Lucy Jane Bledsoe

Biting the Apple, a novel
Eve Glass, once an Olympic sprinter and now a motivational speaker, has achieved national celebrity. She's the author of two books, Going the Distance: Endurance for Achievers and If Grace is the Goal. Unfortunately, however, Eve's own endurance is waning and her confidence in her expertise on grace is paling. Worse, a former classmate has begun stalking her and threatens to go public with news of Eve's troubled past. Having been a product of other people's dreams her entire life, Eve is now a woman in search of authenticity. Biting the Apple examines our dearest held postmodern ideas about the existence of a true self and humanity as product.

The Ice Cave: A Woman's Adventures from the Mojave to the Antarctic
In The Ice Cave, Bledsoe recounts her wilderness journeys as she recovers her connection with the wild and discovers an unexpected relationship between fear and grace. These are Bledsoe's gripping tales of fending off wolves in Alaska and searching for mountain lions in Berkeley. Her memorable story "The Breath of Seals" takes readers to Antarctica, the wildest continent on earth, where she camped out with geologists, biologists, and astrophysicists.

Fresh and deeply personal, The Ice Cave reminds us what it means to be simply one member of one species, trying to find food and shelter -- and moments of grace -- on our planet.

This Wild Silence
"I like to tell Liz that I'm her dark side," says Christine, narrator of the novel. And it's true -- she and her sister, Liz, are indeed opposites. Christine, a doctor in San Francisco's Tenderloin district, is buried in her work and cannot connect meaningfully with any of the women with whom she falls in love. Liz, married to her high school sweetheart, Mark, has an outwardly perfect life, but her fierce control is beginning to falter. The sisters share a secret, one that has bound them tightly to each other for decades. Timothy, their little brother, disappeared 30 years ago, and the sisters' guilt over this event continues to haunt them both. This lifetime of deception is gradually and heartbreakingly revealed, and finally, secrets are exposed and lives give way to the kind of healing truth that provides a possibility for hope.

"A powerful, moving novel, skillfully rendered and beautifully written." -- Scott Mahood, Powell's Books


"This novel is steeped in bleak memories, stressed lives, and fragile emotions -- but its acidic ashes are eased by Bledsoe's brilliant range. She writes, with utmost believability, from deep inside a range of characters... THIS WILD SILENCE -- a wonderfully apt title -- brims with a wealth of wholly engaging, ultimately joyous, and richly diverse people whose lives, heartbreaking and humorous, resonate with humanity." -- Richard Labonte, "Book Marks," Q Syndicate

Working Parts
Lori Taylor is a top-notch bicycle mechanic and a smart woman with well-oiled charisma. And, she can't read. Her best friend Mickey is long on literacy but comes up short in matters of love. The two friends enter into a pact that leads to dangerous emotional territory. But as they negotiate the rough ride of personal growth, the mutual dream that drives them begins to unravel.... WORKING PARTS is a novel that taps the essence of friendship and the potential unleashed when we face our most intense fears.

"...to witness this wonderfully original character find renewal in a previously alien landscape makes for a liberating and joyous excursion in reading."
-- Pat Holt, San Francisco Chronicle

Sweat: Stories and a Novella
"It's a slam dunk...she shoots, she scores...it's a home run...actually, the sports cliches aren't nearly enough praise for Bledsoe's elegant writing about women hard at play and ready to love. Nor do they do justice to the grace, humor and universality of her stories, smooth and absorbing tales about living, learning and growing up." -- Richard Labonte

"In an outstanding novella and...rich and satisfying stories, Bledsoe shows herself to be a smart and savvy writer.... In this tender work, Bledsoe perfectly evokes the healing power of the outdoors." --Publishers Weekly

"[Bledsoe] can make you taste the particular air at the top of a mountain pass in summer." -- Alan Cheuse, NPR's All Things Considered

How to Survive in Antarctica
Zip up your jacket! Grab your binoculars! How to Survive in Antarctica is a cross between a survival guide and a travel guide for kids, giving lots of hands-on information about spending time on the ice continent. This book will tell you how to build a snow shelter, what to do if you fall in a crevasse, as well as how to identify whale spouts and penguin species.

