- Hardcover: 208 pages
- Publisher: Liveright (September 8, 2014)
- ISBN: 9780871406675
- Source: Publisher
Three children have been abducted by wolves in the small, isolated Alaskan village of Keelut. Medora Stone, the mother of one of the victims, overcome by grief, reaches out to Russell Core, a nature writer with tremendous knowledge of wolves. Core has his own share of burdens, yet he arrives in Keelut in response to Medora’s desperate pleas. It’s not long before Core discovers the darkness that pervades Keelut and Medora Stone.
Vernon Stone, Medora’s husband, returns from fighting in the war to discover his only son dead and his wife missing. Joined by his childhood friend, Cheeon, the two embark upon a bloody and merciless trek through the Alaskan wilderness in search of answers. Core follows, attempting to save Medora from her husband’s dark and deadly vengeance. Instead, he becomes witness to a culture in which family bonds are unbreakable, no matter the consequences, and the intensity of the primal animal within us all.
So…this novel had all sorts of WTF moments, so many that I don’t know where to begin. I was initially transfixed by this novel due to the premise, but quickly learned that not all is as it seems. A richly intense character study set in a dark and desolate land on “the edge of the world,” I was left feeling remorse and sadness so intense that it left me speechless.
While I can comprehend what Giraldi was attempting to do in this novel, my emotional response completely manipulated any ability to see the deeper, underlying message. I was desperate for something hopeful and awe-inspiring. It could be the timing of my read had something to do with this. Normally, I can handle the dark and despondent side of human nature but this novel truly through me for a loop. I’m still suffering the after-effects of this read. It’s shadowed and overtaken my heart, unrelenting in its intensity.
This review probably leaves you wondering if I recommended this title. It’s really hard for me to say. While I certainly wouldn’t encourage you not to read it, I do believe potential readers should time it right. Don’t read it on a dark and rainy day. Read it outside in the sun and hopefully its intesity won’t overcome you.
