Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy is a powerful, powerful story that packs a lot of punch despite its slim size. Inti, the central character is a biologist who is trying to reintroduce a grey wolf population into an area in the Scottish highlands despite the misgivings of many of the locals. She is determined that the wolves will have a chance to thrive because she knows that their reintroduction is crucial to rewilding the area, but she also has a second reason for her dramatic relocation from her previous job in Alaska. Her beloved twin sister Aggie is recovering from a horrific trauma, and Inti hopes that the quiet remote Scottish landscape will help to give her the peace she needs to heal.
Brining wolves back is not popular, especially among the highland farmers who are worried about the dangers to their livestock, and it is not long before the tensions between the farmers and Inti's team come to a head. Relations between the groups is tense, and the whole project is teetering on a knife edge, so when Inti finds a body in the woods and fears that her beloved wolves will be blamed, she makes a rash decision to hide it. It doesn't take long for people to notice a disappearance in a small town, and soon Inti is just one of a list of suspects. Her determination to protect the wolves could cost her everything.
I was completely gripped by this book, I could hardly bear to put it down, and as the story unfolded and I got to know the characters better, I found myself completely invested in their lives, the decisions they made and the consequences of those decisions. Inti is a wonderful and truly unique character, which is crucial given some of her choices, if I could not have empathy for her and her situation, I would not have enjoyed the book half as much. I am in awe of the craftmanship displayed by the author in this book, and I cannot wait to read more of her work.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

I honestly didn't think Charlotte McConaghy could top Migrations but she absolutely did with this astounding novel.

Inti, a biologist, is determined to reintroduce wolves back into the wild of the Scottish Highlands. Despite scrutiny from the local farmers who are convinced the wolves will do more harm than good, Inti and her team must monitor the wolves and do everything they can to prove how vital they are to the environment. But when tragedy strikes, Inti panics - if she doesn't act quick, the men will kill the wolves and ruin her entire regeneration project. Her rash decision could not only cost her the wolves, but also her freedom.

There were so many elements I loved in Migrations and I'm thrilled that Once There Were Wolves retained those same things - a strong yet flawed female protagonist, a wild and immersive setting, this time in the bleak forests of Scotland and environmental impacts that will quickly become reality if we don't start treating this Earth with more respect. Add to that a number of twists that caught me way off guard and you have the recipe for a five-star read.

I listened to the audiobook for this one and would highly recommend. I listened at every opportunity, unable to leave the story hanging. By the end, I was racing to find out what happened, fully absorbed in the tension and unfolding drama. It was fast-paced without feeling rushed - if anything, I didn't want it to end and could have happily stayed tuned for an extra few hours.

If you haven't yet read Once There Were Wolves, I highly urge you to. You certainly won't forget it in a hurry.

McCconaghy’s follow up to her best-selling Migrations takes the subject of wolf conservation as the focal point. Inti Flynn, a wolf biologist, comes to Scotland to work on a project that seeks to reintroduce wolves to the Scottish Highlands. The hope is that the reintroduction of the wolves will mean the regrowth of forests and the recalibration of ecosystems. There is much here about rewilding land, and the importance of predators to that goal.

On one level, then, the story is about the natural world, and the flora and fauna that are essential for the ecosystem. On another level, McConaghy twines the wildness of the wolves with the danger of humans. Inti believes that humans are the real danger, but when a local man is murdered, it looks like her beloved wolves will take the blame.

So, this is a conservation narrative, but it’s also a murder mystery. It’s also the history of Inti and her once vivacious twin Aggie, who now won’t speak and refuses to leave their cottage. And it’s a love story. There are a lot of threads here, and while I liked the narrative about the wolves and the sisters, particularly in the earlier part of the book, the story as a whole didn’t work for me.

McConaghy tries to do a lot in a relatively short page count. While I thought the early lives of the twins unfolded well, the situation that led to Aggie being a shadow of her former self, and Inti becoming disillusioned with the world needed more space. It didn’t feel fully believable to me, though there were elements, where McConaghy was comparing the wolves with the dangerous behaviour of men, that I thought did work well. I just wanted that story to be given more space.

I felt similarly about the love story. I thought it happened too fast and developed too quickly. And I didn’t feel that there was much of substance there to explain why those two people would be drawn to each other. And I thought that some of Inti’s behaviour, without spoiling anything, was problematic and nonsensical.

I didn’t think the murder mystery worked that well either, unfortunately. It was obviously there to further McConaghy’s exploration of the danger of wolves versus people, but it was pretty obvious who the murderer was. Again, without spoiling anything, that’s a trope I really dislike. I also thought Inti getting involved in the investigation was farfetched and wouldn’t have been tolerated by any responsible police force.

