Tell the Wolves I’m Home

A Novel

By: Carol Rifka Brunt

Narrated by: Amy Rubinate

Length: 11 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

In this striking literary debut, Carol Rifka Brunt unfolds a moving story of love, grief, and renewal as two lonely people become the unlikeliest of friends and find that sometimes you don’t know you’ve lost someone until you’ve found them.

1987. There’s only one person who has ever truly understood fourteen-year-old June Elbus, and that’s her uncle, the renowned painter Finn Weiss. Shy at school and distant from her older sister, June can only be herself in Finn’s company; he is her godfather, confidant, and best friend. So when he dies, far too young, of a mysterious illness her mother can barely speak about, June’s world is turned upside down. But Finn’s death brings a surprise acquaintance into June’s life - someone who will help her to heal and to question what she thinks she knows about Finn, her family, and even her own heart.

At Finn’s funeral, June notices a strange man lingering just beyond the crowd. A few days later, she receives a package in the mail. Inside is a beautiful teapot she recognizes from Finn’s apartment and a note from Toby, the stranger, asking for an opportunity to meet. As the two begin to spend time together, June realizes she’s not the only one who misses Finn, and if she can bring herself to trust this unexpected friend, he just might be the one she needs the most.

An emotionally charged coming-of-age novel, Tell the Wolves I’m Home is a tender story of love lost and found, an unforgettable portrait of the way compassion can make us whole again.

Carol Rifka Brunt’s work has appeared in several literary journals, including the North American Review and the Sun. In 2006 she was one of three fiction writers who received a New Writing Ventures Award, and in 2007 she received a generous Arts Council England grant to write Tell the Wolves I’m Home, her first novel. Originally from New York, she currently lives in England with her husband and three children.

©2012 Carol Silverman (P)2012 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“A gorgeously evocative novel about love, loss, and the ragged mysteries of the human heart, all filtered through the achingly real voice of a remarkable young heroine. How can you not fall in love with a book that shows you how hope can make a difference?” (Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author)

“Tell the Wolves I’m Home is a charming, sure-handed, and deeply sympathetic debut. Brunt writes about family, adolescence, and the human heart with great candor, insight, and pathos.” (Jonathan Evison, New York Times bestselling author)

“Tremendously moving…Brunt strikes a difficult balance, imbuing June with the disarming candor of a child and the melancholy wisdom of a heart-scarred adult.” ( Wall Street Journal)

Terrible Narrator

Worst. Narrator. Ever. Had a hard time following and enjoying the story due to the narrators voice.

An interesting look at a different time...

Which character – as performed by Amy Rubinate – was your favorite?

I really liked Toby, and how he tried to connect with the young girl he didn't know so she could still have a piece of her uncle, and so could he.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Probably the ending... I can't say why without spoiling it.

Any additional comments?

This is a coming of age story with an interesting twist-it's set in a time when the aids epidemic is new and scary, and it's based around a young girl who's whole world is entirely altered by it.

Having lived in a time when this sad disease has been around for a long time, it was interesting to hear how it would have been for someone back then when it was new and had yet to have any kind of treatment for, and it was very sad to hear about how it altered her relationships and shook up her entire family. The heartbreak from the death and secrecy really makes this a not-so-typical coming of age story, however there are quite a few things thrown in that brings it back down to that category. Things such as learning to deal with their parents and being a "latchkey kid", fighting and growing distance between siblings, and learning more about boys and growing up than you expect to at fourteen.

Don't let that fool you, the main character has anything but normal relationships and feelings-some of which are a little worrisome and some of which account for those awkward teenage years.

Don't expect a very happy ending...

Still, it's a good read and I would recommend it.

Well-written fiction about an interesting time

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I was born in the mid-80s, so the beginning of the AIDS epidemic is something I'm familiar with but don't know much about. This book really shined a light on that time for me without making the story about the disease. Instead, the book focused on what it means to be a family (in the most authentic, least saccharine way) and did an amazing job of describing how confusing and challenging it can be to be an adolescent at any time. This was a great book, and I'd recommend it to anyone – even if it wasn't typically their thing!

What other book might you compare Tell the Wolves I’m Home to and why?

This is typically not the kind of book I'd pick up, so I don't have any other books to compare it to. But I'd seen positive reviews of it on some book blogs I follow and decided to listen to the audio version; I'm glad I did!

Any additional comments?

In recommending it to a friend, I sent the following quote: “Tell the Wolves I’m Home is a charming, sure-handed, and deeply sympathetic debut. Brunt writes about family, adolescence, and the human heart with great candor, insight, and pathos.”—Jonathan Evison, New York Times bestselling author of West of Here

That captured my feelings about the book exactly.

Great story!

Great characters & realistic emotions. I really enjoyed this book. An interesting story- definitely not over-done

Frankly, I could care less about these characters

While the writing is excellent, I found myself not caring what happened to either self-absorbed sister and while yes, the author does perfectly capture what it's like to have a sister you both love and hate - in the end I just couldn't wait for the book to end. Narration was monotone and off as others have mentioned, it frequently took me out of the story.

A Family's Story

What made the experience of listening to Tell the Wolves I’m Home the most enjoyable?

Good story with interesting and believable characters. The setting in a past time frame and references to historic issues of that time were interesting. I was able to reflect on those times and remember them.

Read it for a book club (or I guess listened haha)

Heartwrenching story, started it and my grandfather passed away about midway through the listening. It made the book a lot harder to listen to, but the readers soothing voice helped soothe me in a way. I think it’s classified as YA reading and while I would maybe say it’s too heavy for a 12 or 13 year old, it’s a great life story that’s raw for a young adult to understand death, and from controversial causes at that. Highly recommended for sure!

Terrible Performance

Would you try another book from Carol Rifka Brunt and/or Amy Rubinate?

I would definitely try another book by Carol Rifka Brunt but not ever listen to Amy Rubinate again (sorry Amy). I swear I though it was a computer generated voice. If not for the good story line, I would have never finished.

How could the performance have been better?

I do not mean to hurt her feelings, but get a different narrator. Really ruined the story for me.

Beautiful touching story!

Been a while since a book made me cry this much.

Also, I should say I was not sure I could listen to the entire book at first because of the narrator. It took me a while but after the first few chapters I learned to love Amy Rubinate's narration. I could listen to more books narrated by her now. So if you hear the sample and are not sure if you could stick to Rubinate's voice, trust me you will and besides this story is so good that in hindsight I could have listened to just about anyone tell it!

INTERESTING GOOD READ/LISTEN

What made the experience of listening to Tell the Wolves I’m Home the most enjoyable?

The characters are very real. The dynamics between the characters is so realistically human, and painted with such depth of human frailty. There were some lines in the book that were so poignant that I read them aloud to other people. Yet, it is not what I would consider a "dark" drama. This is a GOOD book! Intellectually and emotionally satisfying.

What other book might you compare Tell the Wolves I’m Home to and why?

Hmm, hard to say. I hate to even say this because I am daring to touch the hem of such a literary legend; To Kill a Mockingbird. This is the first comparison that came to the surface.

What about Amy Rubinate’s performance did you like?

I don't recall anything I didn't like about her performance. It was very good. It was right in all the right places, and it was loud enough to be heard.

If you could take any character from Tell the Wolves I’m Home out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Well the obvious choice would be June, the narrator. However, I think I'd like to get Greta her older sister out to dinner.

Any additional comments?

A coming out story and a coming of age story for every character in the book.