The Canyon's Edge

Trapped in a slot canyon after a flash flood, Nora braves myriad desert dangers—and her personal demons—as she fights to save her father in Dusti Bowling’s middle-grade survival novel in verse, The Canyon’s Edge (2020). Snakes, scorpions, and dehydration aren’t the only dangerous obstacles Nora must overcome. To survive, she must master post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and begin to cope with the loss of her mother, the victim of a mass shooting that the whole family experienced. Bowling sensitively explores the themes of Healing From Trauma, The Keys to Survival, and Finding the Courage to Live. The novel received starred reviews from Kirkus, School Library Journal, Booklist, and Publisher’s Weekly and was nominated for several state reading awards.

In the novel’s acknowledgements, the author shares that The Canyon’s Edge is based on a tragic, real-life experience. Bowling and her family hiked a slot canyon in Payson, Arizona, in early July 2017. Days later (on July 15), a large extended family from Bowling’s hometown hiked the canyon but was trapped in a flash flood. The author notes that nine family members perished; other media accounts report that 10 people lost their lives.