So, sadly, there was a lack of believability and development here for me that hindered my enjoyment of the book. It’s really unfortunate, because it started really strongly, and I was enjoying the writing. The characters, on the whole, were good: I just didn’t enjoy the story woven around them for the most part. And I really disliked the ending for one of the characters. Sadly, it felt like a disservice to the story of the sisters to me, and I really wasn’t happy with it.

Unfortunately, this book was a let down for me, but I did enjoy the writing style and the character work, so hopefully another McConaghy book will work better for me.

TW: Violence, parental separation, rape, violence to animals

Once There Were Wolves is an atmospheric and challenging novel about Australian conservationist Inti Flynn, who arrives in Scotland to reintroduce wolves into the wild there. As such, she experiences both positive and negative viewpoints from the local (and wider) community. Accompanying her is her twin sister, Aggie, who is traumatised by prior events and who, she hopes, will find some solace and healing in the Scottish Highlands.

Obviously, the reintroduction of any animal back into the wild is a complicated and controversial subject, with many views from all sides. I felt that McConaghy handled these sensitively and balanced them well. However, I did feel that, whilst both Inti and Aggie are well drawn, the secondary characters are less fleshed-out, and there were times when I was questioning various characters’ actions or motivations — the protagonist included, as I felt Inti really difficult to connect with. I expected some of her decisions to be met with more consequences than they actually are, for example.

The descriptions — especially the setting — were beautiful, but at its core Once There Were Wolves is dark, melodramatic, and gruesome. There’s a lot of abuse in this novel, both human-to-human and human-to-animal, and at times I had to put this book aside to give myself a rest from this. Alongside the main issue of the rewilding of wolves in Scotland there are some subplots — including a murder mystery — that I felt didn’t really add to the value of the book, and were rather distracting in places.

All in all, Once There Were Wolves is a complicated and challenging read, once which both celebrates wolves and the natural world but also questions the impact of humanity on fellow humankind, animals, and the world. An intriguing and thought-provoking novel, but one which left me feeling unsettled and dissatisfied.

I received an e-ARC from the publisher, Random House UK, through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a complicated book but I am so glad I read it. There were some hard items to read, and I had to put the book down a few times and then go back to it. I really got into the head of Inti and she is very conflicted character.

Great writing and will definitely look for more by this author but be prepared for a long and difficult read - these are good.

I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.

I loved the descriptions of Scotland, the wolves and it made me understand the passion and the hard work of conservationists.
I wasn't a fan of the humans: Intl isn't a likeable character as she's bossy and doesn't care for laws or rules in order to achieve what she wants.
The author is a good storyteller and I liked the style of writing.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I was swept up in the narrative of this book and could barely put it down. The plot is so relevant to the current world situation of the climate crisis, and it was fascinating hearing about how rewilding with predators can completely change ecosystems. Not only that, but the charatcer of Inti was engaging and her relationship with Aggie was so well drawn. It touches on issues of domestic violence and mental health that are really important to discuss. There is one part near the end that stretches your belief slightly, but it does make sense within the narrative of the story, and I loved the rest so much that I'll forgive McConaghy that.

First of all, it was a page-turner from start to finish. I read it in a day and that isn't normal for me. I had so many theories about what might happen, the whodunnits and whydunnits. I was so intrigued by the main character Inti and her ability to feel touch and sensation that other beings experienced. I enjoyed learning more about her and Aggie's twin relationship. 💕

I predicted the killer about 75% of the way in (it was an ebook and I checked!) but that didn't detract from the read because everything that came after had been second-guessing everything that I thought I knew. 😅

The best part was the characterisation of the wolves and how deeply McConaghy made you feel for them. I celebrated their success and felt their hurt throughout the book. I think something that denotes such a strong emotion is worthy of praise.

I will definitely be adding McConaghy to my author radar because I think this is something really special. 🙌

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this novel for an honest review. It is set to be published in January 2022.

