“Once There Were Wolves” is a fast-paced environmental thriller by Charlotte McConaghy. The story is told from the perspective of Inti Flynn, a woman struggling to reconcile her outlook on life after having witnessed her sister being physically and sexually abused.

Inti loves the natural world and connects with wild creatures, especially wolves, which she’s been fascinated by since her years living in the forest in childhood. While working with her team to introduce wolves into the Scottish Highlands, a man is murdered, and the wolves fall under suspicion. Inti makes a daring choice to hide the creatures from scrutiny.

At the same time, Inti is grappling to understand the violence that lurks within herself and seems latent in every individual. The darkness of human nature is woven into the novel in a complex and compelling way, and is compared to the violence exhibited by wolves, which they need to survive.

‘Once There Were Wolves’ Summary: Twin Sisters Surviving Violence at Home and in the Wild

Biologist Inti Flynn was born with a rare neurological condition called mirror-touch synesthesia. She feels physical sensations that other beings near her are experiencing. She and her twin sister, Aggie, grow up living on and off with their mother in Sydney, Australia and their father in British Columbia. Their father lives off the land and believes that compassion is the answer to all conflict. Their mother is a hardened detective who believes humans are innately evil and can’t be trusted.

After their troubled father disappears, the sisters continue living together into adulthood, even during Aggie’s troubled marriage. Inti helps Aggie escape from her husband’s violence, but the trauma causes Aggie to stop speaking. They move to the Scottish Highlands where biologist Inti supports a team of scientists attempting to reintroduce wolves into the wild.

Throughout “Once There Were Wolves,” author Charlotte McConaghy explores the violence that lurks in all of us and what compels some people to act out while others imagine lashing out but suppress their urges somehow.

When a man is brutally murdered and one of the wolves introduced into the wild is on the suspect list, Inti is determined to shelter the wolves from suspicion and learn what really happened. Is man or beast responsible for this man’s death? Read this review and this book to find out.

Books Like ‘Once There Were Wolves’

Although “Once There Were Wolves” stands on its own as a unique piece of writing, McConaghy’s other books, including ‘”Wild Dark Shore,” fall into the genre of environmental thrillers. Another captivating read that’s similar to McConaghy’s works is John Yunker’s “The Tourist Trail” and “All the Birds Singing” by Evie Wyld, which follows a woman with a dark past as she attempts to build a new life on a remote sheep farm.

Editorial Note: Read our full review of “Wild Dark Shore.”

Audience and Genre: Compelling For Wolf- and Nature-Lovers

“Once There Were Wolves” will appeal to readers who are concerned about environmental issues and the natural world, as well as wolf enthusiasts. Readers who enjoy thrillers and mind-bending plots will also enjoy the book.

McConaghy’s novel is classified as a thriller, eco-fiction and contemporary fiction. This thriller with an environmental focus is a one-of-a-kind book. The exploration of the latent violence lurking in humans and why some people act out while others don’t is thought-provoking.

Readers who are invested in the environment and who long to see balance in nature where animals in their native habitats are given a chance to survive will connect to this book. Ranchers and farmers who think only human desires and needs matter — or who hate wolves and want them all dead — will dislike this book.

“Once There Were Wolves” is an ideal title for this book. It embodies how we may notice how something once was and is later lost — similar to how there used to be a crystal-clear body of water that is now contaminated or there was once a forest and recently it has been cleared to make way for an office complex.

McConaghy’s book will have the most emotional impact on readers who care about nature. Readers who enjoy thrillers and books which explore the complexity of human nature will also find it compelling.

Perspective: First-Person Narration Builds Suspense

“Once There Were Wolves” is written in first-person from Inti’s point of view. The narration toggles between her present day and Inti and Aggie’s childhood years before arriving in Scotland. Flashbacks help readers understand how she and her sister evolved into the women they are now. The time shifts build suspense and keep readers guessing.

