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The Tenderness of Wolves: A Novel
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Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
Author: Stef Penney
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Average Customer Rating:
Our Price: $16.50
You Save: $ 8.50 ( 34% )
Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
Author: Stef Penney
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Average Customer Rating:
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The Tenderness of Wolves: A Novel Description
Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.92
EAN: 9781416540748
ISBN: 1416540741
Label: Simon & Schuster
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
Number Of Items: 1
Book Pages: 384
Publication Date: 2007-07-10
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Studio: Simon & Schuster
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.92
EAN: 9781416540748
ISBN: 1416540741
Label: Simon & Schuster
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
Number Of Items: 1
Book Pages: 384
Publication Date: 2007-07-10
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Studio: Simon & Schuster
Editorial Review of The Tenderness of Wolves: A Novel
A brilliant and breathtaking debut that captivated readers and garnered critical acclaim in the United Kingdom, The Tenderness of Wolves was long-listed for the Orange Prize in fiction and won the Costa Award (formerly the Whitbread) Book of the Year.
The year is 1867. Winter has just tightened its grip on Dove River, a tiny isolated settlement in the Northern Territory, when a man is brutally murdered. Laurent Jammett had been a voyageur for the Hudson Bay Company before an accident lamed him four years earlier. The same accident afforded him the little parcel of land in Dove River, land that the locals called unlucky due to the untimely death of the previous owner.
A local woman, Mrs. Ross, stumbles upon the crime scene and sees the tracks leading from the dead man's cabin north toward the forest and the tundra beyond. It is Mrs. Ross's knock on the door of the largest house in Caulfield that launches the investigation. Within hours she will regret that knock with a mother's love -- for soon she makes another discovery: her seventeen-year-old son Francis has disappeared and is now considered a prime suspect.
In the wake of such violence, people are drawn to the crime and to the township -- Andrew Knox, Dove River's elder statesman; Thomas Sturrock, a wily American itinerant trader; Donald Moody, the clumsy young Company representative; William Parker, a half-breed Native American and trapper who was briefly detained for Jammett's murder before becoming Mrs. Ross's guide. But the question remains: do these men want to solve the crime or exploit it?
One by one, the searchers set out from Dove River following the tracks across a desolate landscape -- home to only wild animals, madmen, and fugitives -- variously seeking a murderer, a son, two sisters missing for seventeen years, and a forgotten Native American culture before the snows settle and cover the tracks of the past for good.
In an astonishingly assured debut, Stef Penney deftly weaves adventure, suspense, revelation, and humor into an exhilarating thriller; a panoramic historical romance; a gripping murder mystery; and, ultimately, with the sheer scope and quality of her storytelling, an epic for the ages.
Customer Reviews of The Tenderness of Wolves: A Novel
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Sorry to see it end.
Review: This book was one of those precious few where you just want the story to keep on going without end. This is not true of life or books. What a good read ! I didn't expect it to be so but was pleasantly surprised while mourning the end.I hope you have a similar experience. Read this book.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Impressive Composition, Superficial Story
Review: The author's compositional and writing skills can't be faulted, and are impressive for a first novel. However, character development never grows beyond the compositional surface of the story, which is largely defined by a number of plot threads typical of the mystery genre, some of which remain very tangential. Nor did I find the blending of genres -- historical, romance, mystery -- completely successful, beyond the limited basis of a minimal story.
Another reader compared this to a screenplay, and while that is not entirely justified, I understand the analogy: the narrative stays very much at the surface and thus, while intellectually engaging, fails to become fully satisfying. That this won one of Britain's most prestigious literary awards seems inexplicable, as this novel is not particularly memorable.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Beautifully written, compelling story
Review: Despite what some of the other reviews said about having difficulty following the characters (this is true to an extent), the quality of the writing is such that I could overlook that flaw. The reader might be slightly confused as to who is narrating and which character is which, but the author's use of language (have a dictionary on hand!) and vivid descriptions are truly remarkable. This is a wonderful,if flawed, book.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Fields of Heaven
Review: "The Tenderness of Wolves" is Stef Penney's debut novel and is set in late 19th century Canada. It was first published in 2006, and went on to win that year's Costa Prize.
Laurent Jammet was around forty years old, French and had once been a voyageur for the Hudson Bay Company. However, he later settled in a small settlement called Dove River and made his living from the bounty paid on killing wolves. Fortunately for Dove River's wolves, he didn't make his forty first year - he was murdered in bad, having his throat cut and his scalp taken.
