Synopsis
Inti Flynn arrives in Scotland with her twin sister, Aggie, to lead a team tasked with reintroducing fourteen grey wolves into the remote Highlands. She hopes to heal not only the dying landscape but a broken Aggie, too. However, Inti is not the woman she once was and may be in need of rewilding herself.
Despite fierce opposition from the locals, Inti’s wolves surprise everyone by thriving, and she begins to let her guard down, even opening up to the possibility of love. But when a local farmer is found dead, Inti knows where the town will lay blame. Unable to accept her wolves could be responsible, she makes a reckless decision to protect them, testing every instinct she has.
But if her wolves didn’t make the kill, then who did? And what will she do when the man she’s been seeing becomes the main suspect?
Review
Australian Biologist Inti Flynn and her twin sister Aggie arrives in Scotland the purpose of her visit to lead a team their aim to re-establish fourteen grey wolves back into the remote Highlands the animals once called home, Inti hopes by doing this she’ll be repairing not just the vanishing landscape but a broken Aggie in the process.
The townsfolk are viciously against Inti and her team’s plan to carry on with the re-introduction of the wolf pack, fear for their livestock which the farming community rely on to earn a wage and use for their own consumption.
“There are languages without words and violence is one of them.”
― Charlotte McConaghy, Once There Were Wolves
The project goes off without a hiccup and the pack thrives surprising some of the once skeptical locals, Inti is gaining more confidence the longer she stays in the community, unfortunately, the re-introduction is bought back under the spotlight when a local farmer dies. Inti knows that the blame will land on her wolf pack she won’t accept that they were the cause of the man’s death; but also well aware none of the locals will hear reason so she decides the only thing left to do is protect them. Inti Flynn asks herself the one question everyone else in town is so eager to ignore if the wolf pack didn’t commit the crime then who did and why does every road lead back to the man she’s been seeing recently?
Once There Were Wolves was a beautifully written, thought provoking book that highlights issues such as Climate Change and the need for conservation, and the effects of the negative role that mankind has played on the environment overtime. Domestic Violence also plays a role in this engrossing read.
“My father used to say the world turned wrong when we started separating ourselves from the wild, when we stopped being one with the rest of nature, and sat apart.”
― Charlotte McConaghy, Once There Were Wolves
Inti Flynn makes for such a memorable protagonist her passion to stand up for the causes and the people she loves was admirable I believe thanks to Author Charlotte McConaghy’s skilled writing she was able to bring to life a three dimensional, strong, brave and independent woman, who the reader could care about as well as listen to their point of view without coming across as an overbearing educated leader type, making Once There Were Wolves a 5-star read.
Inti’s father makes for a great minor character I found his role in this book to be valuable, his teachings were well woven throughout the novel and not just a passing essence.
I didn’t much care for the sub plot regarding romantic relationships, much preferring the focus be on the Wolves and the environment, but I can see why that sub plot was useful perhaps to lighten the problems the eco systems faces thanks to humanity.
Without spoilers upon starting this book I found I devoured every page finding it impossible to put down. I will say although I understand the ending, I wasn’t sold on the overall story outcome it felt somewhat incomplete in my opinion.
Suitable for a mature audience, if you’re a fan of Mystery, Thrillers or have an interest in environmental issues we are facing I highly recommend you add Once There Were Wolves to the bookshelf.