Three Cs: Compelling, Clear, Concise

Editorial Note: We believe these three factors are important for evaluating general writing quality across every aspect of the book. Before you get into further analysis, here’s a quick breakdown to clarify how we’re using these words:

• Compelling: Does the author consistently write in a way that would make most readers emotionally invested in the book’s content?
• Clear: Are most sentences and parts of the book easy enough to read and understand?
• Concise: Are there sections or many sentences that could be cut? Does the book have pacing problems?

The haunting and compelling plot of “Once There Were Wolves” keeps readers guessing. Inti is a complex character, and readers will want to understand past events that molded her into the person she is. They will want to know if it is a wolf or a man who murdered the abusive husband in the new town where the two sisters are living. Readers learn to expect the unexpected from the beginning and are kept in a state of uncertainty and suspense.

Sentences are well-written and easy to follow. The first few paragraphs flummoxed me initially because it read like Inti’s dad was cutting his daughter until I realized Inti had mirror-touch synesthesia and felt what was being done to the animal. After I understood that, I re-read this section, and it made sense.

“Once There Were Wolves” seemed an appropriate length and was well paced.

Compelling: Intriguing Characters

Inti plays the starring role in this book, but Aggie and Duncan are other complex characters that readers will likely connect with. In addition, McConaghy introduces some of the wolves in a way that helps readers understand these fascinating wild creatures.

Inti, Aggie and Duncan are all broken due to witnessing or experiencing violence and are struggling to find successful strategies to move forward. Inti’s unusual neurological condition and her affinity for wolves and the natural world draw the reader into the story initially.

Inti’s involvement with nature and the wolves serves as a balm for her suffering, but she has largely cut herself off from human connections. Flashbacks help readers grasp the depth of each character and what led each on their current path.

Readers are invited to ride the roller coaster of emotions Inti experiences. Anger is the emotion most often explored in the story.

Clear: Who Killed the Abusive Husband?

“Once There Were Wolves” engages readers and brings them into each scene through description and action. Sentences flow freely and are not difficult to follow. Writing is clear and the book has been professionally edited. I did not notice any typos in the work.

The plot was straightforward. Essentially readers are confronted with the murder of a man who had been abusing his wife and try to piece together which human or wolf is the murderer. Inti’s neurological condition also contributes to the plot because it enables her to experience things in a complex way that brings readers closer to the action. No plot holes seemed apparent in the work.

Concise: A Well-Paced Novel

“Once There Were Wolves” was well-paced and a satisfying length at 256 pages. Word choice seemed appropriate. No dictionary was needed to read this book. Often a scene would leave the reader hanging at the end of a chapter and then the next one would jump to a different time, which kept the reader on edge, making them wait for the resolution. The ending felt satisfying and wasn’t rushed.

Character Development: Wolf and Human Characters

McConaghy develops a cast of damaged and complex characters. Inti, Aggie and Duncan have all suffered from abuse and incidents of violence. Wolf characters — identified by numbers so researchers don’t feel as attached to them — add dimension to the story, helping readers to care more about their plight and how man threatens their survival. For example, readers experience the suffering wolves feel over the loss of a mate after Nine is killed and Six continues to call out for him for hours every night.

Flashbacks gave Aggie’s and Inti’s characters more depth. Dialogue (internal and verbal) and character interactions helped connect readers with the humans and the wolves central to the story.

As a child and young adult, Inti adopts her dad’s view of the world: “compassion was the most important thing we could learn.” But after she witnesses Gus’s violent abuse of her sister, she gravitates toward seeing the world through the hardened lens of her domestic crime scene investigator mother. In one scene, Inti thinks, “Mum was right, she was so fucking right I am embarrassed, and now I have had enough, I have no more forgiveness left.”

Once Inti adopts this hardness, she withdraws from people, unable to trust them because her vision of everyone is blurred by hatred and anger. She doesn’t want to hear how the locals feel about the introduction of the wolves. She is defensive and dismissive of their concerns.

When she and Duncan become romantically involved, she sees him as another enemy. Their relationship seems doomed to failure.

Over time Inti forms friendships in the small community. She starts to realize that cooperation and communication are required for her project to succeed. Her relationship moves forward once she is willing to try to understand Duncan, rather than judging him.

The author did not intrude on the reading experience. In fact, her empathy for nature and her research made it feel realistic.