Bledsoe includes lots of first hand stories about her own adventures, as well as short nuggets about the lives of people and other animals who live and work in Antarctica. Lots of photos!

"Thrilling adventure, bringing close the amazing science and geography as well as the gritty facts of human survival in the frigid environment...a fascinating journey to a little known and understood place." -- Booklist

"Bledsoe's enthusiasm for the wonders of Antarctica is absolutely contagious." -- VOYA

"Endlessly engaging." -- East Bay Express

The Antarctic Scoop
Twelve-year-old Victoria Von Woolf sometimes feels as if she belongs on another planet -- or at least another continent. So when an opportunity comes up for her to travel to Antarctica as the child star of WILD X-PLORER'S next on-line video, she can't wait. It's been her dream to become a scientist and study at the South Pole, and this is a great first step. But Victoria soon realizes that the intentions of the journey's sponsors aren't quite as clear as the polar sky. Can she find a way to rescue a murky mission and an endangered wilderness?

"Science-minded youngters will like this, but even those who aren't so inclined will enjoy the story of a shy girl who finds life outside of her own imagination."
-- Booklist

"Children will enjoy the empowerment and resourcefulness of the protagonist and her friend." -- School Library Journal

Hoop Girlz
More than anything, eleven-year-old River wants to grow up and play for the WNBA. So she's crushed when she finds her name on the B-Team instead of the A-Team. But River decides to take matters into her own hands. And the very first thing she does is change the embarrassing name of her team to "Hoop Girlz." Their goal: fun. With only five players -- one, a fourth grader -- River's brother for a coach, and a wet outdoor court for practicing, the Hoop Girlz know they're a long shot for the tournament trophy. But they've got heart. Will this ragtag group of second-string players be able to take on the A-Team? Or will they find out that Hoop Girlz are only a B-Team, after all?

"Bledsoe cleverly avoids most of the cliches, not only by injecting lots of against-the-grain subplots, including River's hopelessly uncool parents, artists and latter-day hippies who don't believe in competition and eat bee pollen. The basketball scenes are well constructed and realistic, the humor is fresh, and the characters are believeable. Good fun for hoop girls and boys alike." -- Booklist

Cougar Canyon
This summer thirteen-year-old Isabel Ramirez, Izzie for short, has plans -- big plans. No more hanging out at the mall; no more lounging at the pool. She's launching her own lawn care business -- MEW. Her first job takes her up to a wealthy neighborhood in the Oakland Hills. At first it's just for fun; she's making money and she meets two guys, Charles and Sam. But soon Sam starts making fun of Izzie -- her Mexican background, her name, even her family. Then he makes her more upset, by threatening to hunt a cougar that's been spotted in nearby canyons. Izzie knows she can defend herself against Sam, but she's not so sure about the cougar. Should Izzie try to save this wild creature? Or will protecting the wildcat put her own life on the line?

"This well-written novel will appeal to a wide range of students who will enjoy the elements of adventure and mystery...." -- VOYA

"Bledsoe creates a winning protagonist in Izzie, whose keen observations, occasionally awkward outspokenness, and independence will appeal to readers, and whose extended family is a real treat." -- Kirkus Reviews

Tracks in the Snow
When Amy doesn't show up to baby-sit, Erin knows that something must be terribly wrong. But who will believe her? Not her parents, not even the police. They all tell Erin the same thing -- Amy is irresponsible -- so Erin decides to take things into her own hands. She persuades Tiffany, her new science partner, to do a project on animal tracks, figuring the project will give her an excuse to search for Amy. While the two girls are in the woods, a sudden spring blizzard strikes. Erin and Tiffany are now snowbound, with only one thought -- survival.

"The simplicity and intensity of this adventure will satisfy many children, particularly those who like Gary Paulsen's HATCHET." -- School Library Journal

"The two girls prove their resourcefulness...in this well-written...adventure story." -- The Horn Book