Tell the Wolves I'm Home

Interesting angle on love, loss and sibling jealousies. AIDS is handled sensitively and carefully without sentimentality. What works is that all the characters are flawed, but their goodness shines through. Worth reading!

I loved this book. It took me back in time to the confusion of teenage feelings, to sibling bonds and small injustices so powerfully felt, to the gradual dawning of understanding of complex, grown-up affairs, and to the times and places in which the story is set.June is a convincing narrator, and the characters around her were developed with writerly skill. The story is sometimes painful, but always full of compassion. The twists and turns in the plot are perfectly paced and kept me engrossed. I reached the end with a sense of nostalgic sadness, and much weeping (possibly with a teenager's self-indulgence!) Fiction gold; definitely one of my favourite books of the year.

A very well crafted story. It begins with a funeral and works backwards through stories told of the deceased - famous artist Finn Weiss. While the major story is about June and Finn, also successfully revealed and discussed are the jealousies within the family -June and her sister, as well as Finn and his sister, June's mother.Set in New York City (and area) in the 80's it deals with a death from AIDS, the as yet not understood killer. Misconceptions abound and fear surrounds the disease.Finn was the godfather to his sister's daughter June. Over the years Finn proved to be unconventional in his life. He and June developed a close bond and it is only after his death she learns that he was gay and begins secretly meeting with his boyfriend, Toby.One of the main characters of the book is a portrait that Finn painted of the two sisters and how the portrait evolves.The story moved me on many levels. The individuals who populate the book are interesting and flawed. The story is well crafted and unfolds layers of family needs, wants, hurts, and beliefs.

I bought Tell the Wolves on the recommendation of a friend, and because I love the title. It's not the sort of thing I'd usually read (I'm a fantasy/historical fan) but from the opening page I was hooked. Lyrical writing draws you in to a subtly drawn story of love, family, betrayal and self-delusion. I can't say enough good things about this beautiful story that has stayed with me long after reading the final page.

Our book group gave this first novel a wholehearted thumbs up (such unanimity for us is unusual). First impressions were how much we had all forgotten about the shocked reaction and ignorance about AIDS when it first came to public attention in the '80s. We were moved by the story of the Elbus family and June's relationship with her sister, her parents, the world within her and the world around her. I've read reviews that this book is a 'life-changer'; I wouldn't go that far but I'd certainly recommend it to others.