"Once There Were Wolves" by Charlotte McConaghy was a revelation.
By far, the best novel I've read in a long time.
It has everything you might want: complex, three-dimensional characters who undergo a lot of growth through the story; a compelling plot; a beautiful background setting; an unforgettably eery atmosphere; and of course, wolves!
The novel is riveting and exceptionally well-researched, full of unforeseeable twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat until the very last page (I thought I had guessed who the culprit was, but of course I was wrong, and the brilliant big reveal in the end blindsided me completely).
The only thing I'd like to point out is, this is NOT a book for readers who are easily squicked by cruelty against animals. I don't consider myself easily squicked, but I had a pretty bad time digesting some of the scenes in this book!
I didn't know much about rewilding projects before reading this book, and I didn't know anything at all about the mirror-touch syndrome. Kudos to the author for educating me without boring me or coming across as pedantic, and for enticing me to do some research of my own on these subjects, after finishing the novel.
I believe the haunting, magical atmospheres in this book will stay with me for a long time, and I know I'm going to check out the author's other works, because her writing style is amazing.

This was my most anticipated read of 2022.
Did it deliver? Yes! Did I give it 5 stars? ABSOLUTELY !!!!

Close your eyes, imagine yourself in the forest right now. You’re there yet?
Ahoooooooooooooo 🐺

THIS BOOK! McConaghy is an absolute auto-buy author. I had really enjoyed her debut novel Migrations but this one? This was everything I needed this month. I know for a fact I will be getting a physical copy of it when it comes out.

You’re nearly better off diving in without knowing too much, other than you’ll be following 2 sisters from Canada to Scotland for a rewilding project involving Wolves, nature, secrets and of course incredible characters who you will love and hate along the way. The pacing is perfect, the writing style is perfect, the characters are flawed to perfection, what am I missing? Oh yes of course… the wolves! Well, they’re simply fascinating.

Ok, enough said, just read it!
5 🐺🐺🐺🐺🐺

“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. He said we might survive this mistake if we would a way to rewild ourselves. But I don’t know how to do that when our existence frightens the creatures we must reconnect with”.

Trigger warning: Rape, domestic violence, estranged parents/separation, violence

I seldom make claims such as this one, and I am aware it is only January, but I can say this is the best book of 2022 and has gone down in history as one of my favourite reads ever. I want to thank @Netgalley @VintageBooks for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This story is about Inti Flynn, a conversationalist from Australia, leading a project to rewild Wolves in the rural parts of the Scottish Highlands and the hostility she experiences from the local farmers who threaten to shoot the animals on sight. One of the farmers is murdered and suddenly Inti’s decision to protect the wolves may result in someone getting away with murder. It is the spellbinding story of one woman’s determination to protect her sister, the wild animals she loves and the natural world – no matter the cost.

The emotional connect I experienced when reading this book is indescribable and against the setting of lush green landscapes and dense forests which housed striking wildlife, I was able to lose myself in the atmosphere created. Led by a strong female protagonist who has a unique condition, mirror-touch synaesthesia, she physically endures the experiences of other sentient beings if she witnesses it. The existence of this condition makes for an incredibly interesting read and forms the basis of very impactful narrative in the plot. Inti’s parents come from different schools of thought and the battle she experiences in establishing herself and her beliefs from the beginning make for a fascinating read. The fact that every single person feels represented and yet there are no right answers, no “heroes or villains”, nothing is clear as black and white and every character is speckled with grey is something I particularly loved about this book. Although the story flips back and forth between Inti’s present day and her childhood, growing up with her twin-sister, and their later life, McConaghy writes a convincing tale which is engaging, filled with suspense and will have the reader hooked till the very end. The issue of human impact on ecosystems and climate change are addressed in a fictious setting and different to anything I have ever come across before. I have added McConaghy’s Migrations to my TBR pile and cannot wait to read more from this author.

This is a pretty extreme story that taps into ideas of human safety, responsibility and love, hitting hard on difficult topics and written for maximum impact.

Inti Flynn arrives in Scotland with a mission to rewild the country, starting by reintroducing wolves as the apex predator to spark land regeneration. She is a damaged character, alongside her twin sister Aggie, and her arrival in the local close-knit community leads to conflicts and explosions as the controversial wolf project begins.

There's a lot going on in this book, some extreme scenes and some significant issues explored, it is almost feverish in tone at some points and there are questions for the reader around Inti's integrity and intentions with regard to both people and wolves.

An all round fascinating read that is thought provoking and complex.

My thanks to Random House U.K. Vintage Chatto and Windus for an advance review copy of ‘Once There Were Wolves’ by Charlotte McConaghy in exchange for an honest review.

I adore wolves and have followed their reintroduction to areas in the USA. The idea of reintroducing them to the Scottish Highlands and other parts of Europe has been considered over the years, though to date there are no wild wolves in the U.K., only in captivity.

In this powerful novel biologist Inti Flynn arrives in Scotland with her twin sister, Aggie, to lead a team that have been tasked with reintroducing fourteen gray wolves into the remote Highlands. In addition to bringing renewal to the landscape, Inti hopes that her sister will find healing from the terrible events that drove the sisters from Alaska.

