My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Many Thanks to Net Galley, Greenleaf Book Group and the author for a chance to read and review this book. All opinions are expressed voluntarily.

Very recently a popular actor in Indian cinema passed away and a case of suspected suicide was registered. The uproar that erupted is still creating a media storm. There are some claiming friendship milking the tragedy for what it’s worth, there are some for no fault of theirs paying a hefty price as fans have gone berserk, then there are the politicians making hay amidst the mayhem, then there are the genuine fans who are left bereft losing a talented actor who feel that as each day a new allegation arises, he’s being killed again and again. Well, in this age of painstaking scrutiny, no peace for the dead too. But the fact that emerges out of this pandemonium is very simple, it is the need to understand why the suicide happened and if at all, if it really was one?

This is what reverberated in my mind as I read this touching and emotional story about a teenager who loses her soulmate brother to death. The chapters that captures the misery of the family was devastating that I did take a break from reading and shed a few tears.

Bean is the youngest of four siblings, but it is Sam that she’s closest to in more ways than one. The love that binds them together is beyond words that can ever be described. His loss is therefore insurmountable but when her mother collapses completely and refuses to emerge out of the fog and care for her other children, Bean takes over the task as caretaker and glues the family together.
The journey she undertakes with her best friend Julie to understand Sam was necessary for her survival and I loved how the author has shown the deep friendship between the 2 girls caring for each other and sharing the pain and heartache.
Every part of the story in dealing with the sorrow and the spiritual journey that Bean and her mother believes in were wonderfully done. The author serves as an advocate for wolves and she has clearly used her experience in blending a mystery with the natural elements using the forests and Innuit beliefs beautifully for this tragic tale of loss and overcoming grief.

For all readers who have had to endure grief, this book is definitely gonna melt your hearts! Brilliant.

This review is published in my blog https://rainnbooks.wordpress.com/; Amazon India, Goodreads, and Twitter.

A tragic mystery blending sleuthing and spirituality

​An exploration in grief, suicide, spiritualism, and Inuit culture, Winter of the Wolf follows Bean, an empathic and spiritually evolved fifteen-year-old, who is determined to unravel the mystery of her brother Sam’s death. Though all evidence points to a suicide, her heart and intuition compel her to dig deeper. With help from her friend Julie, they retrace Sam’s steps, delve into his Inuit beliefs, and reconnect with their spiritual beliefs to uncover clues beyond material understanding. 

Both tragic and heartwarming, this twisting novel draws you into Bean’s world as she struggles with grief, navigates high school dramas, and learns to open her heart in order to see the true nature of the people around her. Winter of the Wolf is about seeking the truth—no matter how painful—in order to see the full picture.

In this novel, environmentalist and award-winning author, Martha Handler, brings together two important pieces of her life—the death of her best friend’s son and her work as president of the Wolf Conservation Center—to tell an empathetic and powerful story with undeniable messages.