This is the story of Feo, a near feral child who lives in the back-of-beyond in pre-revolutionary Russia with her mother. They 'wild' domesticated wolves that have grown up to be utterly unsuitable as pets. When her mother defies the evil General Rakov from the Imperial Army, she is whisked away to prison, and it falls to Feo and Ilya, who deserts from the army, to save her. Theirs is a savage and difficult life. Russian snow is cold, Russian forests are dangerous. Wolves are dangerous - unless you know how to handle them, as Feo does. This is a rattling good yarn, in the tradition of all good fairy tales. Children and animals can outwit adults, Good Will Prevail, and the innocent will get to live happily ever after. Deliciously, wittily written, this would make a perfect present for a 10 year old and the 10 year old's parents. I hope so. I know a 10 year old who'll be getting this for Christmas. ( )

A compelling story of courage, nature and revolution. Twelve-year-old Feodora is a wolf wilder, teaching captive wolves to become wild again. When a corrupt general threatens her family (including her wolf friends), she sets off to rescue her mother and exact her revenge. She is aided by a growing group of other children, who come with her to fight while the adults discuss whether they should fight back or do nothing and hope to avoid further angering the general.

Beautifully written. I loved the friendship between Feodora and the wolves, who protect her and welcome Ilya into their pack. ( )

OK, let me say upfront that I really like Katherine Rundell's writing. This novel, set in the frozen woods of Russia, pits a mother (Marina) and her daughter (Feo) against a sociopathic general (Rakov), who steals and kills at the supposed behest of the Tsar. Mother and daughter work to return "domesticated" wolves to the wild when their inherent nature overcomes their training since killing wolves is bad luck. When Rakov starts persecuting them due to a slaughtered elk, Feo fights back, partially blinding the General, who imprisons the mother. Feo escapes with a few wolves, and starts planning the rescue of her mother. Befriended by a young soldier, together they find unexpected allies and mount a daring rescue. A little slow at times, this is about the human spirit, battling oppression, bonding with wild animals, and friendship. 4.25 stars. ( )

I'm not crying, you're crying! So much love for every single bit if this book!!!

This story was so beautiful! I loved it start to finish and only paused it briefly to recover in the middle when it tried to rip my heart out... I will say no more for fear of spoilers, but I cannot recommend this story enough! ( )

I'm not crying, you're crying! So much love for every single bit if this book!!!

This story was so beautiful! I loved it start to finish and only paused it briefly to recover in the middle when it tried to rip my heart out... I will say no more for fear of spoilers, but I cannot recommend this story enough! ( )