Saturday, December 21, 2024

A Wolf Called Wander, by Rosanne Parry

Living in his pack, Swift dreams of one day gaining dominance over his littermates.  Leaving the pack never enters his mind -- it is his only world.  In these mountains, he is at home  Mother, father, and a good supply of elk to dine on is all he can imagine needing.  But when a rival pack attacks and annihilates his family and takes their land and hunting grounds, Swift is forced to flee.  Traveling in search of a new home, he must feed and defend himself against wolves and other predators.  And while he survives, it is a very lonely journey.

Inspired by the story of OR-7, a wolf that was tracked taking a 1000 mile epic journey across the Pacific Northwest to find a new home, this novel is told in first person as an attempt to understand how wolves think.  And while that idea may be a fantasy, Parry fills the narrative with plenty of observed actual behavior to make the story plausible.  Stuffed full of descriptions of pack hierarchy, hunting techniques and preferences, and even a tender courtship that a Klingon might appreciate, the story educates as it entertains. Gorgeous realistic art fills almost every page, guiding the reader through a perilous and alien landscape.

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