Falls Church resident and News-Press columnist Gretchen Powell released her first novel this month, Terra: Terrestrials.

The novel follows the adventures of Terra Rhodon, a teen living in a dystopian future where the planet’s natural resources have been depleted. Her role as a scavenger leads to a discovery that shocks her home settlement, and her questions about what she found brings her to Adam. Adam has secrets, and with him, Terra embarks on a journey that leads her to an earth-shattering revelation.

Powell writes the monthly “Fit in Falls Church” column in the News-Press. She has documented the process of writing the book on a blog located at gretchenpowell.com.