title: If We Make It Home: A Novel of Faith and Survival in the Oregon Wilderness
author:  Christina Suzann Nelson 
description: "Nelson's fiction debut is a tension-filled tour de force of suspense and human emotions. Fans of Cheryl Strayed's <i>Wild</i> and Jon Krakauer's <i>Into the Wild</i> will love this." (<i>Library Journal</i> 2017-07-10)<br /><br />"Christina Suzann Nelson offers readers a compelling and well-written story in <i>If We Make It Home</i>. The characters are clearly distinct in personality and life circumstances, but bonded by a friendship that survives the toll of years and the battering of their crises. Nelson skillfully draws readers into character emotions in a way that sets us up for what lies ahead. No neat and tidy bows at the end, but hope-filled and courageous conclusions. Nelson's storytelling is a gift to her readers." (Cynthia Ruchti 2017-07-25)<br /><br />"<i>If We Make It Home</i> is a powerfully well-written novel layered with complex characters, witty dialogue, and superbly plotted collision courses of divine destiny. Three estranged friends, reunited decades after college, make an unusual wilderness journey so life-changing that readers can't help but be changed alongside them. Christina writes with an unpretentious poetry and finesse that charmed me from the first page to the last. A life-and-death drama brimming with tension and wry humor, <i>If We Make It Home</i> moved me with its gut-wrenching honesty and profound wisdom. It's beautifully raw. Elegantly real. Simply stunning. Christina Nelson has created an absolute must-read masterpiece." (Camille Eide, award-winning author of <i>The Memoir of Johnny Devine</i> 2017-07-25)<br /><br />"I turned the final page of <i>If We Make It Home</i> with a sigh of satisfaction. Christina Suzann Nelson is a writer to watch! The adventure these three friends found themselves on had me wide-eyed and holding my breath, but their inner journeys were even more breathtaking. High stakes for each of the characters, yes, but a payoff that is so worthwhile." (Deborah Raney, author of <i>Home to Chicory Lane</i> 2017-07-25)<br /><br />"If you love discovering new authors with a lyrical, literary voice, then you're in for a treat. If you like those voices to also deliver a powerful, engaging story with true emotional depth, then you're in for a feast. Highly recommended." (James L. Rubart, best-selling author of <i>The Five Times I Met Myself</i> 2017-07-25)
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  # Praise for The Way It Should Be
  
  
  
  
  
  “The lives of estranged sisters collide in a summer that at first seems
  anything but the way it should be. Christina Suzann Nelson’s beautifully
  written tale of the complicated nature of family, the power of faith, and the
  ultimate cost of self-sacrifice for those we love will have readers
  considering complex questions long after closing the cover.”
  
  
  
  
  
  —Lisa Wingate, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Before We Were Yours
  and The Book of Lost Friends
  
  
  
  
  
  “In The Way It Should Be, Christina Suzann Nelson doesn’t shy away from the
  horrors of addiction nor the heartache of the foster system and family
  brokenness. But in the midst of the hurt, Nelson offers pictures of grace,
  glimpses of beauty, and the hope of redemption. I loved getting to know Eve
  and Zara, Tiff and Bruce, and Charlotte and Sammy, and I hope for good things
  for all of them!”
  
  
  
  
  
  —Lauren Denton, USA Today bestselling author o