A Death on the Wolf

by G.M. Frazier

"The summer I turned sixteen I shot a man." With that simple declaration, Nelson Gody begins his story of the summer of 1969 and the events that would change his life forever.

Nelson lives with his widower father and his five-year-old sister on their small farm outside Bells Ferry, Mississippi. It's an idyllic world grounded in family and friendship, a world full of farm chores and lazy afternoons swimming in the Wolf River with Frankie, his best friend.

Things begin to change when Nelson finds himself falling in love with Mary Alice, the blind orphan spending the summer with his aunt. While dealing with the emotional rollercoaster of first love, Nelson learns the secret his best friend has been harboring (he's gay and his alcoholic father beats him for it) and nearly trashes his life-long friendship with Frankie. Just when it seems the two boys have worked it all out, saving their friendship, a mysterious stranger comes to town on an exotic motorcycle and interjects himself into their world, giving Frankie the chance to explore his burgeoning sexuality--with horrific consequences. Capped by the devastation of Hurricane Camille, no one escapes unscathed from those six weeks in the summer of '69.

Told with narrative drive that pulls you completely into the story, A Death on the Wolf is an uncompromising coming of age tale full of hard-hitting issues which are tackled head-on with courage; not only by the author, but by the characters he's created. "Real, gritty, heartwarming, with characters and a setting you can see, feel, and taste" (The Kindle Book Review), Nelson's unvarnished fictional memoir will introduce you to a time and place that is no more--and yet shows how courage, love, and friendship are timeless concepts in the face of life's trials and tribulations.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Coming Of Age, Young Adult, Ebooks, Southern, Book Club

343 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 8, 2011

About the author

I have been writing fiction for the last twenty years and I am not a genre writer. My stories run the gamut from the supernatural to the sublimely real. The novelist who most impressed upon me the necessity of well crafted dialogue is Hemingway. The novelist who most impressed upon me the power of well crafted narrative is Pat Conroy.

From 1998 to 2000 I was Managing Editor at Genesis Press, which is one of the largest independent book publishers in the South. Among the many books I have edited are the autobiography of Olympian Bob Beamon, Let us Prey, Hunter Lundy’s book Let Us Prey on the fall of televangelist Jimmy Swaggart, and Louisa Dixon’s legal suspense novels, Next to Last Chance and Outside Chance. It was my distinct pleasure to work with Dar Tomlinson as the editor for her debut mainstream novel Broken, which had won the coveted Hemingway First Novel Award in 1994. I also edited Mary Beth Craft's delightful ghost story, Goldengrove, which was her debut novel. I have also edited several children’s books including Boss of Me: The Keyshawn Johnson Story, Diana Nyad’s biography for children about NFL star Keyshawn Johnson, and Libby Hughes’s biography for children about Tiger Woods, Tiger Woods: A Biography for Kids.

Reviews

[Tracie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A flawed but enjoyable coming of age story. The writing is can be clumsy and overly descriptive - a good editor would have really helped. A few of the good characters - especially Nelson's first love, Mary Alice, and his father - are a little too perfect. Mr. Gody's Good Man status almost reaches an Atticus Finch kind of level, only without the nuances of Harper Lee's protrayal of the ultimate good father. And the friendship between Nelson and Frankie, which supposedly reached back to their early childhood, didn't ring true to me - given the time and place, I could buy that he might not have guessed Frankie's secret, but I couldn't get past his total ignorance of Frankie's father's drinking problem and abuse of his family. And in the end, things wrap up a little too neatly.

B I did enjoy Nelson's story, in large part because Nelson is such a real, believable and fully realized main character. I do think he would have struggled a bit more to become comfortable with Frankie's secret, but to me he really read as a teenaged boy, a good, responsible kid who wants to do the right thing and is bewildered by chaos that unexpectedly swirls around him the summer he turns 16.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would give it 5 stars for the read alone....kept me interested and up late at night (again) reading. I LOVED the characters...and there was definitely a Harper Lee-esque feel to the town, people, and cultural southern norms. The only issue I had with it...and I'll try not to give spoilers (although I think as much is mentioned in the summary) is, for it being 1969 rural Mississippi, I had a somewhat difficult time believing a 16 year old boy (during that time period) would deal so easily with his best friend being gay...just think there would be a bit more turmoil and confusion. Nelson and his father were almost too good to be true, as jaded as that sounds. All in all, a great read...with copious life lessons about the meaning of love, acceptance, and friendship.

