Forest Legend by Dan Ellens
- Mission Point Press
- a few seconds ago
- 3 min read
The Tale of Ol' Split Toe
The Fragility of a Michigan Forest Is Explored by a Time-Traveling Deer in YA Fiction Debut from Michigan Author
Traverse City, MI—With a rich, sprawling life that’s taken him to Africa, India, China, South America, and more, to the present day, where he spends nearly half of each year off-grid in an isolated treehouse, sans modern conveniences, Dan Ellens is passionate about connecting people with nature, which he’s done by publishing four nonfiction titles. Now, in Forest Legend: The Tale of Ol’ Split Toe, Mission Point Press, (March 31, 2026), Ellens has crafted a fictional account of a deer, Split Toe, chosen at birth for a unique education, traveling through time to understand the interconnected workings of a Michigan forest.
In Forest Legend, Mother Nature struggles to maintain equilibrium in a changing world while fire, disease, logging, human displacement, and war repeatedly destroy forests of centuries-old trees. Split Toe travels through time to understand the interconnected workings of a Michigan forest and meets Ice Age hunters who trap and kill a mastodon; Mukwoh, a young Ojibwe hunter who stalks Split Toe through swamp and forest; loggers clear-cutting Michigan’s white pines; Edra, a woman advocating for the trees; Angus and Grace, pioneers who become a first generation of family farmers; and scientists from the future studying the impact of nuclear radiation.
A Tale for the Ages, for All Ages
Split Toe witnesses two hundred years of conflict that builds between modern humans and Mother Nature, who repeatedly reaches for balance. He wonders whether human ways will ultimately overpower Mother Nature, until he meets a boy who changes everything.
“I decided to write a book about the whole life of the forest, from its Ice Age soil beginnings into the future, a story that my grandchildren might read to understand my thinking, a story from nature’s point of view,” Ellens shared. While thinking of future generations, Ellens tapped his heritage to influence his writing. “I have Michigan pioneering history on my father’s side and both Indigenous and western (New Mexico) pioneer heritage on my mother’s side. Plus, my knowledge of woodcraft, off-grid survival, deer, wildlife, and human behavior made it possible to write a work of fiction that felt liberating, an adventure story with an environmental message.”
Published as a YA title, Ellens tested Forest Legend with readers from 13 to 88 years old who responded that they were gripped by the tale, instilling confidence in his decision to write about the complexities of forests for people who don’t typically read non-fiction.
Advance Praise
Advance praise for Forest Legend: The Tale of Ol’ Split Toe from William Gibson, author of Neuromancer and The New York Times bestseller Agency:
“A powerful, lyrical meditation on wilderness, myth, and memory. Ellens has created a tale that feels ancient and urgent at the same time.”
The Author
Dan Ellens is an outdoor enthusiast who is passionate about connecting people with nature. He spends nearly half of each year in an isolated, electricity-free treehouse on Winterfield Pines Nature Sanctuary with woodstove heat, handpump water, and oil lamp lighting. Ellens has written four nonfiction books intended to inspire adventure, promote self-sufficient lifestyles, and connect people with nature. While not in the wilds, Ellens and his wife live in the small community of Salem, Michigan.
The Book
Forest Legend: The Tale of Ol’ Split Toe
Dan Ellens
320 pages, 5.5” x 8.5”, B/W
YOUNG ADULT FICTION Science & Nature/Environment Science Fiction/Time Travel Literature & Fiction/Action & Adventure
ISBN: 978-1-968761-07-3, $24.95 (Hardcover)
ISBN: 978-1-968761-08-0, $19.95 (Softcover)
Mission Point Press, March 31, 2026
Copies are available for preorder at Bookshop.org, Amazon, and other online retailers. On its March 31, 2026, publication date, it will be available for purchase wherever books are sold. For information or to arrange for signings and events, contact the author at danellensauthor@gmail.com or visit danellens.com.