Island of the Blue Dolphins. Part of what fascinated me about this book was that it was based on an account of a woman in the 19th century who got left on islands off the coast of California. So close by!

Left alone on the island to fend for herself, she battled with the idea that in her tribe it was forbidden and meant certain death for a woman to do the man’s job of making tools and weapons. She overcame these fears out of necessity and found herself able to do man’s jobs just fine to keep herself alive, fed and safe.