There is a great deal of resistance from the local community about the wolves. I don’t want to reveal too much about the plot though there is also a mystery linked to the death of a local farmer.

Charlotte McConaghy goes into great detail about the reintroduction of the wolves and it’s clear that she has done a great deal of research into this area of conservation as well as about wolves.

In addition, she plays her cards close in relation to what happened in Alaska. We know Aggie is deeply traumatised and no longer speaks. She is a shadowy presence, keeping apart from everyone except Inti. Interestingly, Inti is an empath with mirror-touch synesthesia, a rare condition that I have never encountered before this novel.

I will warn that there are some scenes that can be triggering in terms of domestic abuse, violence, and animal deaths. Wolves are apex predators and also evoke strong feelings, both positive and negative.

Overall, I found this an amazing novel that moved me deeply, not only because of the wolves but also for its exploration of the dynamics between its human characters. Charlotte McConaghy has an economical style and incorporates a great deal into ‘The Coming of Wolves’ despite its modest length. I admire this quality, especially when combined with beautifully written prose.

The setting of the Scottish Highlands was spectacular and I felt that Charlotte McConaghy really captured its wildness as well as the culture clash between the scientists and locals resentful and fearful of these changes.

‘The Coming of Wolves’ was a definite winner for me! Highly recommended.

I'm honestly at a loss right now. There are just some books that make you feel so deeply, that resonate with the most hidden, buried parts of yourself, that you can't put it into coherent words. Charlotte McConaghy's books do just that for me. Her "Migrations" is one of my favourite books of all time, and while "Once There Were Wolves" doesn't reach the heights of its predecessor, it still is, already, one of the best books I will read this entire year.

I don't know how she does it, but McConaghy has this way of making you feel every sentence of her book deep in your heart and soul. Her writing is gorgous, her themes hit hard, and the devotion to nature is palpable in every word on the page. Maybe it is that, maybe it's the way her stories are rooted in this deeply moving love for nature that moves me so much. While in "Migrations", the protagonists follows what might be the last ever flight of the last Arctic terns after humans wrecked the world, "Once There Were Wolves" takes place in a world that we haven't managed to wreck entirely just yet. Animals still live, and rewildering programs try to save the environment by, in this case, reintroducing wolves to it. It's just fascinating to read about, and I cannot get over how much influence a single wolf can have on nature. It's mesmerizing, it's moving, and it makes me want to do so much more to save this world than I already do.
Conaghy connects this theme of nature and humanity's impact on it with more immediately human themes as well. There is a mystery of who killed a frankly horrible person and whether it might have been a wolf, and it's intriguing and ends in a way that made my heart ache. There are multiple stories of abuse that are, at times, hard to read. Inti is a complex protagonist that I loved to follow, as well. The side characters aren't quite fleshed out, which is a little sad because I especially would have loved to know more about Inti's crew, but that is probably the only complaint I have.

This is an incredible book and McConaghy is an autobuy author for me. Also I am now neck deep into articles and books about wolves, so there's that. I'm honestly not sure if any 2022 book will be able to top the experience I had with this one.

Just beautiful......as awe inspiring as the natural world Charlotte writes about.
I cannot say anything more, I am beyond words.
Heartfelt thanks to all for the ARC.

Charlotte McConaghy's second novel, Once There Were Wolves, is told from the point of view of Inti, a biologist leading a project that aims to reintroduce wolves into the Scottish Highlands. As the team's botanist explains early in the novel, the removal of an apex predator like the wolf has consequences for an entire ecosystem: 'With their return the landscape will change for the better - more habitats for wildlife will be created, soil health increased, flood waters reduced, carbon emissions captured.' Alongside her work on the rewilding project, Inti cares for her twin sister Aggie, who is unable to talk or look after herself due to a traumatic event in the sisters' past. However, as she comes into conflict with the local farmers, and a romance sparks between her and a local police officer, Inti becomes increasingly embroiled in this community.

I had problems with Sarah Hall's The Wolf Border, which, although set in Cumbria, has a very similar premise to this novel, largely because I felt it focused too much on its protagonist's personal life and not enough on the reintroduction of wolves. However, in comparison to Once There Were Wolves, The Wolf Border is a masterwork. This sentimental potboiler throws in all the dramatic story beats it can - domestic abuse, murder, pregnancy, animal killings - but remains dull and predictable. It also draws heavily from a bag of twee fiction tropes: identical twins, a woman struck silent who communicates in her own invented sign language, uncertainty over who is real and what is not. To top it all off, Inti has mirror touch synesthesia - she feels as if she is being touched when she sees someone else being touched - a condition which serves no purpose in the novel other than to give McConaghy the opportunity to write cheesy and/or cheaply shocking lines, such as the novel's opening sentence: 'When we were eight, Dad cut me open from throat to stomach.' It reminded me, weirdly, of Carole Johnstone's Mirrorland, which I disliked for similar reasons.

