My Wolf, My Friend

by Barbara Corcoran

*Original Title - Sasha, My Friend*

Hallie's new life in the Montana wilderness is lonely and boring - until she rescues the little wolf cub and takes him home. Tiny Sasha is so soft and furry; he really seems more like a dog than a wolf.
But Sasha is a wolf - and he's growing up. The adults - even Hallie's father - don't like the idea of a pet wolf. And one hunter in town has sworn to kill him on sight.
What can Hallie do? She loves Sasha so much. She can't keep him locked up. But if he runs in the woods, how can she protect him?

Genres: Fiction, Animals, Young Adult, Childrens

235 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1969

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

This is not the Shark Tank celebrity, but an author of children's books. The books are mostly realistic fiction about older children and teens who come from families that are dysfunctional or at least face interesting challenges.

Also used the pseudonym Paige Dixon and Gail Hamilton.

Reviews

[Neon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favourite books ever. I had one copy until it fell apart and then my wife got me another one and I've almost read that to destruction too. Hallie is a bit like myself at her age, but I would have loved to learn survival things and have a wolf friend.

This his heartbreaking and heart warming all at the same time.

Beware: there is animal death and cruelty. It's not needless or for kicks in the book, it's powerful.

I remember reading this for the first time and how much it made me cry. Nothing had ever done that to me before and I was fascinated by it. I was obsessed with this book and Hatchet for so many years. I would love to share it with others

[George Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Wolf, My Friend (Sasha, my Friend) by Barbara Corcoran is one of my most favourite books for all time. It's such a timeless story that holds me in it's grasp each and every time that I read it. I found the book at a secondhand shop when I was thirteen years old and now I have two copies on my shelf as the first copy started to fall apart and my girlfriend, now wife, found a copy over in the states and sent it to me. I try a read it every few years if I can remember to, but for the past few years both copies have been in storage as I've moved so much and then was homeless and then we moved and now those books are still in our old town in a storage unit.

I have a friend who is going to go through them and send me my favourite books in the mail. It's either that or he'll bring them down with him in his van, just depends on how bad petrol costs stay and when he has time to go through those boxes.

"Hallie's new life in the Montana wilderness is lonely and boring - until she rescues the little wolf cub and takes him home. Tiny Sasha is so soft and furry; he really seems more like a dog than a wolf. But Sasha is a wolf - and he's growing up. The adults - even Hallie's father - don't like the idea of a pet wolf. And one hunter in town has sworn to kill him on sight.

What can Hallie do? She loves Sasha so much. She can't keep him locked up. But if he runs in the woods, how can she protect him?" - the book's blurb page on GoodReads.

I think I've read this more times than I've recorded, so I've just used the ones I can remember, the ones I can connect to things in my life. I'm pretty good at inner timelines.

Even with how old this book is its a timeless book that shouldn't be forgotten. This is the book that made me love canines - wolfs especially. And I fully credit Barbara's writing to have made me extremely kind to animals, teaching me that all animals matter, not just the ones we can keep in our homes, but that the wild creatures of the world have the same rights to live.

I highly recommend this tear jerker / heartbreaker for anyone that loves animals.
Please be aware that it can be highly triggering to some people as there is animal death more than once throughout the book and it will definitely break your heart.

This book is always going to be a favourite. 5 stars.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this as much as I did in elementary school!

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating Clarification: 4.5 Stars

My Wolf, My Friend was another early childhood favorite, along with Virginia Frances Voight's Mystery at Deer Hill, which solidified a lifelong reading obsession about the wilderness and wildlife.

This coming of age story about a 15 year old girl is really one that shines with realism, as young Hallie is uprooted from her sunny California life after the death of her mother and travels to the wilds of Montana with her dad to help him recover his health and assist him with his Christmas tree farm. Hallie is staunchly stoic to her father's face, but deep inside she's scared, lonely, angry and bewildered by the rapid changes wrought in her life in just a short time. The changes Hallie goes through as she makes new friends, finds purpose in her new life, and grows emotionally through happiness as well as sorrow is one that I would recommend to any young reader.

A well beloved book at age 12, and an equally fine read many decades later in my life.



