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Once There Were Wolves

The wild, spellbinding New York Times bestselling novel from the author of Wild Dark Shore

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Once There Were Wolves

By: Charlotte McConaghy
Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
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Brought to you by Penguin.

New York Times Bestseller

A wild and gripping novel about one woman's quest to reintroduce wolves to the Scottish Highlands at any cost

Inti Flynn arrives in the Scottish Highlands with fourteen grey wolves, a traumatised sister and fierce tenacity.

As a biologist, she knows the animals are the best hope for rewilding the ruined landscape and she cares little for local opposition. As a sister, she hopes the remote project will offer her twin, Aggie, a chance to heal after the horrific events that drove them both out of Alaska.

But violence dogs their footsteps and one night Inti stumbles over the body of a farmer. Unable to accept that her wolves could be responsible, she makes a reckless decision to protect them. But if the wolves didn't make the kill, then who did? And can she trust the man she is beginning to love when he becomes the main suspect?

Propulsive and unforgettable, Once There Were Wolves is the spellbinding story of a woman desperate to save her family, the wild animals and the natural world she loves, at any cost.

'One of those very rare, special novels that changes you as you read' Laurie Frankel

'So damn good. A page-turner that makes you think and has a huge emotional impact' Jeff VanderMeer, author of Annihilation

© Charlotte McConaghy 2022 (P) Penguin Audio 2022

 Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Mystery Suspense Thriller & Suspense Women Sleuths Women's Fiction Wolf Highlander
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Critic reviews

Blazing...Visceral...As McConaghy shows in this stunning book, the limits of language lead us to the limits of empathy (Lorraine Berry)
So damn good. A page-turner that makes you think and has a huge emotional impact (Jeff VanderMeer, New York Times bestselling author of Annihilation (via Twitter))
Bold...A heartfelt and earnest novel
One of those very rare, special novels that changes you as you read ... It's beautifully written and smart and impressively, importantly atmospheric. And it's also funny and warm and perfectly crafted with some of the best characters I have ever read ... I loved loved loved this book (Laurie Frankel, New York Times bestselling author of This Is How It Always Is)
This heart-pounding novel digs into the complex relationships between humans and the creatures with which we share the natural world
Suspenseful and poignant...humans and animals alike can break our hearts
Far more than an old wolves' tale. Instead, it illustrates what it's like to be an outsider from both a human and animal perspective and the level of healing and acceptance it takes from within to be accepted and to accept yourself
Urges us to take a lesson from the wolves, and learn to lean on one another
Lyrical, captivating, thought-provoking and thrilling, this immersive read will capture your attention from the first page
The Australian author made waves with last summer's Migrations, a meditation on climate change and loneliness, and returns with a new story set in the Scottish Highlands, where two twin sisters join a team attempting to reintroduce a pack of wolves to their natural surroundings
All stars
Most relevant
Interesting background with the wolves story for an intense thriller with mental health and abuse in the mix. Not a very relaxing read…

Intense

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Good reader with an interesting voice and an enjoyable story. Really enjoyed this. The story feels genuine and believable. Immersive

Really enjoyed this

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Since this book is set in Scotland, there should have been more respect paid to the native tongue of some of the main characters who, in this audiobook version, sounded like Shrek. This is not a trivial thing - I nearly gave up on the book after two cringeable chapters. I'm glad I pressed on because this book is a triumph of imagination. It has a strong beating heart of compassion beneath the tough outer shell of the jaded, bruised (but not beaten) protagonist.

Beautiful writing marred by terrible Scottish accents

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This is a really great listen and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The story is very engaging and it’s beautifully written and very well narrated.

Excellent

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Sarah Hall’s Wolf Border and this novel, both make the same claim: that women biologists will bring wolves back to the British countryside, but will face the same opposition as feminists do. It is the patriarchy that will try its utmost to foil them. While Hall explores complex pregnancy as a parallel, McConaghy is clearer about the male violence against women that is stopping the reintroduction of wolves to Britain.

I would love to introduce both authors to my nephew and his wife who are stewards of a large estate in Scotland which is overrun with deer. Stripping the forest of bark and the forest floor of everything, the idea of sadness for Bambi is replaced by the fear of being left with forests of dead tree trunks. Everyone wants the wolves back, even the sheep farmers (and my niece is a sheep farmer too). A little bit of research would make both novels much better - as they stand they are both mediocre examples of feminist fiction a la Angela Carter. Haven’t we moved on from the 1960s?

Another wolf book

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