Lost at Windy River: A True Story of Survival

by Trina Rathgeber, Jillian Dolan (colorist), Alina Pete (illustrator)

It takes courage and bravery to survive in the barrens.

In 1944, thirteen-year-old Ilse Schweder got lost in a snowstorm while checking her family's trapline in northern Canada. This is the harrowing story of how a young Indigenous girl defies the odds and endures nine days alone in the unforgiving barrens. Ilse faces many challenges, including freezing temperatures, wild animals, snow blindness and frostbite. With no food or supplies, she relies on Traditional Indigenous Knowledge passed down from her family. Ilse uses her connection to the land and animals, wilderness skills and resilience to find her way home.

This powerful tale of survival is written by Ilse Schweder's granddaughter.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Biography, Indigenous, Nonfiction, History, Childrens

96 pages, Paperback

Published October 15, 2024

Reviews

[Rosh ~catching up slowly~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a Nutshell: A middle-grade graphic novel based on a true survival story. Great intent, decent plot execution, amazing information about indigenous beliefs and life in the cold North.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Plot Preview:

In 1944, thirteen-year-old Ilse Schweder, who stayed with her father and her siblings near the Windy River Trading Post in northern Canada, was lost in a snowstorm. She survived in the wintry white for nine days using sheer grit and her indigenous knowledge of the terrain, until she was finally rescued.
This is her survival story, written by her granddaughter.

A Canadian author had documented a version of Ilse’s survival story in his 1952 book, ‘People of the Deer’. Ilse wasn’t happy with it as she felt that it wasn’t his story to tell, and that the character he wrote simply wouldn’t have survived the snowy wilderness without having the indigenous knowledge Ilse did. Ilse’s granddaughter decided to pen the authentic version down, even though her grandma is no longer alive to see this book. Trina conducted extensive interviews with Ilse before the latter’s death in 2018, and also researched the story from archives. Her efforts are evident in this graphic novel.

Ilse’s story is one of courage and determination. After she is lost and alone in the snowstorm, it would have been easy to give up hope. But she shows grit, and doesn’t allow negative thoughts to enter her mind for the most part. She uses the knowledge she has of the terrain, the survival skills taught to her by her father, and the faith in nature spirits ingrained in her by her late mother, to try anything that could help her survive. Her lasting for so long in that desolate and dangerous locale also has an element of luck, but mere luck is never enough, and Ilse’s story proves it.

While the book is successful in showing her inspiring experience, it could have done with some finetuning in storyboarding. The plot swerves back and forth too much without a smooth transition. The tricky structure might be a bit challenging to younger middle-graders. The background of the family should have been established much beyond mere introductions before jumping into the main sequence. Some dialogues feel a little forced and unnatural. That is to say, they don’t make sense in the conversation at all, but seem to be inserted for the benefit of younger readers to provide them some information about indigenous practices or a survival skill.

The author, the illustrator, and the colourist of this graphic novel are all indigenous. As a team, they offer a wonderful ode to indigenous culture through the text and the graphics. There are many intercepts where a specific cultural practice or belief is mentioned to offer greater clarity on the actions of the characters. While the plot-based conversational bubbles and captions come in a white-coloured background, the factual indigenous info comes in yellow textboxes, which is visually helpful to distinguish.

The story also highlights the life in the cold North and the struggles of daily living. It shows the close bond shared by Ilse and all her siblings, and how each of them contributes towards chores. Their routine life is hard, but they go about their work with a spirit of togetherness and joy. That said, the writing glosses over a few important details. For instance, the ages of the other siblings aren’t mentioned, even though there is a page introducing the Schweders. I am not sure why the first chapter that comes from 1953 shows Ilse as old, when she must have been just in her early twenties then. The family business is supposedly fur trade, but (thankfully for little readers), there is nothing about how they obtain the fur and the cruelties of the task.

The one thing that I genuinely didn’t understand was why the story stressed so much on Ilse’s being an indigenous girl rather than biracial. (Her father was a white German who had emigrated to Canada for work.) The book mentions that her father was a strict disciplinarian who taught her many survival skills for life in the North. But when it comes to depicting what helped Ilse in the aftermath of the storm, we see more focus on the indigenous beliefs such as the spirits of the ancestors and the caribou than on the life lessons taught by her dad. It was almost as if the story was trying to dilute the white part of her identity and credit her survival mainly to her indigenous blood. It doesn’t seem fair.

