History of Wolves

A Novel

By: Emily Fridlund

Narrated by: Susan Bennett

Fourteen-year-old Linda lives with her parents in the beautiful, austere woods of Northern Minnesota, where their nearly abandoned commune stands as a last vestige of a lost counterculture world. Isolated at home and an outlander at school, Linda is drawn to the enigmatic, attractive Lily and new history teacher Mr. Grierson. When Mr. Grierson is charged with possessing child pornography, the implications of his arrest deeply affect Linda as she wrestles with her own fledgling desires and craving to belong. And then the young Gardner family moves in across the lake, and Linda finds herself welcomed into their home as a babysitter for their little boy, Paul. It seems that her life finally has purpose, but with this new sense of belonging she is also drawn into secrets she doesn't understand. Over the course of a few days, Linda makes a set of choices that reverberate throughout her life. As she struggles to find a way out of the sequestered world into which she was born, Linda confronts the life-and-death consequences of the things people do - and fail to do - for the people they love.

Winner of the McGinnis-Ritchie award for its first chapter, Emily Fridlund's propulsive and gorgeously written History of Wolves introduces a new writer of enormous range and talent.

©2017 Emily Fridlund (P)2017 Recorded Books

Critic reviews

"So delicately calibrated and precisely beautiful that one might not immediately sense the sledgehammer of pain building inside this book. And I mean that in the best way. What powerful tension and depth this provides!" (Aimee Bender)

Baffled

Couldn't put this down- for most of it. Very well written, amazing prose, and excellent narration. Had to keep listening since I really wanted to know what happened next. I felt I knew these people. Extremely frustrating and disappointing ending. Unfortunately after writing this very good story, the author voided the positive attributes by completely ruining the end.

A complete bore

This story took a long, convoluted way to come to it's premise. I didn't find it plausible because of the age of the main character and I found that there were a lot of holes in the story, information I needed to complete it for me. It dragged on incessantly and the conclusion was very disappointing. The narrator did an excellent job but the material and was very boring.

tour de force

This book is amazing. Fridlund's descripcions are so rich and immersive, full of the sensuous pleasure of being alive. Yet the book is about deeply complex ethical and moral issues. lt's a compassionate and instructive investigation of love, trust, manipulation, innocence. And it's a great read, really engaging.

Wow. Hard to describe...

I will definitely need to read this again (and again) to comprehend all the layers of need, hurt, love, and loss Fridlund offers. Bennett’s narration was superb. An amazing story.

Great novel

A wonderful story of teenage girl trying to deal with extraordinary circumstances. Absolutely gripping, very literate, and a great performance by the reader.

TIGERS, WOLVES, VICTIMS

Emily Fridlund’s “History of Wolves” cleverly reveals the fears of life for children, young adults, and parents. It is told from the perspective of an adult woman’s recollection of life in a Minnesota wilderness near Lake Superior. The nature of human beings is aligned with the nature of “…Wolves”. Fridlund infers humans are sexual animals, congregate in groups, live in extended families, and die alone—just like wolves.

Fridlund’s writing is excellent and Susan Bennett’s narration is first rate. The quality of Fridlund’s story is enlightening to one who wishes to have a broader understanding of life. There are three categories of human beings in Fridlund’s book, tigers, wolves, and victims. The women in Fridlund’s book are tigers. The men are wolves. Society is the victim.

Terrific Drama

Loved a fictional return to my birth state of Minnesota. I enjoyed the main character a great deal. She seemed very believable and her reactions to the events in her life were spot on. If you want a happily ever after story however, this is not for you.

Don't understand the hype

The author is a decent writer and there are some sentences that are lovely. But the story is so drawn out it made me not care about what happened or anyone in it. Most of the characters are pretty one-dimensional, and annoying to boot. The narrator is excellent.

Nice surprise.

Can't remember how I chose this book? Not my usual genre. Well written,well crafted mystery novel, with a tragic, macabre tensi

A Beautiful Portrait of Alienation

History Of Wolves reminded me of Carson McCullers' "A Member Of the Wedding." The frank, almost Zen dialog in both novels belies a mysterious depth of emotion. Using spare voices, both Fridlund and McCullers are brilliant at drawing out the complex, searingly painful alienation of the adolescent outlier. McCullers' Frankie and Fridlund's Madelyn both occupy the claustrophobic inner space of the disconnected. Self loathing and the longing to latch onto something or someone worthwhile compel Madelyn to seek new experiences. Fridlund's brilliant prose exquisitely describes Madelyn's world: The hardscrabble people, weather patterns, forests, lakes and animals that define her Northern Minnesota home.

The many undercurrents of stories within the story have annoyed some readers. The characters were compelling enough to hold my interest. The influence of religion, particularly of Christian Science practice, was fascinating. I was raised by a mother who adhered to Christian Science. As a healthy skeptic, I was fascinated, not distracted, by Fridlund's theme of "mind over matter." I understand why some readers criticize the complex warp and weft of characters and events. I thought the loose threads that characterized this tapestry added to its veracity and beauty.