***
2012 personal reading challenge for the month of January:
Childhood favorites that influenced my subsequent reading life

Adult Equivalent:

Woodswoman by Anne LaBastille

[Stephanie A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to knock off half a star for the ending, but otherwise...wonderful old fashioned story set in a remote location that makes it almost timeless. Partly a "dog" story featuring an entertaining little friend, partly coming-of-age as Hallie tries to make the best of her lonely surroundings for the sake of her father's health, and the best of both worlds, full of such memorable characters as the polio-crippled Birdie and the quiet but companionable Black Thunder who helps her learn to feel comfortable in the forest. The setting is beautifully described and makes for an ideal mental retreat.

Additional Notes: first read 2002.

[Karli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember randomly finding this book at my Mothers house one day. I would have been around 11 years old.

I remember thinking it sounded interesting so I read it. I don't have much memory of the story at all, except for one part that made me bawl. I think that's why I remember the story. You don't forget things like that.

[Bec · Rating 3 out of 5]

Breathtakingly real about the beauty and brutality of living remotely in the wilderness, but sadly, also real about human nature. The vivid descriptions of the mountains, wolves, water, trees and the relationship between rancher and wildlife are stunning, but I didn't feel the loose ends were all tied up.

[Pattie Crider · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for early to mid teens. A girl and her pet wolf.

[Nedra Nichols]

This was my favorite childhood book. I've been searching for it for a few decades. It was a great book and I read it many, many times.

[Cora · Rating 4 out of 5]

I somehow missed reading this as a child, but stumbled onto it recently as an adult. I think this a great middle school/pre-teen read. The story revolves around Hallie and her father. They recently moved from a city in California to a remote Christmas tree farm in Montana, following the death of Hallie's mother. The story is touching, well told and has very interesting characters. What it lacked was enough coverage of it's title character, Sasha. We are briefly introduced to Sasha and he is mentioned a few times through out the story. Which would have been fine had the title been something other than "Sasha, My Friend". I still recommend it, but you should know ahead of time it is not a story about the adventures and relationship of a girl and her wolf; it is a story of a girl finding the ability to feel compassion and understanding of her father, and finding her own inner strength to endure the wilderness and solitude of Montana.

[Trish · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first book that triggered my love of reading. At 9 or 10 years old I remember being brought to tears and was shocked that a book could pull such a strong response from me. So glad that I found it here on Goodreads. Looking forward to reading it again.

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

A favorite of all times !!!

[Alana Maas-Hogan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a simple yet highly enjoyable book. There isn't much drama or different things going on. It is a straightforward book and it's amazing! I would read again :)

[Nicole Philippi · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favourite book as a kid. Still one of my favourites. I still have the same copy I had when I was 8 years old. Beautiful book.

[Judy Tarver · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book a friend in jr high recommended. It is one of the best stories I ever read. I highly recommend it.

[Mary Fairbanks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember reading this in my early teens and absolutely loving it. Since then I have read it about 3 times. It’s just one of my favorite books that is a comfort read I think.

[Nora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excessively (?) sad animal book from my childhood.

[LuAnn Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favorite childhood book.

[799tee · Rating 5 out of 5]

15 year old Hallie lives in the wilderness of Montana. Hallie rescues and brings home a wolf pup she names Sasha. As Sasha grows to become a full grown wolf many people don't like the idea of Hallie keeping him as a pet.
Instructional idea: read aloud, vocabulary, reading skills: prediction, summary, discuss connections: text-to text, text-to self, text to world, and author's craft.

[Partridge Public]

Corcoran, Barbara

[Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was up till ten-o-clock reading this book, very enjoyable

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book when I was 9. And 10. And 11. And 12.

I still love this book.

[Lee Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book.. looking for a copy now so I can read it to my boys..

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this as a child when the title was, Sasha, My Friend. I ended up naming my cat Sasha after this book.

[Kasey · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my faves when I was about 10.

[AM · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely peaceful and gentle book. It was devastating to read when I was younger, now however, only a little.

[Julia]

a book from my childhood that I loved and shared with my daughter.