The illustrations are decent, not exactly in my kind of art style or colour palette, but they do the job. The focus is more on functionality than on artistic flamboyance, which goes with the tone of the story. There are many actual photos of Ilse and her family as well, which I really appreciate.

All in all, I loved Ilse’s story, but I wish the execution had been a bit smoother, especially considering that it is written for middle graders. This doesn’t take away from the bravery of the young protagonist, whose ordeal has many life lessons to offer.

Definitely recommended. This OwnVoices work would be an interesting addition to homes as well as classroom libraries, and would offer several interesting points of discussion.

3.5 stars, rounding up for Ilse.


My thanks to Orca Book Publishers for providing the DRC of “Lost at Windy River” via Edelweiss+. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || X/Twitter || Facebook ||

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the 1940s, a young Indigenous girl got lost in a snowstorm in an area called the barrens. She managed to survive by what she had learned by living with her family, in northern Canada, for 9 days. She had no food, and only had her pack of dogs, and her sled. Her story was retold by a white author, in the 1950s, but it wasn’t his story to tell, and he didn’t tell it the right way.

This bothered Ilse, but it was what it was, and the story was told to her children and grandchildren, until one of her grandchildren, the author of this story, asked her grandmother if she could interview her about it, and so she did.

This is an amazing graphic novel, with lots of Cree words for things that she sees while she is lost such as Inukshuks, piles of rocks set up to mark things for fellow travelers. They can mean a warning, or this is a good spot to fish.

We also learn about frostbite, and snow blindness, as we mark each day that she is out.

This is an amazing story, and I really appreciate all the additional research the author did to get her grandmother’s story out in the world. It is amazing to see how she did survive, and what she remembered from her teachings. I loved the art, and loved the asides.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book is being published on the 15th of October 2024.

[marybee · Rating 4 out of 5]

At only 13 years old, Ilse Schweder gets lost in the wilderness of northern Canada. She spends 9 days walking, looking for the way back home, relying on her own strength and bravery as well as indigenous knowledge.

This graphic novel was written by Schweder's granddaughter and tells her true story of survival. The illustrations are super cute and the story very interesting, even for an older audience. Not only is Ilse's story told very well, the author also includes some Inuit knowledge and cultural referances. I definitely learned new things.

The atmosphere in this story is perfect for a quick, cozy read in the colder months - perfect timing with the middle of October release date!

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this middle grade graphic nonfiction about the author's grandmother surviving the Canadian tundra using her Indigenous Cree knowledge.

It's set in 1944, and thirteen-year-old Ilse Schweder lives in northern Canada with her fur trapping Cree family. She journeys with some of them on a dog-pulled sled to check the family's trapline when a sudden snow storm blinds the family. She gets lost in the snow, and now must find her way home, and survive.

It's a wonderful survival story, and I loved all the Indigenous wisdom in it. All three of the creators are Indigenous.

[Jesse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lost at Windy River is the amazing true story of the nine days the author’s grandmother was lost by herself in the wilderness of Alberta in the 1940s. Isle was thirteen at the time and it was, of course, winter. She was incredibly resourceful and used Traditional Indigenous Knowledge to survive. This book is also an opportunity for her to reclaim and tell her own story after it became well known and was shared by someone else.

[Shaunna MacDonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this one! Written beautifully for the MG audience to experience Ilse’s survival journey, and also to show how traditional teachings and knowledge helped keep her alive for 9 days in the “barren land”.

[Shilo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful, short graphic novel on a true story of survival. This is a great story for middle to upper elementary all the way to high school. I received a digital ARC of this book, but I can't wait for it to be released so that I can get a copy for my classroom. It not only tells the story of Ilse Schweder, but it also includes information on some of the First Nations culture and customs. I would highly recommend this book. I did receive a digital copy from Edelweiss, but this does not impact my review. I know my students will love to read this book!

[Jacki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received an arc of this one.
A fascinating true story of survival and indigenous culture.

[Joey Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Orca Book Publishers and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.

Ilse Schweder a thirteen year old girl living in the northern most of Canada got lost in a snow storm whilst out trapping with her brothers, separated and alone she survives for 9 days, with no food, frostbite all over and no direction obvious for how to get home, her story is finally told.

What an utterly incredible story, I’m so happy that her granddaughter was the one to truly share her story of survival. It was beautifully told with so much care and precision. It’s sad that a man used her story within his book but didn’t even begin to capture her story, at least now her story is correctly shared.

This whole story you’d think unbelievable, you’d never think someone could survive such harsh conditions. Reading this you learn how it was possible, with how smart she was, how resourceful, how much she had managed to learn from her native culture, from her brothers and from her mother, she used all these pieces of knowledge and survived such a harrowing ordeal.