[Kate's Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

"A Death on the Wolf", by G.M. Frazier is a coming of age tale with danger and suspense thrown into the mix. It is the story of Nelson Gody, who is sixteen in the summer of 1969. He is living in Bells Ferry, Mississippi with his father and younger sister, Sachet. His Aunt Charity lives in the house next door on the family land.

What begins as a routine summer for Nelson, working at the gas station and hanging out with his friend Frankie on the Wolf river, quickly changes when Aunt Charity brings 14 year old Mary Alice to stay with her for the summer. Mary Alice is a blind orphan who normally resides at the orphanage. Nelson is smitten the moment he lays eyes on her.

As the summer progresses and love blooms, Nelson learns that Frankie has been harboring a secret that impacts both their lives. When a mysterious stranger arrives in town on a sleek black motorcycle danger arrives with him.

This is a wonderful story set in a time and place that is a story in itself. Bells Ferry is still working through the civil rights movement and Hurricane Camille is on her way. Nothing will be the same.

Frazier has created wonderful characters with many layers to them. They are well developed and I felt I knew each of them intimately. The story is well paced and compelling. I couldn't stop reading because I needed to know what would happen next. The suspense builds and holds you in it's grips. A fantastic read!

[Arthur O'dell · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s. . . okay. Very much in the vein of Harper Lee. It’s a good story, with decent characterization. I found it very predictable, though. And the prose is just flat; this needed at least one more revision to really tighten up the style. If you like the genre, you will probably like this book.

[Olivia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I never write reviews but felt a need to do for this book. I liked this book but felt there were a few flaws that made me give it a low score. The story is captivating..but the telling of it seemed simple and to some degree lacking. There are situations that occur that don't always get told all the way through or seem to be just be cut off and onto the next situation. I didn't like that because you grow to like and care for the authors well drawn out characters and wonder how can they all just move on without it informing where they go next or who they become. The best example is with Frankie the situations that he experiences are not followed with any real deep reflections on either his or Nelson's part which made me frustrated with the author so much so I stopped reading the book....but then came back to it wanting to know what happens. I have never had this happen where I give up on a book and then found myself longing to know the ending primarily because I liked the characters.

It is a good book but written at times to simply that one could lose interest but it is worth reading but doesn't pack the punch I think it could.

[Gayle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best coming-of-age stories I've ever read. The synopsis at amazon.com tells what the book contains. I'll tell you how much I loved it.

Gary Frazier has outdone himself this time. I was bowled over by this book. I rarely give five stars to a book, but I did for this one
because, for books in its genre, it covers so many issues and handles them with dignity.

The story takes place long before the use of the word "gay" in it's present day connotation. The only terms used for a homosexual
individual were derogatory and inflammatory.

This book deals with physical disabilities, homosexuality, physical abuse of children, a teen with high morals and love for his family.

I could go on and on. I'd love to see this made into a movie.

I urge you to give it a try. I don't think you'll regret it.

[Marissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty standard coming of age story. Nothing bad, per se, but nothing to make it stand out. The immediate family was fairly well fleshed out, all the supporting characters were pretty much just NPCs.

[Heidi Harwitz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet, but predictable at times. Slow moving, but not in an unpleasant way-kind of like an old-fashioned childhood summer.

[Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is narrated by Nelson Gody, and is about his summer of 1969 growing up in Bells Ferry, Mississippi, the summer he turns 16. It is a coming of age story. Nelson, who lives with his widower father and younger sister, and next door to his widowed aunt, discovers how blessed his life has been at the same time he finds out it has also been very sheltered. I read some reviews indicating Nelson's father was simply too good to be true, but since I read this with the thought it was a type of memoir, I had no problem with Nelson remembering both the highlights and traumas as more ideally or tragically from the perspective of time. I would compare this story favorably with John Grisham's "A Painted House."

[Claudia Harrington · Rating 4 out of 5]

I usually rate base on what I like, instead of the writing. I believe this is a very smart book, very well researched. The tread of stories are all tight to the main Character. The characters are colorful and well developed. I specially like the relationship between Len and his father. This book addresses many topics as thing in the specific time, such as segregation, homosexual relations, economical status and what it was to live in the time. I was very surprise with this book, specially because I got it for free. I would have given 4.5 stars but it wont let me. However, I have to say this is a good read .

