Heartbreaking and compelling.
“There was no one to help me. Mom was in shock, Dad was trying to console her… and my soul mate and favorite brother, Sam, was gone. As in dead gone.” So begins the emotional story of fifteen-year-old Bean and her quest to uncover the truth about the death of her beloved older brother. The story touches on so many important facets, including how people deal with grief and how we honor those we’ve lost. Bean is tenacious as she dives deeper into circumstances that at first seem obvious, but hold a few secrets. One light spot in this heavy mystery is the rich connection to nature and spirituality. Geared toward older children, this novel is sure to raise many questions and spark some important conversations.
A blunt examination of how people process death, Winter of the Wolf is both heartbreaking and compelling. This novel isn’t a dark Lifetime Movie version of a tragedy; rather, Martha Hunt Handler takes a more pragmatic approach, one that anybody who has lost a loved one will appreciate as genuine. The anguished family members all make some mistakes and say things they don’t mean, especially as difficult truths are uncovered. Bean epitomizes youth with her unfailing adoration of her late brother. Sam feels as alive as the rest of the cast as we join Bean in her sleuthing, all while learning more and more about her enigmatic brother and aspects of his life he kept hidden. Highlighting Inuit culture from the perspective of a respectful outsider and dealing with some sensitive and mature themes, Winter of the Wolf takes a fresh look at loss through the lens of adolescence.
