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A Wolf Called Wander by Rosanne Parry This was my second read-through of this book, and I feel this is one of those stories that's better the second time around. It's also better when read alongside its companion book, A Wolf Called Fire, also by Rosanne Parry and published five years later. A Wolf Called Wander is an adventure inspired by the true story of an Oregon-born wolf, OR-7 (nicknamed Journey), who traveled 1,000 miles from his home in the Wallowa Mountains to the Rogue River watershed of Siskiyou National Forest. This fictional retelling follows a young wolf named Swift, who is driven out of his mountain home when another pack invades and attacks, killing his father and scattering his family. Out on the prairie beyond his home turf, Swift must survive on his own -- which, he learns very quickly, is very difficult to do, especially when an injury impairs his ability to hunt proper food. What follows is a winding journey across prairie, farmland, and desert; receiving help and encouragement along the way and yet always seeming to wind up alone; until a combination of instinct and destiny guides him at last to a new mountain range, which he makes his own. The book, much like its premise, is very simple. There isn't a lot of dialogue or character interaction, even during the first three chapters when Swift is growing up with his pack and his siblings. Characters speak in short and simple sentences – and often just a word. Beyond dialogue, the language used throughout the book is also characterized by short, simple sentences and minimal descriptions. The storytelling basically describes what happens during each part of Swift's journey, sprinkling in small details that give the reader a beginner's sense for the biome, the landscape, and the wildlife he encounters along the way. On the one hand, the simplicity of the language and the storytelling in A Wolf Called Wander contributes to the feeling of monotony and loneliness that Swift feels through most of his journey, which I feel is a good choice. On the other hand, it leaves a bit to be desired in terms of the reader's engagement with the scenery, relation to the journey, and relation to Swift himself. The story would have benefited from the author making stronger choices in terms of the challenges that Swift faces and the mistakes that he makes; weaving in a story arc or two in which Swift learns a specific lesson about himself, about companionship, or about survival as a lone wolf; including some more tender and emotional moments of Swift revisiting specific memories of his family. Also, while the nature of the dialogue is somewhat reminiscent of the brief barks, growls, and whines that characterize outward wolf interactions in real life, its execution in this book doesn't offer much in terms of character establishment. Creating additional scenes that allowed the characters to behave, interact, and shine in their uniqueness would have remedied this issue while allowing the dialogue to remain short and simple. Weaknesses aside, I do like the book’s pacing – it feels right, given Swift’s long journey. The simplicity of the journey and the language that describes it makes for very easy reading, which is nice for the times when I want to read something low-stress and relaxing. I love the illustrations that appear throughout the book, too! They’re wonderfully charming and lovely, integrating seamlessly with the text. I genuinely wish more books were designed this way. All in all, I really enjoyed reading A Wolf Called Wander a second time around. From a teacher's standpoint, I think it's a very good book for young readers, especially those interested in animals. The final segment of the book includes pictures of the real-life wolves who inspired the story and a map that shows the path OR-7 took as he traveled from his original home to his new one. More illustrations follow with descriptions of the real-life locations, animals, and behaviors featured within the story. I have every confidence that I would have loved reading this book if it had been around during my childhood, when I was at the library reading every book on wolves I could.  As a grown-up reader, I still very much enjoy stories like this one. I'm also very glad that, as of this year, its companion exists because it tells a much stronger story and indirectly grants A Wolf Called Wander the personality it lacks on its own, much like How To Train Your Dragon's sequel did for it. If you're in the market for some light reading and would like an easy, low-energy evening read, I do think this one is worth it. A Wolf Called Wander shall remain on my bookshelf so I and my children can read it again and again.  |
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