Seeds of Hope

by Debbie Tremel

“Realistic fiction with great insight.” Author Tom Brown Jr.

Hope can lie dormant in the tiniest of seeds. . .

In the blink of an eye, Daniel’s world spirals out of control. He watches helplessly as the bodies of his father and friends are buried in stone. Those he loved would never know the breath of life again. In this overwhelming loss, he despairs. Was this the end of hope? The rest of his family and the others in their small alliance had already fled the destruction of society, headed for the northern wilderness. Can he possibly reach them on his own?

Salvation can be found in the most unlikely place . . .

If he does, will the wilderness be the sanctuary of which they dream? Are their skills good enough to survive in the wilds on their own? Will it be possible to survive the evils that emanate from the decaying world they left behind? And if they do, is it truly possible for something beautiful to grow from the damaged seeds of society?

The heart is the doorway to any dream...

Their journey is one filled with beauty and peril. Their dream; to create a better world, one in which future generations will live with peace, love and kindness. of society?

Genres: Fiction

340 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 28, 2018

About the author

Debbie grew up loving nature and the outdoors. Her favorite childhood book was My Side of the Mountain, and she always dreamed of running away to the woods.

During her career at the YMCA, she started learning primitive skills at Tom Brown Jr.'s Tracker School and totally fell in love with the skills. After 20 years at the Y, she moved to NJ to work for Tom Brown Jr. administering his non-profit, Children of the Earth Foundation and ran his school office for a time.

Debbie left NJ to actually live primitively and to teach others. She founded a non-profit, Ways of the Earth Living Museum and lived for a year and a half in a shelter she built. Sadly the organization closed, but new land has been purchased and construction of the village will begin in 2021. In the mean time Debbie was living off-grid in a yurt where some of her book was written by hand. To learn more about the skills used in the book visit, www.seedsofhope.live.

Reviews

[Grady · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘We are all brothers and sisters and we all embrace a loving, peaceful future.’

Oregon author Debbie Tremel has been studying primitive skills for over twenty years and has spent the last four years living in anything from a tipi to a primitive shelter she built. She currently lives off-grid in a yurt (a portable, round tent covered with skins) in Oregon.
SEEDS OF HOPE is her debut novel. She adds some interesting words in her author’s notes – ‘Although this is a fictional story, all of the primitive physical skills are real, as are the spiritual and caretaking skills. The prophecies are real as well. *The sweat lodge ceremony was created for the book, although it could be a very viable ceremony. It was not taken from any culture and any similarities to existing ceremonies is unintentional.’

The art of writing dystopian novels requires a keen sense of possibilities, the origin of which can either be too bizarre to be follow or opening thoughts so credible that they truly terrify and feed our fascination. Debbie lives in the nature world and from her vantage she has the vista of how our global civilization is teetering and offers a distant ray of hope for change.

Debbie’s writing is terse, passionate, and involving as she opens her book – ‘Daniel sat shivering and wiped icy mist and warm tears from his cheeks, leaving smears of muddy dust. The tears leaked of their own accord; he was thinking of nothing. He roused only slightly when the wind shifted and blew the stench of his own vomit in his face. He spit, trying to clear the taste from his mouth and chanced another glance back over at his father's mangled body. His gaze rose to see the other bodies scattered across the rock slide. “How could this have happened?” he whispered, almost moaning, but there was no one to hear. They were walking the precipitous game trail and in an instant everyone in front of Daniel had disappeared as the side of the mountain collapsed and became a horrifying display of bounding rocks. The air filled with plumes of dust and a thunderous rumble so intense he could feel the violence of the slide not just through his feet, but through the vibration of the air around him. In less than a minute it had stopped, leaving Daniel standing on solid ground just a few feet away from the hellish devastation, a few stray stones echoing their search for a final resting place. Daniel had descended carelessly through the unstable rocks and roiling dust, frantically looking for his father and friends. The tears had started when he found the arm of his best friend sticking up through the jumbled rocks. Daniel savagely dug through the stones only to find Aaron's body hopelessly broken, his eyes unseeing through the dirt that filled them. Daniel's despair escalated as he tore himself away, holding on to hope that he could still help Michael and his father. A short way down he saw Michael's leg and rushed over to remove the heavy rocks to get down to him. As he removed a stone he was mortified to see that the leg was no longer attached to Michael's body. The sight was so surreal and horrifying Daniel felt his mind going numb and he just stood there. He felt lost, detached, staring down at that leg, unable to move. His shock finally broke when he remembered, Dad! The panic returned, and he turned and stumbled searching farther down the mountainside. As Daniel neared the bottom he was jolted by hope as he saw his father's head above the rocks. He rushed forward tripping and coming down heavily on his knees. He staggered the final feet but as his father came into view all hope was crushed as he took in the bones, blood and unspeakable gore that had become his father's body. That's when he vomited and crashed to the rocks.’