I was gripped into the story as soon as it started to be shared, it was fascinating to me, I hadn’t read anything quite like this at all before and I loved it. I loved how her native roots helped her the most with her connection to the night stars, the northern lights, the wolf, her families stories that she held onto and most important the Caribo who helped protect her and guided her where she need to go. It was so extrordinary to read and as she kept getting worse each day, with no food and severe frost bite, she went on and on until she found safety she didn’t give up, she’s such a strong young woman and so inspiring to read about.

I am not the most drawn into graphic novel style books, but I’m so glad that I read this one the illustrations on every single page really enhanced the story seeing the harrowing journey she went on, seeing the animals, the night time ancestors that helped her with her struggling journey. It was created in such an incredible way and I’m so glad it was done in a graphic novel form now as it helped share the story perfectly.

This was an incredible read and an incredible story, you’ll learn so so much reading this so I highly recommend it. She was such an inspiring and wonderful young woman and now her story is finally told in book form.

[Theediscerning · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book where I can't fault the intentions, even if I don't have to like them. This is concerning a true-life drama of survival, when a young girl and her first team of sled-dogs get separated in a snow storm and have to get by on their own for days, but it's been done to correct what the author (and subject) might see as wrongs. For someone of my culture has written about the events already, but without the right inside knowledge and understanding, apparently. Without going into the whole 'lived experience' argument, which that pretty much boils down to, I certainly agree with the author that she has every right to tell her grandmother's story and correct anything that was iffy – and the first book probably wasn't an engagingly created graphic novel for young readers, either.

But there are still difficulties in this. There's the framing device first, as the girl – more recently an old woman, of course – goes to a school, gets asked to respond to the book but tells her true story her own way. There's the preamble, the traditional kind of fairy folk of the region in a bedtime story, there's a joke about yellow snow… None of this is dreadful, but it does steal us away from the actual heart of this, the girl being stuck out in the wilderness, with a pocket full of food, if that. It's also a touch awkward that the first pages when she is definitely stuck on her own are from the point of view of the males who will eventually be looking for her – we are here for her unique insight, and lose her completely too for a short spell.

This then is this story, for that specific culture, told as that specific culture would want it told, packed full of the lessons that specific culture needs to consider when travelling in storm season across 'the land of little sticks'. But it could have been told in a way that was more friendly for all cultures, mine as well as the subjects' and creators'. That would prove the original telling to be inferior, and to keep all this on record for the greater Canadian history. As it is it feels a touch baggy, a bit too insular, and a bit too reactive against the first book. It might actually have gained by possibly following some of its approach. Three and a half stars.

[Fran · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was meant to be a three day, 80 mile journey to check the traplines. Thirteen year old Ilse Scheweder would lead her own dogsled and travel with her brothers who were experienced trappers and fur traders. Their narrow sleds each contained a compartment called a cariole (for carrying people and supplies). On the way, they passed “a human-made pile of stones…a caribou boundary used to help direct herds of caribou where hunters want them to go.”

The Scheweder family consisted of father, Fred and his five children. Their outpost, at the mouth of the Windy River, was near Manitoba and the Northwest Territories Border. In 1944, Fred Scheweder frequently traded with the Inuit, Chipewyn and the Cree.

A seemingly typical journey went awry when a sudden, fierce winter storm was threatening. They would try to reach home at their Windy River Post. With whiteout conditions, it was impossible to see. Ilse’s sled was attached by rope to that of her brothers so they would all stay together. When the rope snapped, Ilse was all alone. The wind blew in all directions. The north wind could not be used as a compass.

Using Indigenous knowledge and cultural tactics, Ilse would try to navigate her way home.

-Built a snow cave- dig into a drift of hard packed, crusty snow to carve out a space to provide warmth and shelter from the wind.

-Talk to the Cree Spirit (tipiskawi-pisim), caretaker of the Moon. Listen to the wind and hear the voices of the ancestors- Keep going granddaughter.

-Learn from the caribou- ”Caribou had sacrificed themselves to ensure the survival of the tribes”.
Seeing a caribou is a sign you’re on the right path.

In this non-fiction graphic novel, Ilse Scheweder tells her story of surviving for nine days in the barrens in Canada’s Northwest in 1944, as recorded by her granddaughter. There are many important lessons to be learned from this story. “Open your eyes and mind up wide, watch and learn from your elders, from nature and even animals.”

