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Liked It3 of 3 members found this review helpful “I enjoyed this first novel set in the late 1800s in a small village in northeastern Canada. A French fur trapper is discovered murdered in his cabin and a potentially valuable artifact that was in his possession is missing. The son of the main narrator has seemingly fled, sending his mother out...” see full review » see other reviews » |
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“Took a while for the author to set in place the plot and characters but when she did it was a compelling story. An adventure/mystery set in the Ontario CA in the late 1800's. A few stories intertwined into the main plot. A trapper is scalped and the suspects range from a local teen to an Indian. Trackers are sent to follow the trail of 2 men. I thought a lot about my Great Grandfather, a trapper and expert dog sledder in CA a couple decades after this. ”
Mr. Dill Pickle wrote this review Wednesday, March 6, 2013. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“I loved this book so much. I loved the setting, the characters, the mystery, the subtle love stories.. All of it. I wish there was a sequel. I want to learn what becomes of all the characters, what's next for them? Oh please, Ms. Penny, write a sequel...”
Teri T wrote this review Thursday, February 21, 2013. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“I read this book as a way to get a bit of Ontario history, and for that the novel succeeded. My reaction is lukewarm, but it could be because I began the story, then set it aside for a week to go on vacation. When I returned I had lost the story's momentum. Still, I think the reason I wasn't wild about it is that there are plot questions left unanswered, and the author seems much more interested in plot development than language or character development. The best parts for me were the descriptions of landscape, of cold and wilderness.”
sthurner wrote this review Monday, February 18, 2013. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“This is a very engaging story and a remarkable first book by this author. I highly recommend the book. ”
Cameron Reid wrote this review Wednesday, February 6, 2013. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“This novel is set in the enormous snow-covered wilderness of northern Canada in the late nineteenth century. The author is from Edinburgh and, having never been to Canada and suffering from agoraphobia, did the research for the novel in the British Library. Yet the description of the harsh life of the pemmican-munching voyageurs tracking animals for their furs in freezing temperatures is very convincing. The plot is hard to summarize, since it consists of several strands that partially come together at the end, but they all relate to a murder and the quest for the killer. One element of the various strands is a piece of bone that appears to contain writing; there is a suggestion that this is an ancient native alphabet, but this is unfortunately not followed up; the reference is presumably to Canadian Aboriginal Syllabic Writing. Another frustration for this linguist-reader was that the two words from Norwegian and Gaelic (put in for 'authenticity') were both wrong. And another was that the first-person narrative is written in 20th-century English: for example, the 1870's character uses the word 'shambolic', which was first attested in 1970. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the emotional development of the characters suggested by the title: the wolves, I feel, are the grizzled, weather-beaten trappers whose vulnerabilities are exposed by the loves and betrayals they experience.”
Lachlan wrote this review Saturday, January 26, 2013. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“This was a wonderful read. So much atmosphere and Ms Penney is unapologetic in her portrayal of early Canadian commerce with native peoples, predjudice, and high minded colonialism. There is actually a new trail system that follows along the North shore of Georgian Bay - it would be great to walk it like Penney's characters did. ”
Patti wrote this review Tuesday, January 22, 2013. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Very slow read to get to a less than satisfying ending. Too many plot lines left unresolved.”
Jo W wrote this review Thursday, January 10, 2013. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“Wolves fascinate me but don't appear much in this story, being a metaphor for the way humans treat each other even though they don't need to. Set in the frozen wastes of north Canadian territory, a harsh story of survival develops from a murder in a small settlement to a long trek undertaken by the mother and central storyteller. Characters here are well developed and moving, the landscapes bleak and unsettling, and the end is not comfortable. I enjoyed it.”
Cathie S wrote this review Sunday, December 16, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Brilliant murder mystery set in 1800's Canada. Many dynamic characters which all build upon each other. So beautifully written, so many stories within the story, I cared and needed to know the outcome of every single character in this book. "He is my true north, the one I will always turn to" Loved it.”
Nicki m wrote this review Sunday, November 25, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No