[eve marie boles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book

This was a great coming off age story. I liked all the characters but could have had a bit more fleshing out. One example would be Mary Alice and Ned falling in "deep" love so soon. I would like a little more. I could have enjoyed more of all the characters (even the bad ones) actually, but it was a quick, easy, good read.

[Jean. Mcloughlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reminded me a little of To Kill a Mockingbird

Loved the strong father/son relationship in this book! Also, enjoyed the character of this teenage boy and the support he gave his friend who had a different lifestyle.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good book

You people should just read this book yourselves and write your own review on this novel yourself and I really enjoyed reading this book very much so. Shelley MA

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written coming of age book. Good characters. Some were a more progressive & open minded than I would have expected for the time period. I enjoyed the story.

[Gary Ickes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just wonderful

[Mark McDowell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good read.

[Mr David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining book.

I found the writing entertaining and somewhat geared to a teenage reader. I found it well worth the time however.

[David Zavesky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought the book was guvinial written for the teen group. The plot was strange. Didn't really like it.

[Connie Arnold · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It held my interest and I enjoyed that even though dramatic things occurred, the author didn’t dwell on the tragic nature of them. Just a lovely read.

[Carolyn J Fidgeon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

Totally enjoyed the story, didn't realised until the end that it was based on a true story. I plan on giving it to my 16 year old grandson

[Marcy · Rating 2 out of 5]

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[Joel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read A Death on the Wolf to fulfill the prompt of “A book set in the decade you were born” for the 2018 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge.

This book started off strong: “The summer I turned sixteen I shot a man.” I felt that, for the most part, it stayed strong throughout.

This is a coming-of-age tale that stars Nelson Gody, a boy in rural Mississippi who turns 16 in the summer of 1969. The summer of 1969 has other events in store, including NASA’s moon walk and Hurricane Camille, which figure into the story.

While the era in which the book takes place is much slower paced than our current one, it is still turbulent in its own way.

As Nelson begins bridging the gap between boy and man, he’s faced with childhood friendships that may be outgrowing, and with falling in love for the first time.

I am so not a fan of insta-love, and it was slightly nauseating here. I struggled with how to word what bugged me about it, but then read in another book a phrase similar to “I’ve never met an adolescent male who was burgeoning with honorable hormones.” That pretty much sums it up. Yes, simpler times and different moral standards, but Nelson comes off a tad too chivalrous to be completely believable.

The struggle to maintain or forego his oldest friendship is a much more compelling part of the story. There were moments of growth there that felt much more real than any aspect of the love story. Had the novel focused more on this than the first love portion, it would have been a lot stronger tale, and closer to a 5-star read.

Another irritant was the confusion between “decent” and “descent.” Once might be a typo, but twice is either laziness or ignorance, and I don’t really care for either in my fiction (or the real world, for that matter), thank you very much.

Overall, it was still a good story, and if you don’t mind insta-love and sloppy editing, you might find it a much better book than I did.

4 out of 5 stars.

[Buchdoktor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Im Sommer der ersten Mondlandung fiebert im südlichen Teil des US-Staates Mississippi ein Jugendlicher seinem 16. Geburtstag entgegen. Nelson will dann seine Fahrprüfung ablegen und spart bereits das Geld, das er in den Ferien an der Tankstelle verdient, um sich ein gebrauchtes Auto kaufen zu können. Nelson lebt zusammen mit seinem alleinerziehenden Vater und seiner kleinen Schwester. Unterstützt wird die ungewöhnliche Familie von Tante Charity, die auf dem Nachbargrundstück wohnt. Die Sommerferien bedeuten für Nelson harte Arbeit; denn auch sein Vater braucht als Nebenerwerbslandwirt die Unterstützung seines Sohnes. Schon früh deutet sich an, dass Nelson vom Sommer seines Erwachsenwerdens die historisch bedeutende Mondlandung nur am Rande in Erinnerung behalten wird. Während seines Jobs an der Tankstelle wird dem 16-Jährigen deutlich, dass hier im tiefen Süden Frauen, Schwarze und Homosexuelle auf üble Art diskriminert und verbal abgewertet werden. Nelson kennt diese Einstellung aus seiner Familie nicht. Er muss erkennen, dass es auch für ihn existenzbedrohend sein kann, zu seinen Grundsätzen zu stehen. Tante Charity rückt damit heraus, dass sie ein 14-jähriges blindes Mädchen aus dem Waisenhaus eingeladen hat, die Sommerferien bei ihnen zu verbringen. Die Tante mit dem bezeichnenden Vornamen ist offenbar ebenso wohlhabend wie wohltätig. Es wundert nicht, dass Nelson sich heftig und unglücklich in die blinde Mary Alice verliebt. Nelson muss sich außerdem in dramatischer Weise mit dem homosexuellen Comingout seines besten Freundes Frankie auseinandersetzen. Parallel zu diesen für Jugendliche nicht ungewöhnlichen Problemen dringt in der Gestalt eines im Ort fremden Motorradfahrers das personifizierte Böse in die ländliche Idylle ein. Gefangen von mehreren Handlungsfäden fiebern Fraziers Leser, ob das beinahe physisch zu spürende drohende Unheil sich an der engstirnigen Einstellung der Menschen entzünden und welche Rolle der Fluss Wolf in der Sache noch spielen wird.

