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A review by allisonjpmiller
A Wolf Called Romeo by Nick Jans
4.0
I knew this book would break my heart as soon as I picked it up, and yet I subjected myself anyway.
I've been fascinated by wolves since I was a kid, but it wasn't until later in life that I began to learn just how little of the mythology built up around them is actually true. A threat to people? The statistics say no. A threat to game populations? More like an important ecological keystone, one we've treated as disposable – along with plenty of other apex predators in North America.
Enter Romeo: From 2003 to 2009, this enormous black wolf lived right on the cusp of civilization in Juneau, Alaska, inexplicably befriending the people and dogs there. Most wolves want nothing to do with humans; they'll hide, run, or ignore people if encountered in the wild. But Romeo was something else. He returned year after year just to pick up the threads of the relationships he'd formed – for no other apparent reason than that he enjoyed the company. When dogs got aggressive, Romeo remained docile. When people strayed too close or invaded his space, he tolerated them with incredible fortitude. Not once did he show signs of being a threat. He would recognize and greet certain people and their canine companions even after long stretches of not seeing or interacting with them.
Nick Jans is both sentimental and rigorous in his account of Romeo's evolving love affair with Juneau, bringing the reader deep into the details. The book is interspersed with his own photos of the wolf (which beautifully illuminate Romeo's personality, with bonus crazy gorgeous Alaska in the background), as well as plenty of information about the history of human-wolf relations and wolf behavior in general. You'll learn a lot while you fall in love with Romeo, and then have your heart crushed into tiny, sharp pieces. Don't say I didn't warn you.
I've been fascinated by wolves since I was a kid, but it wasn't until later in life that I began to learn just how little of the mythology built up around them is actually true. A threat to people? The statistics say no. A threat to game populations? More like an important ecological keystone, one we've treated as disposable – along with plenty of other apex predators in North America.
Enter Romeo: From 2003 to 2009, this enormous black wolf lived right on the cusp of civilization in Juneau, Alaska, inexplicably befriending the people and dogs there. Most wolves want nothing to do with humans; they'll hide, run, or ignore people if encountered in the wild. But Romeo was something else. He returned year after year just to pick up the threads of the relationships he'd formed – for no other apparent reason than that he enjoyed the company. When dogs got aggressive, Romeo remained docile. When people strayed too close or invaded his space, he tolerated them with incredible fortitude. Not once did he show signs of being a threat. He would recognize and greet certain people and their canine companions even after long stretches of not seeing or interacting with them.
Nick Jans is both sentimental and rigorous in his account of Romeo's evolving love affair with Juneau, bringing the reader deep into the details. The book is interspersed with his own photos of the wolf (which beautifully illuminate Romeo's personality, with bonus crazy gorgeous Alaska in the background), as well as plenty of information about the history of human-wolf relations and wolf behavior in general. You'll learn a lot while you fall in love with Romeo, and then have your heart crushed into tiny, sharp pieces. Don't say I didn't warn you.