Survival tale ‘The Wall’ pits a woman against strange forces

Wilderness survival stories offer narratives of process. How do the protagonists make it off the boat, plane, or spaceship alive? How do they find shelter? Food? Companionship? How do they get home – or create it anew? The answers hinge on ingenuity, daring, and resourcefulness.

Some of the best of these books – "Island of the Blue Dolphins,” “My Side of the Mountain” – get shelved in the children’s section, a disservice to adult readers who may have missed them. This summer’s crop of novels includes a survival story for grown-ups that’s as pulse-thumping as it is thought-provoking.

And it’s 60 years old.