Jammet's corpse was discovered the following morning by Mrs Ross, his closest neighbour. She had arrived in Canada from Scotland with her husband, Angus, twelve years earlier. The couple have a single adopted son called Francis - himself, technically, an immigrant. Francis was born in Ireland, but had left the country as an infant to escape the Famine. Unfortunately, his parents had died on the journey, and, on arrival, he'd been placed in an orphanage. Francis is now seventeen, and hasn't really been able to fit in - he has become surly, taciturn, clearly doesn't get on with father and regularly disappears for two or three days at a time on fishing trips. Jammet, meanwhile, was the closest thing he had to a friend. Mrs Ross, naturally, reports the murder to Andrew Knox - the magistrate in the neighbouring settlement of Caulfield. Unfortunately, it seems that Francis has taken off overnight - and, although his mother claims it's a fishing trip, even she isn't entirely sure that's where he's gone. She is, however, certain he didn't kill Jammet though she knows he'll probably be considered a suspect. Knox promptly sends off to Fort Edgar for some company men to help with the investigation. Based on the scalping, Knox and Scott - an influential man in the area, having essentially founded Caulfield - initially assume the killer was an Indian outlaw. However, Knox isn't willing to rule anyone out on the grounds of race.
Three men arrive from Fort Baxter to take over the investigation. The most obviously qualified is McKinley, Fort Edgar's factor - however, he proves to be a thoroughly dislikeable character and a suspect is likely to fall down the stairs during an interrogation. Donald Moody, like Mrs Ross, is a Scottish immigrant - though he's an accountant, rather than a rugged outdoorsman. The third is Jacob, one of the Company's native employees - and, after an accident on the rugby pitch, also Donald's sworn protector.
Where some view Francis as the key suspect for Jammet's murder - Donald, in particular - he isn't the only suspect. The other key suspect is a trapper called Parker, a man who'd traded with Jammet in the past and who arrived at Jammet's home shortly after his death. While Mrs Ross is sure Francis is innocent, she's also convinced by Parker when he protests his innocence - which would mean a third suspect is required. There is a third possibility - Angus had tracked Francis to Swallow Lake, where he usually fished. It appeared that Francis had been that way, but had just kept going...though so had at least one other person. However, rather than continuing his search, Angus turned around and just came home. While his wife decides to take up the search, in order to prove her son's innocence, Donald and Jacob have also decided to go after him - believing they're chasing the killer.
While my sister said she was totally hooked within the first 50 pages, for me things just didn't warm up until a little later - not until Mrs Ross took up the search. Although the focus shifts from one character to another, Mrs Ross is essentially the book's central character. She is the only character to tell her own story - "Even now, I cannot remember that small without also thinking of fruit pies with cream or steak in brandy" -while everyone else has their story told - "Donald presses a hand to the window pane". I did find Donald to be a vaguely ridiculous character, and his attempts to romance Susannah Knox - Andrew Knox's daughter - were so pathetic, I'm still not sure if it was supposed to be funny. If this angle had been cut out altogether, and a little more attention had been paid to the Seton sisters, I think it may have led to a better book. (In a sub-plot reminiscent of "The Searchers", Amy and Eve Seton had disappeared fifteen years previously. Trackers and searchers were hired, but to no avail - both parents died, penniless and broken hearted, without ever seeing their daughters again. Naturally, the book sees some developments). A decent book overall, and certainly worth reading - but I have read better.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Loved it!
Review: I loved this book. It pulled me into their world, made me feel what they were feeling, fear what they were fearing. It was almost a modern perspective of an olden time, to hear the thoughts of the characters, but then again it made me realize that deep down we're all the same, even back then. I was surprised that with so many things going on with so many different characters, I never felt lost and the plot was never convoluted. It didn't drag down with unnecessary details and kept me in the moment the whole time. For example, the term "historical fiction" turns me off since I assume the author is trying to prove something that is unprovable (pardon my ignorance of the genre, that is just my take) and this was not the case here. I honestly couldn't put this book down and thoroughly enjoyed it. Pretty much no novel gets 5 stars from me but I would have given it four and a half stars if I could. Great read.
Review Summary: Sorry to see it end.
Review: This book was one of those precious few where you just want the story to keep on going without end. This is not true of life or books. What a good read ! I didn't expect it to be so but was pleasantly surprised while mourning the end.I hope you have a similar experience. Read this book.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Impressive Composition, Superficial Story
Review: The author's compositional and writing skills can't be faulted, and are impressive for a first novel. However, character development never grows beyond the compositional surface of the story, which is largely defined by a number of plot threads typical of the mystery genre, some of which remain very tangential. Nor did I find the blending of genres -- historical, romance, mystery -- completely successful, beyond the limited basis of a minimal story.
Another reader compared this to a screenplay, and while that is not entirely justified, I understand the analogy: the narrative stays very much at the surface and thus, while intellectually engaging, fails to become fully satisfying. That this won one of Britain's most prestigious literary awards seems inexplicable, as this novel is not particularly memorable.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Beautifully written, compelling story
Review: Despite what some of the other reviews said about having difficulty following the characters (this is true to an extent), the quality of the writing is such that I could overlook that flaw. The reader might be slightly confused as to who is narrating and which character is which, but the author's use of language (have a dictionary on hand!) and vivid descriptions are truly remarkable. This is a wonderful,if flawed, book.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Fields of Heaven
Review: "The Tenderness of Wolves" is Stef Penney's debut novel and is set in late 19th century Canada. It was first published in 2006, and went on to win that year's Costa Prize.
