and sew rabbit hides together to make a poncho. After a bear invades his shelter, he fashions stronger weapons: a “war bow” (22) with the power to kill a large animal, and a lance, to defend himself against a close-range attack.