Wolf: The Journey Home

by Asta Bowen

When Marta, a wolf mother, and her pups are displaced by a group of well-meaning naturalists, it sets into motion a heroic journey marked by excitement, peril, and sometimes tragedy. From high in the Canadian Rockies, the wolves travel from one adventure to the next, struggling to make their way back to their home hunting grounds. A work of fiction based on fact, Marta's story is vividly drawn, taking readers deep into the brutal hardships, sudden moments of elation, and constant struggle to survive that is a wolf's world. Warmly captured, deeply moving, and unsparingly realistic, 'Asta Bowen has crafted an unforgettable novel that joins the ranks of The Call of the Wild and Born Free. About the Author 'Asta Bowen (pronounced OWsh-ta) lives in rural Montana, where she is a contributor to Writers on the Range, the syndication service of High Country News.

Genres: Animals, Fiction, Wolves, Nature, Animal Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Adventure

288 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 13, 1997

Reviews

[Leila · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very well written book though not the happiest of stories. It reflects many of the issues facing wolves and their relationships with humans. Marta is the main wolf and her trials and tribulations are heart-breakingly described. If you are an animal lover, enjoy a beautifully written book and have an affinity for wolves, do try this book. It is one of the best of its type I have ever read.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really made me think about how humans are so cruel and nonunderstanding. It made me really sad and not want to be a person, but a wolf.

[WolfLover · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the story of Marta, a wolf trying to find a home after being relocated by humans. It’s based on the travels of a real wolf who was studied and radio-collared, but some artistic licence has obviously been applied. It’s well-written, though the fact that the animals do not talk means you feel like you are kept at something of a distance from the characters. There are a couple of factual errors, and Marta has a cliched “outcast rises to greatness” back-story, but I found it reasonably entertaining. Readers should be prepared for a number of deaths, though these happen “off-screen” (which is a little frustrating, as you’re just told what happened without experiencing it with the characters). One thing that did irritate me slightly is that the two wolves on the cover are grey, whilst Marta, the protagonist, is black. Not a big deal, but this sort of thing bugs me!

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was different than anything I've really read before. It is about a family of wolves told from the wolves perspective. It opened my eyes! It made me relize even when us, humans are trying to help that it negativly impacts the wolves. It made me sad to know Marta abandoned her cubs and that silvertooth was let back into the wild without his injury being resoved. This book should be read in school. I think it would be wise to make an impact on the younger generation to instill compasion and forsight for the future of the planets wild animals.

[K Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books of all time. Marta becomes very real... outstanding read.

[Lone Wolf · Rating 2 out of 5]

‘Wolf: The Journey Home’ is based on the travels of Marta, a real wolf who was relocated by humans and tried to find her way home. “Based on” is key here – some of the story is obviously fiction, and there are a few factual errors (e.g. it’s stated that the teats nearest the front of the body produce the most milk, when the reverse is true).

The book is not particularly well written – you’re often simply told something has happened, without actually getting to read about the characters experiencing it in any detail. This makes the narrative feel distant and impersonal, just a flat recital of events without any emotion. And don’t expect a happy ending!

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love wolves and was looking for some inspiration for a story I am writing myself that involves wolves and I cam across this book. The writing style is really beautiful and it reveals a lot about wolf behaviour. It is based on a true story and this is described in more detail in the epilogue. Wolves are mistunderstood in my opinion and I feel this books shows them as the compassionate creatures that they really are. I really hate people who hunt for pleasure or sport, humans cause so much damage to delicate ecosystems.
Great book, I'd recommend it to all animal lovers but sadly for the wolf family of this story things really don't end well, it's not a happy ending really. It is a teen/young adult book but I reckon older children could read it as long as they were mature enough to accept that not all books end with "and they all lived happily ever after".

Overall beautiful

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best animal story I've read for a long time. It reminded me of some of Ernest Thompson Seton's stories - accurate enough to be true, but with enough anthropomorphism to allow the reader to identify with the animals.

[Caitlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn't a happy story so if your looking for a touchy, feely book about wolves skip this one. Unlike Julie of the Wolves in which most of the wolves have a happy ending almost none of these wolves do. Our wolf family gets shot, injured, hit by cars, starves to death, and put down for preying on livestock. But some how this book is still good. We bond with our wolves, we cheer when they make a kill, and we want to cry when something happens to one of them. So if you are welling to deal with all that and more this is the wolf book for you.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

a fictionalized account based on a true story about a pack wolves trying to survive after being relocated. It's a unique and slow paced novel...if you're looking for a Marley and Me read alike this isn't it. It has a much more pointed message,and lacks the humor of Grogran's best seller, but its an enjoyable (and educational) read nonetheless. It would be a good book to give to students learning about conservation and the environment.

[Sophia Barsuhn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is probably one of the best animal-centered books out there. Anyone can pick it up and enjoy it. It's not cutesy or anthropomorphic, but it's definitely not boring either. Writing about animals and seeing the world through their eyes (without making them think and act like humans) is very difficult to do, but this author does it amazingly well.

[Alex T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holy fuck, this book is depressing.

Full review at: https://skybookcorner.blogspot.com/20...

[Bowen]

First & Last Name Bowen Nickey 1/13-14/2022
Flathead High School Reading
Book Review
January 2022


Introduce the book
Topic - what’s the book about in just a few words
Title, Author, Genre & Year Published
If you like … you would enjoy this book.
Introduction This book is about a pack of wolves, two of which are not related, and their adventure to an unknown land. Because of their adventure they are unsure if they can find their way back home.

If you like animals and adventure you would enjoy this book.

HUNGRY FOR HOME, ASTA BOWEN, FICTION.