From these building blocks Debbie fashions options for her well-sculpted characters – ‘Hope can lie dormant in the tiniest of seeds. . .In the blink of an eye, Daniel’s world spirals out of control. He watches helplessly as the bodies of his father and friends are buried in stone. Those he loved would never know the breath of life again. In this overwhelming loss, he despairs. Was this the end of hope? The rest of his family and the others in their small alliance had already fled the destruction of society, headed for the northern wilderness. Can he possibly reach them on his own? Salvation can be found in the most unlikely place . . .If he does, will the wilderness be the sanctuary of which they dream? Are their skills good enough to survive in the wilds on their own? Will it be possible to survive the evils that emanate from the decaying world they left behind? And if they do, is it truly possible for something beautiful to grow from the damaged seeds of society? The heart is the doorway to any dream...Their journey is one filled with beauty and peril. Their dream; to create a better world, one in which future generations will live with peace, love and kindness.’

The destiny of this fine novel could be a change in mindset for the world as we observe the heinous climate change and terrorism and senseless mass killings - that is how fine this book truly is. Highly recommended for a very large audience

[Asher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seeds of Hope by Debbie Tremel is a dystopian eco-fiction novel that follows a group of Visionaries who return to the embrace of the wilderness after humanity has destroyed it. Looting and arson and violence are being purported in the cities by a newly anarchist “civilization” and even the military. There is no order, there is no food, there is nothing human about what's left.

“Humanity had recklessly borrowed from the Earth, never giving thought that the loan could be called in. And now the payment was due.”

The book begins with the protagonist Daniel, who is forced to bury the group he's traveling with after a cataclysmic landslide spurned by an earthquake wipes all but him out. He must travel hundreds of miles to get to the Earth lodge and the rest of his family. Reuniting is just the beginning, as the group must establish their own new world order, preserving the best of what they know and doing all they can to ensure both their survival and the survival of what's left of the planet.

Seeds of Hope is a unique book that approaches a post-apocalyptic world with a collaboration of people who are not bent on pushing forward to restore what was, but one that stops in order to simply preserve what is left. This is, first and foremost, a poignant piece of eco-fiction, thwarting the survivalist skills of preppers and instead promoting the spiritual connection to Earth as people who are a part of it—not in control of it. This does not mean that Daniel and the rest of the group are passive to those who attempt to overtake them. On the contrary, they are willing to defend themselves to whatever extent necessary (and it certainly becomes necessary) as they work to rebuild a world that honors the planet, and the basic values humans have lost as time went on. I loved this book for its story and for its message, and I found it to be equally sad and inspiring, and altogether timely and relevant. Highly recommended.

Review written for Readers' Favorite.

[Sanjin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some novels are plot-driven, some are character-driven, but this one, I would say, is emotion-driven. Maybe that does not make any sense now, but once you read this book, you will know what I mean. The writing puts emotions in the front, the author tried to convey feeling of sadness, loss, despair, but also persistence and hope. In my opinion, she succeeded very well. Main character Daniel suffered a great deal and we see that right in the beginning. From there, we follow along in the journey to hope, and it feels just like that when you are reading this novel, like you are just a traveler and everything happens regardless of you. It is a feeling not many authors can pull of in their work, but it is present here, whether she intended it or not. I loved it, very tough and emotional read at times, but very rewarding and memorable.

