better lands: The Southbound Journey (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781958878989)

The world has fallen to its knees from an ongoing 4-year pandemic, but the story is not about its weaknesses. Rather about the strengths of human struggles trying to maintain relationships through the course of survival as some Burlington, Vermont survivors go on a tempestuous foot journey to an inland peninsula in Kentucky that professes to be virus-free. Friendships, romance, controversies, violence, and death become staples of the new world.

The first book introduced 16-year-old Rosa Wells, a privileged and sheltered only child who lost both parents to the pandemic. After surviving almost being sexually victimized by someone close (Mr. Chuso), she gained her footing, joined a tent community, and eventually moved into a leadership role, partly by killing enemies.

After much research on an inland peninsula in KY that professed to be virus-free, Rosa and four Vermont teams of 100 each is chosen to take the initial journey, traveling a week behind each other. Book one followed each of them through the Fort Drum Army base.

THE SOUTHBOUND JOURNEY closely follows the teams as they travel through 3 hub locations in Ohio: Cleveland, Ashland, & Cincinnati. The travelers continue to face new friendships, controversies, deceit, violence, and death along their journey as other outsiders join the migration teams. A few folks step up to the plate with stronger leadership abilities. Discover if Rosa is able to maintain her position or become more of an underlying leader.