An excellent, beautifully illustrated read to be enjoyed by both children and adults.

Thank you Orca Book Publishers and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Luann · Rating 4 out of 5]

When she was 13 years old, Ilse Schweder was lost and alone for nine days in the Canadian north with no food or supplies. She went with her brothers on a dog sledding trip to check the family’s traplines. Due to a sudden fierce snowstorm, Ilse and her team of dogs were separated from her brothers. With no food to feed her dogs, she eventually released them to find their way home and continued alone.

She walked for nine days using traditional Indigenous knowledge, survival skills learned from her father, and her own instincts and perseverance to survive. She survived an encounter with a wolf, figured out which way was north from a herd of caribou, and found a patch of cranberry shrubs by observing a flock of willow ptarmigan. She built a snow cave for shelter, melted scoops of snow in her hands to create drinking water, and also ate spruce sap.

After nine days of being lost and alone, Ilse was found by a local trapper named Ragnar Jonsson. Jonsson put her on his dogsled and traveled day and night in order to reunite her with her family and to get her to a doctor for her frostbitten feet as soon as possible. It was seven months until Ilse was able to walk again.

Trina Rathgeber reclaimed the true story of her grandmother, Ilse Schweder, in this middle grade graphic novel. Trina conducted an extensive interview with her grandmother, interviewed other family members, and also researched details for the story from archives and books about that area of Canada. Unfortunately, her grandmother passed away before she was able to see the book in its published form.

Preface by the author:
“In 1952 Canadian author Farley Mowat published a booked called People of the Deer. One of the chapters was inspired by my grandmother’s story of survival in the north. She always felt strongly that it was her story to tell, not his. She shared it with my family, and now I’m going to share it with you.”

A quote from the book as Ilse shares her story with a group of students: “What I didn’t know as a girl was all life was preparation. . . All these things that we’ve seen, done, achieved and lived through make us who we are. . . Together they all add up to knowledge, strength and perspective. You might not realize it now, but there’s a lesson inside every moment.”

An interview with the author about her research and the process for writing the book is available here: https://blog.orcabook.com/qa-with-los...

[Jennybeast · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is really wonderful. What a gift to hear this story from the granddaughter of the woman who experienced it. The book itself is sensitively and thoughtfully written -- I appreciate so much that it includes some very hard truths, including the devastating loss of a child at a Residential School and the terrifying question of amputation as a medical necessity -- and it does this with grace and clarity. Enough information for children to be able to start a conversation, but not so much as to be overwhelming. It does a wonderful job of setting up the context of life in the far North, the ways that Ilse survived and how her entire life set her up with the skills to do so, and even the need to reclaim stories that are presented by others without permission. It's also an appealing graphic novel, and a short format, which is such a wonderful way to reduce barriers for young people as they begin to become confident readers. Fantastic.

[Emma Filbrun · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy finding true children’s stories. I don’t normally read graphic novels, but the description of this book sounded so interesting that I gave it a try—and read the entire book in half an hour. I enjoyed seeing how Ilse survived her ordeal, and learning about life in the Canadian wilderness. What I didn’t like so well was the Native American spiritualism that showed up a few times, and the emphasis on how Ilse survived because of what she knew—rather than God protecting her, which is how I would see it. There was a mention at one point of people praying for Ilse and her family, which I was glad to see. Overall, I liked this book; there were just a few things that sort of bothered me about it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley, and these are my honest thoughts about it.

[Amy Pickett · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 1952, Canadian author Farley Mowat published a book called People of the Deer. One of the chapters was inspired by Ilse Schweder’s story of survival in Canada's north country. She always felt strongly that it was her story to tell, not Mowat’s. She shared the story with her family and now her granddaughter, Trina Rathgeber, shares it with readers of her new graphic novel, Lost at Windy River: A True Story of Survival. At only 91 pages, Lost at Windy River is an incredible story of a 13-year old girl’s drive to find her way home after being separated from her family during a whiteout blizzard near Canada’s Manitoba-Northwest Territories border. It’s deeply moving, inspiring, highly accessible to today’s young readers. And Ilse, who passed away in 2018, “would be happy to know that her story has been reclaimed in a way that was true to her experience.”