[S · Rating 2 out of 5]

I won this book via Goodreads giveaway
DNF at chapter 26 p148
I seem to be a lone dissenter here in the ratings.
This is a story about a post-societal collapse scenario where a few prepper families have gone off into the wilderness to continue life outside of general society.
If you want a play by play of wilderness survival skills, you’ll find it well-detailed here. I found it incredibly boring and slow. The writing was ok, but was a lot of telling, and a lot of minutiae.
The emotion felt forced and wooden throughout the parts I did read. It seemed pretty hypocritical to honor trees and animals for sacrifice and talk about how all of nature is “Us” but the second they run across people 18 months into it they just immediately kill them all because demonizing other people suits the plot, I guess? Only people who reject society and run away from it are good people and anyone who tries to cling to modernization or society at large is bad and will get more evil by the minute, apparently. But it’s ok to run away from someone being raped if you’re outnumbered. Too much generalization to feel realistic.
This just didn’t interest me but someone who likes to read about the application of survival skills might like it.

[Nancy Tenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nicely written

I would hope more people read this book and understand it true meaning. We have not listened to Mother Earth in a long time. Many people do not even understand how. Maybe be reading this it will inspire in you heart the right thing to do. May our children survive and have a future.

[Thomas Zman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous work! The opening pages are an attention grabber. Living in the wilderness, off the grid, fearing for your code and the lives of others is spelled out in Such detail in this book it should be mandatory reading for high school students. The descriptions and reasoning s behind each and every scene was awesome. The author here is obviously well trained in survival skills. She too is well versed in humanitarian as well as literary skills. Debbie Tremel has written an epic adventure that has the distinct possibility of coming to be in the very near future. This book unfortunately covers it as it more than likely will happen. Phenomenal!

[Karyn H · Rating 5 out of 5]

“What if the others didn’t make it? ... –Sad lines, a very touching story
This story opens on a sad note, death. It draws us back to the sad horrors of every day. Daniel was unfortunate to lose all three of his family members at one. Nothing could be more horrible. Having to deal with the pain and sorrow was such a burden. Even though it wasn’t Daniel’s fault that this disaster happened, he kept blaming himself. This is the normal human feeling we get each time we feel we have failed in our responsibilities. I get this feeling all the time myself.
It all happens in a flash, you have your loved ones and suddenly you lose all at once in a day. It a really sad thing to imagine yet it happens all the time. The author Debbie Tremel did not bite words in this book while describing the horror scene Daniel met of his late family members and mostly that of his father.
It also describes the strength we can draw as human beings from the slightest vision of hope. But then the question still remains how possible is this when we have a society that is brutally shattered.
This is an interesting book. There is a lot to learn from this book.

[Ladory · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a haunting book. It's like nothing I have read before. The author is clearly well-versed in survivalist tactics for living in the mountains. The skills she writes about ring true. The writing is good. I did not get emotionally involved, though, so that's why I give it 4 stars instead of 5.

People are warned about the coming demise of human civilization by the group in this story, but they do not heed the warnings. So the group goes to live in hidden valleys in the mountains. They build their shelters, make their own clothes and bedding from hides, grow seeds for food, make tools and weapons. They train as scouts to be on the lookout for dangers from society. It's prophesied and believed that there will be a collapse of human systems and therefore, marauding groups will come looking to eat others for food. This is what actually happens in the last 1/3 of the story. It gets quite tense.

There are many spiritual ideas and principles intertwined in the story, with which I agree. These people are working to create a society of peace and love where all are as one. They want to do away with the "us versus them" mentality.

The book is haunting because I do believe we're heading off a cliff. It might just be wise to learn survivalist skills for those of us wanting to create a peaceful society.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Come along the arduous journey north towards Canada with Daniel after he has just lost his father and his friends. The America as we know it is gone, almost extinguished by a deadly madness that swept throughout the land. It seems that there is only one escape and that is to travel north and seek refuge in the wilderness of Canada. That journey is hindered though, by soldiers from the remnants of the American government that seek to stop Americans from crossing over. Will Daniel be able to meet up with the rest of his family? And if he is able to, will they truly be as safe as they hope?
The apocalyptic theme has been used throughout countless novels, but author Debbie Tremel brings something new to the genre: A quality of humanity in all the different characters that makes it hard to dismiss them as just another tired stereotypical character. I found the story to be emotional and sad but the sheer stubbornness of Daniel in holding on to his hope that he would find his family, and everything would turn out ok, kept it from becoming too melancholy.

[Mary Tapscott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seeds of Hope is a compelling dystopian novel that imagines a world where the remnants of humanity must return to the wilderness after the collapse of modern society. What makes this story especially powerful is not just the struggle for survival, but the deep emotional core at its center. The group’s journey is fraught with challenges—harsh landscapes, dwindling resources, and the weight of rebuilding in the shadow of a broken world.