Nelson erzählt so glaubwürdig und fesselnd aus der Ichperspektive, als wäre seine Geschichte autobiografisch. Randthemen wie die Rolle des alleinerziehenden Vaters, Einfluss radikaler religiöser Einstellungen, die Zugehörigkeit des Vaters zu den Freimaurern und sogar Autos mit Heckflossen fand ich äußerst spannend dargestellt. Figuren, die eher wie Heilige handeln, und das zitierte "Böse" sind nicht jedermanns Sache. Bis auf eine Ausnahme gibt es für gute Menschen wie Charity und ihren Schwager offenbar auch keine finanziellen Grenzen der Wohltätigkeit. Nelsons Vater, der mit Engelsgeduld seine Kinder betreut, wäre erheblich glaubwürdiger, wenn er auch einmal erschöpft oder ungeduldig sein dürfte! Nelson und Frankie auf ihrem steinigen Weg zur Einsicht, dass einer von ihnen Jungs liebt und der andere Mädchen, wirken trotz der idealisierten Darstellung "des Guten" sehr liebenswert und authentisch. Trotz des Guten im Übermaß ist das Buch spannend genug, um beim Lesen eine Nacht "durchzumachen." Leserunden und Literaturgruppen werden in "A Death on the Wolf" mit seinen zahlreichen kontroversen Themen zur Diskussion angeregt. G. M. Frazier ist sich als Verlagsinsider dieser wachsenden Lesergruppe bewusst und bietet im Anhang des Buches selbst Fragen für Diskussionsrunden an.

[Garth Mailman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since I've been reading two much longer and heavier books decided to try something lighter. Was not expecting to encounter another story involving young men coming of age with issues of homosexuality. Nearly 16-year-old Nelson is coming to terms with the fact that his best friend Frankie loves him, in the Biblical sense that Jonathan loved David. Nelson, on the other hand, is coping with his first infatuation with the blind girl spending the summer with his Aunt next door. In the Mississippi of 1969 where the word 'nigger' was still thrown around with impunity and hippie was a term of derision Nelson fears for his friend's safety. Nelson is blessed with enlightened parental guardians in a part of the world where this was unusual at the time.

The book captures the daily drudgery of the routine on a working farm without itself seeming boring. Owning your own wheels as a means of getting out and being independent is a priority. You depend on your neighbours in a rural setting of necessity, whether you like them or not. And then there's the issue of being responsible for a younger sibling. Given the details the writer goes into about appearance and clothing I had to check to determine that GM Frazier was a male, not a woman. By coincidence I find myself reading this novel at the same time that I'm watching Michael Burk's The Mudge Boy which in a similarly rural setting reverses the roles. Frazier handles his material in a much less awkward fashion, but then Duncan Mudge's father is anything but understanding.

The historical events worked into the storyline help ground it. If everyone had a dad like Nelson's the world would be a far better place. Throwing in Free Masonry and the Presbyterian Church helps broaden the background. The forty-year later epilogue was a nice touch.

[Rosemary Cantrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book very much. It was a coming of age story - the summer that Nelson turns 16 in 1969 and all the turmoil that surrounds him during that summer. Nelson was such a well-rounded and interesting character. The other characters were also interesting and compelling. Maybe the father was a little too perfect, but I liked him and could believe the way he handled the events that transpire. Likewise, the aunt, the first-time girl friend, the best friend - I loved them all.