Laurent Jammet was around forty years old, French and had once been a voyageur for the Hudson Bay Company. However, he later settled in a small settlement called Dove River and made his living from the bounty paid on killing wolves. Fortunately for Dove River's wolves, he didn't make his forty first year - he was murdered in bad, having his throat cut and his scalp taken.
Jammet's corpse was discovered the following morning by Mrs Ross, his closest neighbour. She had arrived in Canada from Scotland with her husband, Angus, twelve years earlier. The couple have a single adopted son called Francis - himself, technically, an immigrant. Francis was born in Ireland, but had left the country as an infant to escape the Famine. Unfortunately, his parents had died on the journey, and, on arrival, he'd been placed in an orphanage. Francis is now seventeen, and hasn't really been able to fit in - he has become surly, taciturn, clearly doesn't get on with father and regularly disappears for two or three days at a time on fishing trips. Jammet, meanwhile, was the closest thing he had to a friend. Mrs Ross, naturally, reports the murder to Andrew Knox - the magistrate in the neighbouring settlement of Caulfield. Unfortunately, it seems that Francis has taken off overnight - and, although his mother claims it's a fishing trip, even she isn't entirely sure that's where he's gone. She is, however, certain he didn't kill Jammet though she knows he'll probably be considered a suspect. Knox promptly sends off to Fort Edgar for some company men to help with the investigation. Based on the scalping, Knox and Scott - an influential man in the area, having essentially founded Caulfield - initially assume the killer was an Indian outlaw. However, Knox isn't willing to rule anyone out on the grounds of race.
Three men arrive from Fort Baxter to take over the investigation. The most obviously qualified is McKinley, Fort Edgar's factor - however, he proves to be a thoroughly dislikeable character and a suspect is likely to fall down the stairs during an interrogation. Donald Moody, like Mrs Ross, is a Scottish immigrant - though he's an accountant, rather than a rugged outdoorsman. The third is Jacob, one of the Company's native employees - and, after an accident on the rugby pitch, also Donald's sworn protector.
Where some view Francis as the key suspect for Jammet's murder - Donald, in particular - he isn't the only suspect. The other key suspect is a trapper called Parker, a man who'd traded with Jammet in the past and who arrived at Jammet's home shortly after his death. While Mrs Ross is sure Francis is innocent, she's also convinced by Parker when he protests his innocence - which would mean a third suspect is required. There is a third possibility - Angus had tracked Francis to Swallow Lake, where he usually fished. It appeared that Francis had been that way, but had just kept going...though so had at least one other person. However, rather than continuing his search, Angus turned around and just came home. While his wife decides to take up the search, in order to prove her son's innocence, Donald and Jacob have also decided to go after him - believing they're chasing the killer.
While my sister said she was totally hooked within the first 50 pages, for me things just didn't warm up until a little later - not until Mrs Ross took up the search. Although the focus shifts from one character to another, Mrs Ross is essentially the book's central character. She is the only character to tell her own story - "Even now, I cannot remember that small without also thinking of fruit pies with cream or steak in brandy" -while everyone else has their story told - "Donald presses a hand to the window pane". I did find Donald to be a vaguely ridiculous character, and his attempts to romance Susannah Knox - Andrew Knox's daughter - were so pathetic, I'm still not sure if it was supposed to be funny. If this angle had been cut out altogether, and a little more attention had been paid to the Seton sisters, I think it may have led to a better book. (In a sub-plot reminiscent of "The Searchers", Amy and Eve Seton had disappeared fifteen years previously. Trackers and searchers were hired, but to no avail - both parents died, penniless and broken hearted, without ever seeing their daughters again. Naturally, the book sees some developments). A decent book overall, and certainly worth reading - but I have read better.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Loved it!
Review: I loved this book. It pulled me into their world, made me feel what they were feeling, fear what they were fearing. It was almost a modern perspective of an olden time, to hear the thoughts of the characters, but then again it made me realize that deep down we're all the same, even back then. I was surprised that with so many things going on with so many different characters, I never felt lost and the plot was never convoluted. It didn't drag down with unnecessary details and kept me in the moment the whole time. For example, the term "historical fiction" turns me off since I assume the author is trying to prove something that is unprovable (pardon my ignorance of the genre, that is just my take) and this was not the case here. I honestly couldn't put this book down and thoroughly enjoyed it. Pretty much no novel gets 5 stars from me but I would have given it four and a half stars if I could. Great read.