A few weeks ago I finished Carol Rifka Brunt's literary coming of age story Tell the Wolves I'm Home.
It's hard for me to pinpoint exactly what it is about the book that pulled me in so completely, but whatever it was it made me love every word. It is truly a book you wish could go on forever.
The story present is approximately one year in the life of a fourteen-year-old girl. During that time, she loses her beloved uncle to AIDS, discovers his secret partner, befriends, and loses him as well.
Her relationships with her parents and older sister also morph, and each page brings a new revelation, a deeper emotional issue. Fresh secrets come to light page after page, causing the reader to re-think his understanding of everyone. This technique of rolling out backstory reminds me of Wally Lamb's I Know This Much Is True, my absolute favorite example of backstory virtuosity.
If you want to read a thoughtful, elegant novel, do yourself a favor and curl up with Tell the Wolves I'm Home.
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