This Book Deserved More Attention Than It Got!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                    Emily Fridlund's first novel, "History Of Wolves," made "The New York Times 100 Most Notable Books Of 2017" list, but I think it should have gone further.  It should have been placed on their Ten Best List.

                                     The surprise, though, is, I was so trepidatious, when I picked this up.  Knowing it was about a girl, Madeline Ferlund, who calls herself Linda, living in an isolated region of Minnesota, with her parents, who are former cult members, I was expecting

                                       This books is far superior.  Mattie, who calls herself Linda, gets embroiled with the travails of a schoolteacher, Mr. Greierson, who faces sex abuse charges.  Mattie is not a victim; she is too fascinated with wolves--hence, the title--to get herself into this situation.

                                         The one she gets into, however, is just as bad.  Into the mysterious house across the lake from her, move the Gardners--hubby Leo, wife Patra, and four-year-old son, Paul.
The story is told, via flashback from the viewpoint of Mattie, now 37, as she recalls a summer she worked for the Gardners, the tragedy that befell Paul, and the lack of consequence for the Gardners, who should have been convicted, hiding behind their mantle of religion, which is Christian Science.

                                          Emily Fridlund is skilled at doing all the things Gabriel Tallent cannot--knowing when not to get too graphic, skillfully knitting together several stories simultaneously, and creating three, rather than one, dimensional characters.

                                            This novel merits more praise than it received.  I cannot wait for her next novel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                             Beware, girls!  As the novel warns us, by metaphor, the wolves are sometimes out there, where we least expect to find them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!