Yet, what sets this novel apart is its unwavering message of unity and resilience. Even in a fractured world, the characters cling to hope, love, and community. Their determination to build a safer, kinder world for their children and grandchildren feels both timely and timeless. The book leans into a beautiful theme: we are all one—there is no longer an “us vs. them.”

With vivid descriptions, meaningful relationships, and an inspiring vision of rebirth, Seeds of Hope delivers a story that is as heart-wrenching as it is uplifting. It reminds us that even in the direst circumstances, it’s possible to plant the seeds of something better.

[Julius Blitzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very often books like this one only relies on showing how people get used to the aftermath of a catastrophic event, depicting how life works now for everyone and not even bothering in showing what hope or change could anyone expects from the future, but not this one.
The horror of the past generations and everything they faced and overcome can easily overshadow every kind of ordeal the newer generation may face, this world is fading and the journey to embark finding a new hope somewhere else may not be worth the risk, but what else can Daniel and his friends do?
This book is filled with emotions, from the raw sentiments of hopelessness to a more bright and hopeful tomorrow, really I cannot express how masterfully crafted this book is, and the title really nails it, it describes perfectly the whole story, usually the title is very vague and uninteresting, but this time is something else, something you definitely want to experience for yourself.

[Rachel Kester · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author Debbie Tremel takes the reader on an incredible journey with her novel Seeds of Hope. It tells the story of Daniel and his friends. Daniel has gone through many tragic things in his life which have caused him to become very hopeless about things. However, along with some friends, Daniel must survive in the wilderness and go through many challenges in order to reach a sanctuary where they all can work together to create a more peaceful world for the future.
This novel is truly a beautiful story that shows the power of friendship and peace. It runs at about 333 pages so you might need to spend some time reading it, but it’s definitely worth it. Tremel writes with a great style that’s sure to capture your imagination and make you feel as if you’re experiencing the events firsthand. This book is something anyone interested in finding a good story to read should certainly check out.

[Mar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Debbie Tremel, the author, is herself living off-grid and is a master in primitive skills. That’s why, in her debut book, Seeds of Hope, she chooses to discuss living in the wild and the impact that takes in someone’s life.
The book is quite emotional and depicts the journey that the main character takes to get to the wild North but also is an inner journey, as he struggles with feelings of loneliness, grief, and despair. The language used feels personal and close, not feeling at all like this is the author’s first literary attempt. There’s a big attention to details, to how the characters are built and how they interact with each other and how that impacts them. You can’t help but feel a bit of a calling to join this lifestyle, at least for a few weeks. A really nice book, very interesting and compelling.

[Michellej · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Seeds of Hope” is a work of fiction but I believe it articulates very well the world vision of living in peace. This is not an airy fairy novel as it is full of barbaric acts of violence nor is it all kumbayah as it is also full of practicality. It portrays living in harmony with nature and not having diseases and wars. However, it delves into the reality that Earth is being hurt by its inhabitants today– us, the people – by destruction, contamination, wars.
To attain the peace for future generations a number of persons – “preppers” – escape into the wild to live together and create a new future. They face multiple dangers to ensure that their beliefs and vision come true. The writing is simple and allows you to experience the possibility of such a world vision while recognising the massive sacrifices that it will take to achieve it.

[Kate Brackett · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new chance, a new world, and hope of survival are what drives the families and their alliances to leave behind a decaying and destroyed world in search of establishing a new world- one of love and kindness and peace. In order to do so, they must survive using their limited knowledge of basic survival skills - and that s where the story gets interesting. I thought this book was very interesting and captivating. there are scenes that literally had me sitting on the edge of my bed and the ending- to me- was perfect. It made me think what I know of basic survival and I realized that probably very few of us nowadays could survive such as Sophie, Daniel, and their alliances. A gripping tale about using a glimmer of hope to start a new life.

[Valery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seeds of Hope by Debbie Tremel is a touching story that starts off in a very bleak, heartbreaking way. Daniel's father and friends have been buried in a tragic accident. Daniel is forced to travel on his own in an apocalyptic world where few crops remain and few provisions are forthcoming. The premise of the novel is such that Daniel and his friends endeavor to create a better world, one where everyone gets along, there is no war, and there is peace. This is a thrilling adventure in a dystopian future, that may one day become all too real. Tremel writes with a clear voice, creates strong characters and an interesting story. Even if you don't totally agree with the foundation of the story, it is engaging nonetheless and a worthwhile read if only for the survival aspect. Highly recommend.

