A tragic mystery blending sleuthing and spirituality An exploration in grief, suicide, spiritualism, and Inuit culture, Winter of the Wolf follows Bean, an empathic and spiritually evolved fifteen-year-old, who is determined to unravel the mystery of her brother Sam’s death. Though all evidence points to a suicide, her heart and intuition compel her to dig deeper. With help from her friend … Julie, they retrace Sam’s steps, delve into his Inuit beliefs, and reconnect with their spiritual beliefs to uncover clues beyond material understanding. Both tragic and heartwarming, this twisting novel draws you into Bean’s world as she struggles with grief, navigates high school dramas, and learns to open her heart in order to see the true nature of the people around her. Winter of the Wolf is about seeking the truth—no matter how painful—in order to see the full picture. In this novel, environmentalist and award-winning author, Martha Handler, brings together two important pieces of her life—the death of her best friend’s son and her work as president of the Wolf Conservation Center—to tell an empathetic and powerful story with undeniable messages.
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Winter of the Wolf was a super intense story from beginning to end. This book just pulls at your heartstrings, it’s very deep and depressing (not meant as an insult) due to the nature of the events that transpire.
I was sucked right into the book and finally stopped for the night at about 2 or 3 in the morning because it is just that well done. You can feel the heartache, the anger and confusion, all the feelings in this book that are laid out there, you feel them.
I think that most people who have lost a loved one, no matter the connection (familial or not) would feel for this family and connect with at least one if not a few of the characters. You never know what life will throw at you or when, nobody is ever prepared for the death of a loved one. It is a very gut-wrenching and painful experience to have to go through.
******subject warnings: suicide, loss of a child/family member, Autoerotic Asphyxiation, bullying (lightly glazed over), mental health, death, grieving, moving forward after such a catastrophic event in life and forgiveness.
I would recommend this for most ages, sadly because of how things are in our world and societies.
Less serious matter, the cover is absolutely gorgeous! I love wolves, I have always felt connected to them. Wolves are a very misjudged animal.
Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC of Winter of the Wolf.
All opinions are my own.
I received a free electronic copy of this amazing novel on July 7, 2020, from Netgalley, Martha Hunt Handler, and Greenleaf Book Group Press. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this novel of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I am pleased to recommend Martha Hunt Handler to friends and family. She writes a tight tale with fascinating protagonists and a storyline that dips into your heart very close to the beginning of the novel.
This novel is so persuasive you can feel the ice crystals forming on the bedroom windows. It is a book I missed sleep to read, and would do so, again. I hope to see many more novels from Martha Hunt Handler.
Winter of the Wolf by Martha Hunt Handler is a very well written story that was agonizing, emotional, and compelling read that struck me from the very first pages of the book. Handler’s writing was beautiful and deep that explored deep themes on grief, loss while weaving the spirituality of the Inuit culture.
From the voice of a young fifteen year old girl named Bean, who is grieving the loss of her brother Sam to an apparent suicide, while following her instincts to uncover the truth.
Overall I enjoyed the writing despite the deep themes that include loss of a sibling, grief, and mental health.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this novel for an honest review. It has been published in July 2020.
“Winter of the Wolf” by Martha Hunt Handler is a heart-wrenching story about grief, loss and bereavement, but also about family ties, the strength of friendship and the importance of our relationship with nature and with the world around us.
Bean, the protagonist, is coming of age in the shadow of her brother’s supposed suicide. The novel follows her search for the truth and for a way to make sense of this tragedy in the months after Sam’s death.
I really enjoyed the characters – so well-rounded that they just come alive in front of your eyes – and the plot, which is surprisingly full of twists and big reveals.
The language and style are perfect for the narration, very true to the character of a mourning 15-year-old girl.
The themes are darker than what you would generally expect from a YA novel, but they’re handled in a very sensitive way, so kudos to the author for managing that near-impossible feat.
Overall, “Winter of the Wolf” comes across as a story about resilience and the rebuilding of severed relationships, rather than as a story about grief.
This heart wrenching story takes us into the spiritual moments encountered while suffering deep grief. There is also a cautious warning for a deadly practice that is sweeping across the nation. I spilled many tears while reading this very captivating story.
TRIGGER WARNINGS: suicide, death of a loved one, death of an animal.
One of my goals for 2020 was to make my TBR more diverse. I began to realise how important it is to give the minorities more media representation and to normalise their existence. This book was a great pick, and I will tell you why.
As I wanted to start a new sewing project, I was looking for a short, yet compelling audiobook that can keep my mind occupied while my hands were working. Winter of the Wolf did just that. The audiobook had only six and a half hours, and it made me realise how important it is to try to seek the truth, even if it might seem as if it has to stay buried.
One of the best things about this book was the main character, Bean. Right from the very first page, you meet her, and you connect with her. She is devastated because of her brother’s death, and she wants to find the answers that can lead her to the cause of his death. Everybody thinks Sam committed suicide, but Bean is sure he didn’t. She knows him too well to believe that he did such a thing. The story is all about her and how she is searching for answers while learning about the Inuit culture.
You have no idea how much I appreciated the family that was portraited in the book. Bean, Sam and their mother were very spiritual people while the other two brothers (I forgot their names) and their father were more on the analytical side and didn’t quite believe in the power of nature. Although all of them were very different people with very different believes, they managed to say together and to show that being spiritual or embracing a new way of viewing life shouldn’t stay between friendships or family relationships.
Bean was round and complex as a character. You can see her with lights as well as shadows. To be honest, Bean became a role model for me after finishing the book. By the time the novel started, Sam already took his life. Even so, he had a well-developed story, and I loved everything about him. One character that I didn’t quite like was Julie. I feel like she didn’t bring anything to the story, and she was there only so Bean wouldn’t be alone through her self discovery journey.
Now, by far the best thing this book managed to do is raise awareness. Martha Hunt managed to keep the reader engaged in a mysterious story about loss, and also teach the readers about spirituality. This has been one of the best mysteries I’ve read in a long time, even if it was mild and not full of twists.
Overall, this book was amazing! I recommend it for people aged 11 and up, and I will surely come back for other books written by this author.