When smallpox strikes her family's lodge, 13-year-old Autumn Dawn flees into the forest with her little brother, Coyote Boy. Together, the two native youngsters must draw on their survival skills, and learn to tell friend from foe as they travel in search of a safe haven.As winter's grip descends on the woods, what will the two do for food? Can they build a fire? Can they find shelter? The winter trek of Autumn Dawn and Coyote Boy offers a tale of courage and resourcefulness near the shores of Lake Superior, the realm of soaring eagles and home of the Anishinaabe (the Ojibwe). Set in the 1700s, in the days of the fur trade in the Great Lakes region, in a time when deadly diseases like smallpox were sweeping through native communities, this is the story of one girl's heroism and strong spirit.