[Wunderdrugged · Rating 4 out of 5]

This title is nominated for the 2026 Hackmatack Award in the English Non-fiction category. This is essentially a biography of the author's grandmother, told in a graphic novel format. A true story, set in the far Canadian North (modern day Nunavut), about an Indigenous teenager who became separated from her family during a whiteout blizzard and lost in the barrens for nine days. Relying on her traditional knowledge and her spirit guides, Ilse manages to survive and is eventually reunited with her family.
"Lost At Windy River" is a gripping tale full of action & adventure, but isn't too scary because we know from the start that our protagonist will survive. Highly recommended for kids grade five and up.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This inspiring true tale of survival on the Canadian tundra follows Ilse as she and her four brothers head out to check the family's trapline. After stopping at a camp site, the weather takes a turn for the worst. The oldest brother sets out to check the rest of the trapline while Freddy, Ilse, and the twins set off for home. Along the way, Ilse, on her one sled with four sled dogs in training, gets separated. A blizzard keeps Ilse from making it home and she eventually ends up alone with no food or supplies. This short, and compelling read pulls readers along from the very beginning. The fact that the story is true makes it all the more astonishing as Ilse's courage and traditional knowledge to keep herself going day after day. Told by Ilse's granddaughter shortly after Ilse's death, the story is told with Ilse in a classroom talking to children about her experience. The importance of telling one's own story is a strong theme as well as the importance of traditional knowledge and resilience. Attractively presented in graphic novel format and short enough to be a quick read, the book is likely to be picked up and enjoyed by many a young reader. Recommended.

[Noreen Holt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best for ages 9+ interested in northern wilderness, nature, or Indigenous beliefs. I enjoyed this graphic novel much more than I expected to. Eighty years ago in northern Manitoba while checking a trapline with her brothers, thirteen year old Ilse Schweder got lost in a blizzard. With only a couple of snacks to sustain her, she soon set her dog team free and try to find her way home. While this seems like a story about survival, I found the traditional Cree knowledge that guided her survival to be the highlight of the book. Highly recommended.

[Crystal books_inthewild · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing story of survival and resilience!

A true story, with a lot of great facts & history wound throughout.

I was rooting for Ilse the whole journey!!! And I really enjoyed hearing about it survival strategies, Indigenous culture and traditions, and the animals & natural elements that make up this unforgiving wilderness in Canada.

Absolutely get this for your classrooms, libraries, and adventure/graphic novel loving middle-graders!

[Martha Meyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a thrilling graphic novel sharing the adventure of a young Cree girl separated from her family during a stow storm while out on the ice with sled dogs. She was gone for 9 days and survived! She always felt her story, which was published by a white man previously, was stolen from her. Now her granddaughter tells her story from an indigenous perspective, sharing the knowledge of the land that helped her survive against all odds.

[sparkypink · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the true story of 13-year-old Ilse, who got lost for 9 days in the Canadian barren lands while on a trip with her siblings. She survived using Indigenous knowledge passed down from her family. While it was written for middle grade, all ages can get something out of this graphic novel. Perfect for those who love survival stories like I Survived.

[Wina · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars for this graphic novel for ages 9-12. I loved the artwork a lot, and the story was well-told, with information to learn woven in seamlessly. Really good, exciting, and full of good family love. Short, but full. Great author's note at the end. My only complaint is the typing font used in the narration.

[Niki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lost at Windy River is a middle grade graphic novel that shares the real life adventure of the author's grandmother when she was lost in the Canadian north as a teen. The short book is well paced, packed with factual information, and an incredible tale.

Lost at Windy River: A True Story of Survival is a 2026 MYRCA Sundogs nominee.

[Ellon · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars (I liked it)

I'm not familiar with the book that Isle's story had been in for years but it's nice that her story has been reclaimed in this way, with her granddaughter telling it based on interviews with her. It was an interesting story and it's full of knowledge about Ingenious people's culture and traditions. I did find it to be a bit text heavy at times.

[Mrs.MakesReadingFun · Rating 5 out of 5]

100% RECOMMEND!!!
We loved this TRUE survival story, learning so much about the Canadian wilderness and Indigenous traditions, and we really enjoyed the family dynamics.

The illustrations are beautiful & engaging, and the story was so powerful.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rather than some white guy telling the story of an Indigenous girl's survival when lost in a blizzard, this is her telling her own story (as told to her granddaughter). If it weren't for her knowledge and skills gained from her indigenous mother and trapper father, she wouldn't have survived.

[SLQB]

Survival story told by the actual survivor--the author's grandmother. The story was appropriated by Farley Mowat, for his People of the Deer. He was not accurate, and it wasn't his story. However, a graphic novel, so I am not inclined to use it.

[Luvelymn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great graphic novel, my first!

[Elisabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up!!