A lot happens in this one summer - Nelson meets a young girl who is blind and he falls for her completely and experiences his first feelings of love. He learns that his best friend is gay and struggles to maintain a friendship that has been a part of him his whole life. He faces the worst that nature can give in Hurricane Camille. And he faces life and death against the biker who has abused his friend.

I enjoyed this book more than I have any books I have read in a while and would recommend it to everyone - but especially to young readers. It shows how making good, solid choices in times of conflict can provide a strong foundation for a successful life.

I received a copy of the book in exchange for writing a review.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really liked some aspects of this book. Set in Mississippi in the 1960s, the novel managed to treat the subjects of race, disability, gender, and homosexuality with grace and nuance. Not a small feat! Plus it was well plotted and paced. I was excited to discover what would happen next.

My problem (and this is a big deal for me, which is why I rated it so low despite having mostly enjoyed it) was the character development. The characters were by and large one-dimensional, with good guys who were all good and bad guys who were all bad. There wasn't much in the middle.

Not only that, but without giving anything away, some terrible things happened to some of the characters in this book, and it really didn't seem to affect them at all. I am optimistic enough to believe that one's life can still have a happy ending even if terrible things happen, but, well, not if those terrible things are never really dealt with. This lack of character development sort of ruined the book for me.

I think this is a debut novel for the author, and he really did a lot of things right. He just needs to work on character development a bit, and he'll have some really great work.

[Cheryl M-M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I mistakenly thought this would be another supernatural werewolf story, because of the word wolf in the title. I couldn't have been more wrong. Wolf refers to a place, a river to be precise. The story is in fact a combination of coming of age and nostalgic memories.
That might sound like a slow moving summer trip down memory lane, but this book manages to venture into quite a few sub-plots, which are hot topics. Domestic violence, male rape, homosexuality, racism and the discriminatory view of the religious. Hard to imagine that all those controversial themes flowed side by side comortably to make one story and yet they do.
I think the author approached the issue of a young boy and his homosexuality very well. Showing the confusion, frustration and fear of rejection from the boy's perspective and then the ignorance, discrimination and anger from his family. It was subtle, but very memorable.
All in all this was a very enjoyable read.
I received a free copy of this book for my review

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a remarkably gentle and compassionate treatment of some very harsh realities. The coming-of-age story at its heart involves more than a teenager "growing up." Nelson Gody must deal with his own emerging sexuality as well as his best friend's homosexuality. He faces hatred, bigotry, the rape of a friend, and some tough moral choices. At the same time, he is excited about getting his driver's license and his first car while working at his summer job. It is an interesting combination of the nostalgia of teenage years with a growing realization of the dark side of life. I especially appreciated the picture of a father with strong values grounding his son in those values and setting him on a path to maturity and true character. The climactic events are set in the midst of the devastation of Hurricane Camille, a fascinating metaphor for the transforming upheaval taking place in the lives of the young people at the novel's core.

[Michele Whitecotton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really had a lot going for it. It was a free kindle book and the synopsis made it sound pretty good but it went beyond all expectations. I won't use the term "coming of age" in my review because every other person already did but it's about a boy who does a lot of growing up in one summer. He deals with the issues of young love, homosexuality, attempted murder, physical and sexual abuse, and a hurricane just to name a few. A couple reviewers said this book needed edited because the author was overly descriptive and I totally disagree. The descriptions of the characters really gave them a depth and gave us a great understanding of them. The way the story was written gave us vivid images so we could practically see the story unfolding. I could have done without the emergency weather reports maybe, but it was just part of it. This was a great family drama with some mystery thrown in and I would definitely recommend it.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book! I picked this up as a Kindle freebie, so expectations were not that high, but I loved this and will likely re-read.

This is a "coming of age" story taking place the eventful summer of 1969, beginning with the launch of Apollo 11 (first manned lunar mission) and ending with the destruction of Hurricane Camille. The narrator is a young man named Nelson, or Nels, and involves his family and friends. It is a tale of first love, family closeness, dealing with a best friend who finds himself drawn to a lifestyle that is feared and reviled.

There was a major To Kill a Mockingbird influence, and since that is my all-time favorite book, I couldn't quite come up with 5 stars for this one, but it has a great message, lots of heart and kept me absolutely riveted during the time I was reading it. Wonderful characters, good plot, good sense of the summer of 1969 which I remember very well.

Well done, and I recommend it highly!