In a PBS Books interview, McConaghy explained the inspiration for her novel and what she aimed to explore in the book. She immersed herself in research reports pertaining to the reintroduction of wolves in Yellowstone National Park and read about Pando, a type of quaking aspen in Sevier Utah, that appears to be a forest but is genetically a single tree. These accounts helped her understand how wolves support the complex dynamics of the land.

Herbivores serve as prey for wolves. Deer and other herbivores, in excess, harm tree populations. Introducing wolves to an area can help increase the populations of aspens, willows, and cottonwood trees and improve habitat diversity.

The author’s father worked on a small farm. This background helped McConaghy understand concerns that people working the land would have if an apex predator were re-introduced to their area. She recognized that bringing wolves on the scene would make their already difficult lives harder.

McConaghy’s love for nature shines through in Inti’s character. In the PBS Books interview, McConaghy expresses her distress that wolves have been slaughtered and villainized throughout human history and said that she wanted to convey a truth that doesn’t often get portrayed, that wolves are gentle, family-oriented creatures, stating, “They’re not out hunting people.”

She believes that the historical human attitude has been a need to kill anything wild and assert power over it. She gave each wolf a different personality and brought them to life so readers could understand them. McConaghy wanted individuals to learn to love and connect with them as individuals.

Story: A Vulnerable Lead Character with a Rare Neurological Disorder

“Once There Were Wolves” engages the reader from the get-go when readers learn Inti has mirror-touch synesthesia and is a fragile, vulnerable individual. They will want to know what caused her twin sister to stop speaking, if Inti’s wolf re-introduction program succeeds and who is responsible for a local murder. Questions arise early on in the story, compelling the reader to want to know more.

The story melds family drama, nature story and thriller. The ending was satisfying, although I found it far-fetched (spoiler alert) for two reasons. First, I found it improbable that Inti would pursue and kill the wolf suspected of murder instead of staying with the man she loves who may be mortally wounded, especially given her late stage of pregnancy. Secondly, it felt unlikely that Inti didn’t identify Aggie as Stuart’s murderer and Duncan’s attacker, given their intimate connection.

The title “Once There Were Wolves” hits the nail on the head, reminding readers that no wild place is as it once was due to man’s thoughtlessness.

Prose Style: Vivid Descriptions, Action-Oriented Scenes

“Once There Were Wolves” is action-packed, bringing readers to the scene through vivid descriptions, conflict and dialogue. McConaghy’s writing is haunting and compelling and enables readers to experience a range of emotions. There is a good balance of narrative and dialogue.

Below are a few examples of sentences and phrases that portray McConaghy’s skills and style.

Inti’s finds one of the strongest male wolves dead after it has been needlessly killed: “Wild, floundering despair and a rage so hot I think I will scream, or vomit, or turn and strangle Red by the throat. Instead I sink to the ground beside Nine and place my trembling hands in his fur as I never would have done when he was alive.”

Inti describes the dead wolf and, as more emotions surface: “There is blood in Nine’s fur. I can’t yet see where he was shot. But his eyes are open and glassy and his tongue is lolling out, and the sight is so upsetting that I feel a shift come upon me. This feeling is why we don’t give them names. Why we don’t get too near to them. Because they are so fragile.”

A central theme in the story is how man’s disconnection to nature has led to carelessness with it: “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 found a way to rewild ourselves.”

Inti reacts after she darts a wolf and inadvertently punctures her lung, causing her death: “My own lungs stopped working, but I don’t know if it was because of my mirror-touch or because I was sobbing so hard. In all that time spent in the forest I had never killed a living thing. The moment was unbearable, sitting there with her fur between my fingers. I had been watching her for months, learning her, caring for her. I began to wonder if what we were doing was right. If our involvement in their lives was too much. We were trying to save them but we killed them sometimes, too. We stomped through the world and crumpled things where we walked, too human, not creature enough.”

Inti describes finding a beloved wolf ruthlessly murdered and feeling rage: “Old Number Fourteen, the gray wolf who survived all manner of threat and led his family from the pens to safety. Decapitated, his head hanging from a noose, all four paws cut off and draped around the four points of the sign.

