The acclaimed #1 New York Times bestseller from Stephen King. A uniquely frightening thriller about a young girl lost in the woods as night falls, with only the voice of her beloved Red Sox relief pitcher to sustain her and help her survive—maybe. During a six-mile hike on the Maine–New Hampshire branch of the Appalachian Trail, nine-year-old Trisha McFarland escapes the tension between her older brother and recently divorced mother. But when she strays off the path, she descends into a terrifying nightmare. Alone in the deep forest, Trisha must face the raw power of nature, with only her imagination, courage, and wits. Drawing strength from her Walkman, Trisha finds comfort in Red Sox broadcasts and the imagined companionship of her idol, relief pitcher Tom Gordon. As the signal fades, she conjures visions of Gordon guiding her, even as she senses a darker presence nearby. "Entertainment Weekly" Plenty of thrills...[King's] an elegant writer and a master of pacing. "New York Daily News" A fast, scary read...King blasts a homer...[He] expertly stirs the major ingredients of the American psyche -- our spirituality, fierce love of children, passion for baseball, and collective fear of the bad thing we know lurks on the periphery of life. "People" An absorbing tale..."Tom Gordon" scores big. "San Francisco Examiner" A gem....Superb. "St. Louis Post-Dispatch" King paints a masterful, terrifying picture of every child's (and maybe adult's) worst fear...King uses that creepy-crawly paranoia to perfection. "The New York Times" Frightening....Feverish terror. "The Wall Street Journal" Impressive...A wonderful story of courage, faith, and hope. It is eminently engaging and difficult to put down. "USA Today" A delightful read, a literary walk in the woods, and not just for baseball fans. "Entertainment Weekly"Plenty of thrills...[King's] an elegant writer and a master of pacing. "New York Daily News"A fast, scary read...King blasts a homer...[He] expertly stirs the major ingredients of the American psyche -- our spirituality, fierce love of children, passion for baseball, and collective fear of the bad thing we know lurks on the periphery of life. "People"An absorbing tale..."Tom Gordon" scores big. "San Francisco Examiner"A gem....Superb. "St. Louis Post-Dispatch"King paints a masterful, terrifying picture of every child's (and maybe adult's) worst fear...King uses that creepy-crawly paranoia to perfection. "The New York Times"Frightening....Feverish terror. "The Wall Street Journal"Impressive...A wonderful story of courage, faith, and hope. It is eminently engaging and difficult to put down. "USA Today"A delightful read, a literary walk in the woods, and not just for baseball fans. "Entertainment Weekly" Plenty of thrills...[King's] an elegant writer and a master of pacing. "New York Daily News" A fast, scary read...King blasts a homer...[He] expertly stirs the major ingredients of the American psyche -- our spirituality, fierce love of children, passion for baseball, and collective fear of the bad thing we know lurks on the periphery of life. "People" An absorbing tale..."Tom Gordon" scores big. "San Francisco Examiner" A gem....Superb. "St. Louis Post-Dispatch" King paints a masterful, terrifying picture of every child's (and maybe adult's) worst fear...King uses that creepy-crawly paranoia to perfection. "The New York Times" Frightening....Feverish terror. "USA Today" A delightful read, a literary walk in the woods, and not just for baseball fans. "The Wall Street Journal" Impressive...A wonderful story of courage, faith, and hope. It is eminently engaging and difficult to put down. On a six-mile hike on the Maine-New Hampshire branch of the Appalachian Trail, nine-year-old Trisha McFarland quickly tires of the constant bickering between her older brother, Pete, and her recently divorced mother. But when she wanders off by herself, and then tries to catch up by attempting a shortcut, she becomes lost in a wilderness maze full of peril and terror. As night falls, Trisha has only her ingenuity as a defense against the elements, and only her courage and faith to withstand her mounting fears. For solace she tunes her Walkman to broadcasts of Boston Red Sox baseball games and follows the gritty performances of her hero, relief pitcher Tom Gordon. And when her radio's reception begins to fade, Trisha imagines that Tom Gordon is with her -- protecting her from an all-too-real enemy who has left a trail of slaughtered animals and mangled trees in the dense, dark woods.... Stephen King is the author of more than sixty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. His recent work includes Never Flinch , the short story collection You Like It Darker ( a New York Times Book Review top ten horror book of 2024), Holly (a New York Times Notable Book of 2023), Fairy Tale , Billy Summers , If It Bleeds , The Institute , Elevation , The Outsider , Sleeping Beauties (cowritten wi