[Jimmy Jefferson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story of surviving death and the search for life

Daniel is with his father and best friend when a sudden rock slide kills everyone but Daniel. Alone and scared, Daniel must now follow a lonely path to catch up to his remaining family in Canada. Daniel and his missing family must cross the border into Canada without being detected by the soldiers seeking out all Americans. This story is written very well with good description and characters. The story pulls you in and tugs at your heart strings at points while filling you with anxiety at others. A good read that really makes you feel involved in the story. I recommend this one to all of the readers who love a good story with real emotion.

[sharon mason · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good title, a good full story

We start at almost the beginning, but it is not difficult to fill in the blanks. This is a book about the last survival. Our centuries of abusing the earth and each other has caught up with us. Now the only hope is uniting in purpose, learning and practicing primitive survival skills as well as learning how to defend ourselves, our emerging community and especially, our children. Through many steps forward and just as many back, lessons are hard learned and the Vision leads. There is a real Vision outside this book, so this novel is really just a primer. Be prepared for a long moral and heartening journey towards a new approach towards a lasting peace.

[Marita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Debbie Tremel is a long time Tracker School student, and has many wilderness survival friends. This story draws on her deep knowledge of moving back to the land and thriving with 'primitive' survival skills that are healing to the Earth. This wisdom is so necessary in the world today. I urge everyone to read this absorbing, exciting book. After reading the book, Debbie has created a website with resources to help you learn for yourself the skills that her characters must master in order to survive the collapse of civilization. This could be the start of a lifelong journey!

[Carol Kaiser · Rating 5 out of 5]

WORTH READING AGAIN AND AGAIN...AND SHARING

Debbie Tremel has written a book that resonates with hope, and love. It is filled with lessons for all of humankind. The warnings are real...the horrors of our societies already outpace those in
this book...God's WORD tells us His return is imminent. The new earth we will inhabit with HIM will be filled with people who believe in a world of love and peace, kindness and harmony. I read the ebook but I have purchased a Softcover to read again and again...and copies to share tol!!

[Susan Burlew · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting look at a possible future. Earth rebels against humans. A small group of people try to respect nature and each other. What I enjoyed was the information about cooking and other needs. Lots of detail about making clothing and tools and just living. I'm too much of a cynic to believe people could work together and respect each other but anything is possible. A few very disturbing scenes though. Highly recommend!!!

[Connie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Book is very well written. Where I don't totally share the beliefs written in this book, I find it very interesting. It was hard to read in areas, very scary, but held you tight unable to put the book down. This family goes through so much, so the ending was appreciated. It left me wanting to read the next book, but not feeling I had been left hanging.

[Karan Koog · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting and encouraging story

This book has a unique style. I was enchanted from the beginning. The spiritual twist to the end of time s was beautiful and encouraging. It is very close to my view of biblical prophecies , but also allows for all spiritual beings. Well written and captivating characters.

[LeeEllen Belcher (Caw) · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful look into the future

I won this e-book on Goodreads. I haven't read a dystopian in many years, and I'm so happy that I read this one. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I loved learning about all of the characters and their lives. I liked this take on a post-apocalyptic world, and it was refreshing. I'm sad that it ended, but it was such a hopeful novel.

[Jose May · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommended

I stumbled across this book yesterday evening and couldn't put it down.
A great story line all the way through . Characters you could keep up with and remember rather than being bombarded with ones you have to go back and look at again.
A peaceful read.

[Pamela Blackwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

I enjoyed this book very. It shows hope and much inspiration. If this is a future of someday I would love that peace be our vision for everyone. Thank you for writing this book of vision.

[jean pressley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Survival

Excellent story of what our future and the future of the planet could look like. Perhaps there is enough genuine love and a strong will for a better world to come.

[Jaki · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story of survival and hope

This skilled author weaves a story of the end of ‘civilization’ and the creation of new life. Her imagery and figurative language are extremely skilled. The story draws you in and keeps you hooked to the very end.

[barbara conroy]

Not usually a genre I read, but this book was fantastic! not predictable, completely beleivable