Follow the River

How does the narrative in Follow the River differ from the historical accounts of Mary Draper Ingles’s journey? What narrative role do those changes play?

In the Author’s Note, James Alexander Thom describes the wilderness as an “intimidating and merciless antagonist” (403). How does this characterization reflect Mary and Ghetel’s experience? In what ways does nature support Mary and Ghetel?

How do Mary’s and Bettie’s responses to being kidnapped differ? How do they overlap? What do these differences and similarities reveal about their characters?