“Michèle Israel’s Out of Darkness is an intense story of survival in nature, a family saga, and a poignant story of romantic love. A rich and wonderful read.” —Mark Spencer, author of A Haunted Love Story, Ghost Walking, The Weary Motel, Trespassers, and others. Winner of the Faulkner Award and the Omaha Prize for the Novel. What if you were stranded in a desolate, woodsy swamp, unable to walk, unable to hear, and then become blinded by the darkness of night?

Forty-seven-year-old Joe is perched on a tree-stand, in hopes of bagging his first deer of the season. After hours of waiting, he’s about to descend when disaster strikes—his stand collapses beneath him, landing him twenty feet below. A hideous injury causes bouts of unconsciousness, and with no way of calling for help, he is consumed with regrets of having told no one of his plans that day. As nighttime draws near, with only three bullets for protection, he fears most of dying alone in these woods. To stand any chance of survival, Joe begins to crawl his way out, but barriers get in the way, the cold sets in, he has no water to stay hydrated, and there’s the dangerous wildlife.

OUT OF DARKNESS, A Testament of Love, Endurance, and Survival not only illustrates a catastrophic situation, but also the life-long trials of deaf Joe Barone.