I stop being a woman, a human, an animal, whatever I was. I am fury dressed in flesh.”

Literary devices used in “Once There Were Wolves” include flashbacks, metaphor and symbolism. The wolves, like humans, act in ways that are unpredictable. Wolf violence is linked to survival whereas human violence is often purely reactive.

Reading this book led me to believe the author cared about nature, felt connected to wolves and found humans needlessly violent while animals only kill to survive.

Dialogue: Brings Depth to Characters

Dialogue is important in this story. It feels realistic and compelling, helping readers to better understand characters and the developing conflicts.

The amount of dialogue, internal and spoken, felt balanced. There wasn’t too much dialogue or too much narrative, and it was always clear who was speaking.

Setting: Vivid Outdoor Descriptions of the Scottish Highlands

The setting for “Once There Were Wolves” is primarily the Scottish Highlands, although flashbacks take readers to Denali, Alaska, Sydney, Australia and British Columbia.

McConaghy is concerned about the environment and devotes a lot of space to describing the beautiful outdoors, wild animals and what is threatened or marred by man’s presence. Her descriptions felt realistic. Her Scottish heritage and visits to these highland forests enabled her to describe each scene so that readers would feel as if they had been transported there.

She describes places in a way that helps readers connect with man’s vulnerability in these wild places. People seem out of place and in danger out in the forest and there is a suggestion that humans are fragile and vulnerable and rather incompetent to cope with natural conditions.

Rhetoric: Readers Experience Rewilding of a Landscape

In the book’s acknowledgements, McConaghy opens with, “I wrote this novel out of a sense of profound distress over the loss of our natural world.” She wrote the book so readers could experience the rewilding of a landscape and feel a connection to the wolves she weaves in as characters. A successful 1995 reintroduction of wolves in Yellowstone National Park served as her major inspiration for writing the story.

The book also explores how violence and anger can control and consume people if they become hardened so that they lose their ability to empathize with others. Most of the characters in the book feel compelled to be violent or kill but not all of them act on this impulse. There is a lot of exploration of this theme — what compels people to commit violent acts, protect those who commit violent acts and control these emotions. This cruel and violent side seemingly innate in humans often leads to mistreatment of people and animals in the story.

Readers witness the actions of people who lack empathy. Some people in the Scottish town see the wolves as the villains, but the author begs the question: Who are the real monsters? We see what people can become if they lack empathy for other humans and nature. People experience brokenness and suffering, and some find a path to healing while others lash out.

The subject of codependency is brought to light through Inti and Aggie’s relationship. They have lived together their entire lives. Their relationship provides protection but at the same time limits the ability of the two to live their own lives.

Cultural and Political Significance: We Live in a Time When the Natural World Faces Dire Threats

Every day, more land is swallowed up by development and, most recently, data centers. Money and greed take priority over preserving the homes of animals and plants. The author and many of us know that people need to learn to care about nature and demand change if it is to be saved.

“Once There Were Wolves” will anger readers who feel passionate about nature and maybe sow the seed of concern in those who haven’t previously considered the damage humans are inflicting on the natural world.

This book is written in modern times, when wolves and other species are needing to be introduced in many places after having been annihilated from an area due to man’s thoughtlessness. They were hunted to extinction in Scotland in the 1700s, and the government has no plans to reintroduce them.

“Once There Were Wolves” will resonate with people who care about the environment and the natural world. People mesmerized by anti-environment propaganda won’t get this book at all. They see corporate gain as having ultimate importance, nature as something to conquer. They are constantly in denial of scientific findings.

The eco-thriller genre can attract thriller and suspense readers who haven’t previously thought much about human impact on the natural world.

Critiquing the Critics: Should the Book Have Content Warnings?

Words used by Amazon reviewers to describe the writing are “suspenseful”, “haunting”, “lyrical”, “dark” and “emotional.” Bad reviews of this book were difficult to find, but some readers thought content warnings for the rape and sexual and physical violence should have been included in the book’s promos.

