THE BLACK WOLF OF RIVER BEND

by Helene Widell ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 15, 1971

A reconstruction of the youth of Blackie, a real wolf who lived on the author's Canadian ranch. Luck and grit enable him to survive in the wild when his siblings are killed by predators, his toes are lost in a trap, and a forest fire destroys his mountain home. These misadventures are portrayed with a lack of sentimentality which makes his transition into a semi-domesticated ""ranch wolf"" later on both a surprise and a disappointment. Blackie's fictional experiences, buttressed by accurate nature lore, are convincingly dramatic, but when the point of view abruptly shifts from lupine to human much of the impact is lost, and the final chapters on the Widell family's relationship with Blackie have the air of an extended postscript.

Pub Date: Oct. 15, 1971

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Farrar, Straus & Giroux

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1971

Categories: FICTION