Mist

By: Marta Palazzesi, Christopher Turner - translator

Narrated by: Zach Foreman

Length: 3 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

• AWARD WINNER: Winner of the 2020 Bologna Strega Ragazzi Prize*
• COMPELLING STORYTELLING: A thrilling action/adventure with a unique historical setting
• ANIMAL CONSERVATION: Underlying message of animal conservation and protection of 'endlings'
• ENGLISH DEBUT: English language debut for an award winning Italian children's author
• FOR READERS OF: Pax by Sara Pennypacker, Endling and Ivan books by Katherine Applegate,
• MOVIE RIGHTS SOLD: Movie adaptation in development with Small Forward Productions (We Are Who We Are, HBO)
  *NB The 'Premio Strega Ragazze e Ragazzi' is awarded to children's books published in Italy voted on by over two thousand children from 160 schools in Italy and abroad. It is awarded annually at the Bologna Children's Book Fair.

Winner of the Bologna Ragazzi Prize 2020

The incredible story of a boy’s quest to give the ultimate gift to a caged wild animal: freedom.

London, 1880, 13-year-old Clay is a mud lark, scavenging on the banks of the Thames for anything he might sell for money to buy food. One day Clay goes to the camp of the circus that has newly arrived in town and meets Ollie, a girl about his age, who lives with the circus. She brings him to the cage of “the last wolf in England”. Mist, as he calls it, is fierce, angry, and indomitable, perhaps due to the cruel treatment of its tamers, which Clay secretly witnesses. From that moment on, Clay becomes determined to give the wolf its freedom and return it to the wild. But first he must build trust with the wolf and, with Ollie’s help, find a way to release Mist back into the wild. This suspenseful novel will have listeners rooting for Clay and Mist through all the obstacles that lay in their path.

©2023 Marta Palazzesi (P)2023 Red Comet Press

Critic reviews

"In Marta Palazzesi’s spellbinding U.S. debut, readers will discover both a riveting adventure story and a fascinating historical novel. But at its heart, Mist is about the indelible bond between two remarkably resilient creatures—one boy, one wolf. A not-to-be missed tale of courage and compassion. –Katherine Applegate, #1 New York Times bestselling author and Newbery Medal winner for The One and Only Ivan

"Readers of this page-turner will be unable to resist rooting for Clay and Mist. Clay is a compelling protagonist with a strong voice, and kids will eagerly follow along as he works to gain Mist’s trust. A heartfelt, attention-grabbing animal adventure."–Kirkus Reviews

"[This] gritty adventure from Palazzesi, populated by numerous uniquely rendered characters, captures the high-adrenaline spirit and danger of living by one’s wits, especially as Clay works to redefine his priorities and baseline for happiness while combatting financial precarity."–Publishers Weekly