On the Amazon purchase page, Scientific American described the book as “suspenseful and poignant…[Inti’s] story unfolds as a meditation on the social and scientific consequences of influencing ecosystems, while reminding us that humans and animals alike can break our hearts.”

“[McConaghy] brings the reader into a world where humans have beaten the world into submission and out of balance, and mixes literary eco-fiction with elements of mystery and thriller novels,” said The Seattle Times.

Newsweek’s review included this phrase, “This heart-pounding novel digs into the complex relationships between humans and the creatures with whom we share the natural world.”

Book Aesthetic: Artistic Instead of Directly Depicting the Character

The “Once There Were Wolves” book cover shows Int walking through a forest at night. This imagery seems quite fitting since Inti was often out tracking the wolves or up to other mischief in the middle of the night. The black-of-night cover portrays the dark themes and violence explored in this novel. The main oddity is that Inti is wearing a dress, not the typical attire of a field biologist. She appears to be looking behind her as if she’s wanting to make sure no one sees what she’s up to.

The book’s cover leans toward the artistic but includes promotional elements. The front cover has “New York Times Bestseller” across the top and four review quotes appear on the back.

Coming Soon: ‘Once There Were Wolves’ TV Series

A six-episode TV series of “Once There Were Wolves” is in the works. An update will follow when this content is available for viewing.

Reviewer’s Personal Opinion: Natural World Bleeding to Death

“Once There Were Wolves” is the third book I’ve read by this author. I connect with the author’s writing style, share McConaghy’s concerns for the natural world and feel a deep connection to the outdoors and wild animals. I find spending time outdoors the best way to bring balance back to my life when I feel overwhelmed.

I’m saddened to see how careless humans have been in their treatment of wild animals and the earth. I have witnessed destruction of places where I live and visit due to man’s negligence. I’ve seen acres of saguaro forests disappear, trash washing up on beaches and the tops of hills chopped off to make room for buildings. Today it’s difficult to find and experience wild places untainted by man’s footprints. I can’t imagine how overwhelming this journey must be for animals.

The themes of violence and reconciling evil that a person has experienced with how a person moves forward is compelling. I know from personal experience how difficult it is to maintain a balanced approach to life after experiencing abuse and suffering. I’ve invested a lot of effort trying to preserve my compassion and empathy in a world of hostility, anger, non-tolerance and discrimination. But I believe fighting to maintain that goodness is the only hope for man and nature’s future. If everyone allowed the light in them to be extinguished due to all the evil in the world, the future for man and nature would be grim.

(spoiler alert) It upset me when Inti became so hardened during her pregnancy. I wanted her to feel more of an attachment to the unborn child. I also sometimes felt “triggered” by scenes of violence in the book. Readers need to be prepared for these scenes if they pick up the book.

I connected most with Inti’s character because of her connection to the wolves and the natural world and her empathetic approach to life. I never connected with her sister, Aggie. She made a lot of bad choices, and I always found her creepy.

I recommend readers also read “Wild Dark Shore.” It’s another McConaghy eco-thriller and has an even more exciting plot.

I have never met McConaghy. After reading “Wild Dark Shore,” I felt compelled to read more of her books and found “Once There Were Wolves” through my local library.

Conclusion: Gripping Eco-Thriller with Exploration of Human Nature

“Once There Were Wolves” is a gripping read that illuminates the plight of nature in man’s world, the complexity of human nature and how Inti learned to approach life with empathy and understanding after nearly losing herself to anger and hate. The far-fetched elements of the story that were written to ramp up the suspense at the end of the novel led to my .5 deduction.

Buying and Rental Options

E-Commerce Text and Audio Purchases

• Amazon
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• Kobo
• Apple Books
• Google Play

E-Commerce Audio Only

• Libro.fm
• Audible

Physical Location Purchase and Rental Options

“Once There Were Wolves” is available at most Barnes & Noble locations and independent bookstores. It is also available in most public libraries.

Digital Rental Options

E-book and audio book copies of “Once There Were Wolves” are available for check-out on the Libby app. For Tucson libraries, the current wait time for the audiobook is 15 weeks and 19 weeks for the e-book. Occasionally, the app offers a “skip the line” copy to readers.