Once There Were Wolves

A Novel

By: Charlotte McConaghy

Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

"Blazing...Visceral" (Los Angeles Times) · "Exceptional" (Newsweek) · "Bold...Heartfelt" (New York Times Book Review) · "Thought-provoking and thrilling" (GMA) · "Suspenseful and poignant" (Scientific American)· "Gripping" (The Sydney Morning Herald)

From the author of the beloved national bestseller Migrations, a pulse-pounding new novel set in the wild Scottish Highlands.

Inti Flynn arrives in Scotland with her twin sister, Aggie, to lead a team of biologists tasked with reintroducing fourteen gray wolves into the remote Highlands. She hopes to heal not only the dying landscape, but Aggie, too, unmade by the terrible secrets that drove the sisters out of Alaska.

Inti is not the woman she once was, either, changed by the harm she’s witnessed—inflicted by humans on both the wild and each other. Yet as the wolves surprise everyone by thriving, Inti begins to let her guard down, even opening herself up to the possibility of love. But when a farmer is found dead, Inti knows where the town will lay blame. Unable to accept her wolves could be responsible, Inti makes a reckless decision to protect them. But if the wolves didn’t make the kill, then who did? And what will Inti do when the man she is falling for seems to be the prime suspect?

Propulsive and spell-binding, Charlotte McConaghy's Once There Were Wolves is the unforgettable story of a woman desperate to save the creatures she loves—if she isn’t consumed by a wild that was once her refuge.

A Macmillan Audio production from Flatiron Books

©2021 Charlotte McConaghy (P)2021 Macmillan Audio

Too dark

I was really looking forward to this book- loved migrations , but this was a disappointment. Alongside the detailed ecology were some supposed wildlife biologists’ behaviors that were ludicrous, like removing the wolf pups from the den then deciding to put them back ! Very dissonant when so much biological detail was included. The darkness of the plot was disturbing and the violence too graphic in many places - I wanted to see how the plot resolved but that was my only reason to finish listening

strains credulity

The narrator was wonderful. That's really the only positive.

The whole first part of the book was preachy. I thought the writer was not sophisticated in passing along her Eco thoughts. I don't disagree with them, however there were just monologues put into characters mouths. Good authors don't have to do that.

This story had too many holes in it. Without real tools a body is buried that bloodhounds wouldn't have ever found? Come on! A twin fooling another twin's spouse by impersonating the twin? I am married to an identical twin. Believe me, you might be able to fool a teacher sometime but you can't fool a spouse. Identical twins are not that identical. Not even close. A woman who feels other's pain attacks a man with a crowbar...when she doesn't even have proof of what he did?

There are plenty of other plot holes.. The man she loves is fighting for his Life and she gets on a horse and travels long distances in a blizzard at night.. And somehow finds what she's looking for? And then the rest of what happened that night is just about impossible.

Finally, expecting that the townspeople would somehow be more accepting of the wolves after they think there are more attacks is absolutely ludicrous. Just because the supposed guilty wolf was killed, suddenly nobody else was going to be suspicious of wolves anymore. they were suspicious of everything before.. now suddenly they're okay? It insults the reader's intelligence.

Like another reviewer said, where was the editor on this book? There is probably a good story buried here but this is an early draft.

At once heartbreaking and hopeful

The story is so compelling I had to make time to listen. The performance put me in the mountains of Scotland.

Didn’t see it coming

Loved listening to this. My mouth dropped at the end! It will make you want to move to Scotland in a place full of wolves

Overall a good read

The narrator was fantastic. The booked sparked a new fascination with wolves and how important they are. There were a couple things at the end that were very dramatic and unrealistic. Even so, I enjoyed the book overall and recommend it.

Parts were very very good !

Parts of the relationship between the main character & the policeman seemed unlikely. Multiple partners doesn’t make either one jealous ? Seemed not to fit at all. I did like a lot of the book. The mother the sister the policeman were all characters to were developed well. I liked them. Loved The Who done parts too !

Definitely a good read

I really liked this book a lot. It was well written and loved the narrator. The book started out slow for me and aside from the SA chapter, it unfolded beautifully and will stay with me for a while.

Such a beautiful story!!

I can’t say this enough, it’s such a beautiful read. I want to listen to it again and again.

Simply wonderful

This is the best book I have listened to and one of my favorite books of all time. The story is expertly told and beautiful. If you love nature or enjoy a good mystery, you will appreciate this book.

Great descriptions of wolves

The story contains two main strands. The wolf strand describes the wolf introduction by the narrator’s group and the opposition by the farming and ranching community. It’s not as conventional as it sounds. another strand involves the narrator and her very mentally damaged sister We don’t learn until later what happened to her. The two strands tie together with a whollop at the end. The highlight is the author’s description of the wolfs though unfortunately she makes some things up.