The Road

The characters in my book are most definitely being tested. The protagonists are a father and son and they are trying to make their way to the coast of the United States after an apocalyptic event had occurred. It hasn't exactly become clear yet what they are searching for but all the reader knows is that the father finds it extremely important to get to the coast because he feels they will be safer there.
The Road fits in perfectly with the second half of the quote:

"The dream can also be one that involves hardship, slogging through a forest, paddling down a river, confronting suspicious people, living in a hostile place, testing your adaptability, hoping for some sort of revelation"

The father and son are constantly travelling through hostile territory and confronting suspicious people. Around every corner is danger and they are no doubt going through a series of tests every day. Hostile territory and suspicious people aside they have to constantly be searching for clean food and water and ammunition just in order to stay alive.