SPOILERS FOLLOW.

As if this weren't enough, Inti is a horribly unsympathetic protagonist, reacting with blind emotion again and again in ways that damage both other people and the wolves she wants so desperately to protect, although even this doesn't seem to matter to her when she decides one wolf is to blame for all the problems the pack have been having, and, in a fit of rage, determines to execute it herself.. There are never any consequences for her actions, even when she destroys a man's kneecap with a crowbar (ouch!). To deliver a happy ending for Inti and her sister, McConaghy makes some totally implausible narrative choices, both in terms of practical detail and characterisation - I love nuanced conflicts and character growth, but there was no way Red would have come round to her as easily as he did, especially as she is an idiot, and no police officer could cover up the fact that Stuart was killed by a knife and not by a wolf.

SPOILERS END.

If you want a story about a female protagonist learning about herself with wolves as a backdrop, I'd recommend Hall's The Wolf Border instead - whereas if, like me, you are really fascinated by the politics of rewilding and the way biologists might work with local communities, I'd suggest you turn to Barbara Kingsolver's excellent Prodigal Summer.

What an extraordinary book!

Dark, atmospheric and gruesome - are the three words that best describe “Once There Were Wolves”.

Synopsis -

Inti and her team of biologists are tasked with rewilding the forests of Scottish Highlands by introducing wolves. She and her inseparable twin have had a unique upbringing, with a father who lived in the woods of British Columbia and a mother, a cop in Sydney. With a fresh start in Scotland, the twins seek refuge from their difficult past. At the same time, they need to confront the new challenges posed by the wolves and people they now need to co-exist with.

Review -

The narrative moves back and forth between Inti and Aggie’s present and their past – right from childhood through adulthood in Alaska. I fell in love with Inti’s persona and was fascinated to learn about a certain “condition” that she has. The sisters aren’t just look-alikes, but they share a profound connection on an intrinsic level. The depth of their bonding and its portrayal was simply remarkable.

McConaghy’s prose is spellbinding. Her writing magically transports us to the small town near the edge of the Scottish forests. Her descriptions are so evocative that they make us feel the wind and the cold, hear whisper of the trees and the howling of the wolves.

Growing up in the forests, guided by her father’s wisdom, it is in this wilderness, among the trees, that Inti feels at home and these wolves are what she is passionate about. Some of the revelations from the twins’ past are shocking, viscerally raw and highly disturbing.

Flawed, vulnerable and uninhibited, Inti’s journey is breath-taking, as she picks her battles and deals with conflicts of interest between the townspeople and the animals she holds dear.

The book felt like a memoir at times, but at its heart, it deals with so many subjects – climate change, man versus nature, love and mental health – binding them all so beautifully with an element of suspense. There was just so much to learn about these wonderful creatures - wolves and their impact on reforestation.

I highly recommend this powerful, haunting novel that will stay with me for a long time.

Thanks NetGalley and Random House UK, Vintage for the ARC in exchange of an honest review!

Such a unique voice.
Ms McConaghy, Once There We’re Wolves has been a privilege to read, your passion for the plight of our planet shines through with each sentence, as does your recognition, frustration and understanding of the flawed nature of humanity.

I loved it.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Phenomenal, powerful and satisfyingly gripping read. Sisters Inti and Aggie have recently arrived in Scotland where Inti is leading a project to reintroduce wolves to the Scottish highlands. Their past is troubled and both women have arrived with a sense of fear and distrust of humans. They know forests, they grew up in them thanks to their father. Will the locals accept the wolves (and Inti)? And why is Aggie unable to speak? What happened to the two women before they arrived in Scotland? And can the wolves be assimilated into the ecosystem? This was a soaring homage to nature as well as the frailties of us human beings. The descriptions of woodland, countryside and of course the wolves themselves really took my breath away. An astonishingly well-written thriller. I'll be buying this for my loved ones.

This was such a rare gem of a novel. I absolutely loved the writing - so vivid and raw, and absorbing. The message was beautiful, and I wish there more books like this! The main character was interesting and flawed which made it more believable apart from the slightly over the top ending. But overall - an absolutely special read!