Bound by a promise. Trapped by a choice. Torn between duty and self-preservation.

Dessa Sinich, a search-and-rescue volunteer in the Pacific Northwest, has spent years honoring a vow to her late twin—helping his widow raise their son. But that promise has come at a cost. Bound to a family that isn’t truly hers and entangled with her sister-in-law-turned-fiancée, Dessa longs to break free. Freedom means crossing borders—both literal and emotional—and nothing worthwhile comes without risk.

Dessa’s Crossing is a story of duty, desire, and the struggle between obligation and self-preservation.

The novel is accompanied by seven interconnected short stories that illuminate Dessa’s world, giving voice to supporting characters whose journeys echo her own.

Atanas Radenski, based in Orange, California, writes fiction inspired by unusual yet real-life events, people, and places. Dessa’s Crossing draws on his daughter’s experience in mountain search and rescue in the Pacific Northwest.

💙 A tribute to the real-world heroes who risk everything—net proceeds from this book are donated annually to U.S. volunteer search and rescue organizations.