A review by cody_crumley
Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

“There are languages without words and violence is one of them” 

This book feels longer than the actual page count would indicate, and usually that would mean that the story dragged or felt extremely repetitive. Neither of those are the case with “Once There Were Wolves”. It is a book that I think will sit with me months after I finish it, just to ruminate on the message and meaning behind it. 

The 250ish pages of this book cover a lot of ground. You have the present day that is following Inti who is trying to reintroduce wolves into the moorlands of Scotland while fighting against the local population that is completely against the idea. 

What Charlotte McConaghy does that is extremely interesting is goes back and forth through different time periods in Inti’s life, showing how she became this kinda hard nosed, tough women from the gentle, nature loving kid she started out as. 

The first time period is when her and her twin Aggie were younger and being sent off to live with their father (who is a “live off the land” type) by their mother (a cop/detective who handles domestic violence cases). The father has trouble remembering, and has the signs of dementia. Because of this, he ends up striking Aggie, and this is the first time that violence causes Inti to change how she views things. 

I don’t want to spoil all of the key emotional moments in this book, bit the emotional trauma that is on display resonates throughout the whole story. Whether it is family, violence, emotional, or any other type of trauma and abuse, those moments we go through shape our mind and personality as we grow into adults. While we might be higher on the food chain, humans are not that much different from animals. “Once There Were Wolves” does a fantastic job of showcasing that. 

While I wish there were a few more answers or information (like why does their mom not know about Aggie for example). The overall picture and narrative works really well and is accomplishes what it sets out to do: tell an emotional story to showcase how trauma affects who we become. 
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