Book excerpt: "I want to get married, go out west, build a log cabin, raise a bunch of kids, volunteer in my community, and then write a book about it." In 1978, during a golden age of middle-class prosperity, newly wed Kevin and Eleanor, like other young people at the time, felt the irresistible pull of the Back-to-the-Land movement and left behind everything they knew and loved to live far from the city and off the grid. As they searched western Canada for a place to settle, abandoned homesteads warned that their dream would be hard won. 10 Days in December journals Kevin and Eleanor's adventures living for the first ten days in their wilderness cabin facing the demands of winter, where harsh reality and self-denial test their love and commitment. Along the way practical Kevin and idealistic Eleanor will learn if they have what it takes to live in the mountains and with each other. Eleanor shares her true 'coming-of-age' story exploring what resources from her sheltered childhood could help her endure the isolation, cold and darkness of this northern river valley.