Comprehension
Describe the main character(s) & tell what you thought of them
Tell the setting (time & place)
Summarize 2 events in 2 sentences or less - no spoilers!
Overview Marta, oldtooth, Calef and her Pups are on an advenchor after losing their way. And found themselves in a now land that seemed uninhabited by humans.


Your Opinions
I liked the author’s storytelling style because …
My favorite part was “Quote” (page) because …
I think others would like this book if …
Evaluations I liked the author’s storytelling style because it gives you enough detail to tell you what was going on but leaves a little mystery to it as well.
My favorite part was “ In those days, Marta’s place was on the fringes of the pack and she had had to learn the way of the wolf from a distance” (page 12-13) because I can relate to what she had to do when she was young. I had to learn from a fair in the way of the human and animal so that I might fit in one or the other one day.

[Annalise Penrose · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this book. Marta and her pups must find a way of survival, after her mate (Calef) was killed by a human. she is not totally alone because she has Old Tooth, an elderly wolf, to help her raise her pups. Things don't go as planned and the book takes a very sad turn, but as before Marta had to push on and find a new way to live. Overall this book was a great read and I strongly recommend this book to anyone who thinks they might like it or not.

[Kristy McRae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written, with obviously a great deal of research/observation! I love wolves, and this was like stepping into their minds and hearts for a little while. The story of this pack is both beautiful and heartbreaking. I felt the whole range of emotions as I followed their progress. I live in Montana, so the areas the author describes are familiar in many cases. Overall, I just really enjoyed this book from start to finish.

[Ren · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought I'd really like this book. I love wolves so this should be a perfect fit for me. I think maybe a lot of the problem was the timing. When I started this book, I had recently finished Never Cry Wolf by Farley Mowat and loved it! The writing here just wasn't quite as captivating so I didn't make it very far.

[SouthWestZippy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a, in your face, real look into the life of Wolves, the good, the bad, and very ugly.
The book is a bit depressing but it does have a few feel-good moments. I am giving it three stars because stories like this one need to be heard and told. I just wish it would have not been such a dry read.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book from a small book store in Alaska when I visited on a family vacation. I was maybe 14? 16? I never had cried so hard over a book before and Wolves had become my favorite animal since. I might re-read and give an actual review now that I'm older, but I promise you won't regret reading it!

[Mythical Mishmash · Rating 2 out of 5]

My reading experience was ruined by a previous reader who’d scribbled nitpickings throughout the entire book.
The story was okay. I felt like I couldn’t really connect with the characters as the narrative voice kept the wolves quite a distance from me as a reader. The story kind of stops abruptly at the end, but it was sad reading about all the deaths and tragedies that came upon the wolves.

[Tamara Van dishoeck · Rating 4 out of 5]

een mooi ontroerend boek geschreven vanuit een wolf. Martha's reis begint als ze haar partner verliest en met hulp van een oude wolf en haar drie pasgeboren pups moet overleven vooral als ze gevangen worden en ergens anders in het wild word uitgezet.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great wolf story, similar to A Wolf Named Wander. The story of the wolves was pieced together from radio collared wolves’ data and has a conservation note at the end of the book.
A good book for any animal or wolf lover.

[Sawyer Humphreys · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy Moly, such a great book. Very duscriptive in the wolf language and the way of the wolf. Wow ties for first place (my opinion) with "The Wolf Chronicles" and "A Dog's Purpose" series... WOW 👍👍

[Jennifer Priester · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was really good, if a little sad, and is the story of a mother wolf and her pups after being relocated. Once moved begin to try to get back home to where they came from. This book was based off of the lives of real wolves that were being studied and because of this the wolves in the book are normal wolves. This is a very good read for anyone who loves animals, especially wolves and want to read a more natural book. Unlike many documentary's, the story is told in a very interesting way. Once you begin reading this book you won't want to stop until you know what happens to the wolves. Just a warning though, the more you love animals the more emotional you will be while reading this book. I loved it and it is one of my favorite books that don't have or need speech between the animals to make it interesting.

[Stephanie A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is nothing I love quite like old wildlife novels, which had an especially rich heyday from the 1940s-1960s and have since faded into something comparatively rare. While this book is much newer, it captures every inch of the tone of those old books, with only the radio collars and other wildlife-biologist interventions to update its time period a bit. Everything is about the wolves and their world and nothing hurts. Well, except for the harshness of the story itself, but as a helpful author's note explains, it's all based in fact.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't read this book if you're looking for a Disney story. You won't find it here. The world is a rough place for a wolf and this "true" story doesn't soften up the rough spots. It's a story told along the lines of the Richard Adams books (Watership Down, Plague Dogs, etc.), telling the story from the animal's perspective. But there's less effort to make the wolves human-like than there is in Richard Adams books.

A good read.

[Shannon O'Donnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the touching, sometimes heart-wrenching, story of a real-life group of wolves. Although written as fiction, it is fully based on real events. We have class sets of this novel at my school and it never fails to be a hit. It's a winner with MG and YA readers.

In 2006 it was nominated as a Teens' Top Ten book and has flown under the radar since then. This is one of those books that has failed to receive the acclaim it deserves.

[Nitsa Chingo · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is a good book i have read this book about 3 times alreay and it about a wolf who mate dies and the alpha female wolf whent to find her mate and she had puppies and her brotter was watching the pups wile the alpha female whent to fins her mate then she found her mate dead and i would remend this book to any one who loves anmales n i would remend that teens should read this book because it is a very alsom book

[julie morse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good read.

I am a wolf lover and reading this book was very hard for me. At first I was sad but then I became enraged to think how someone could write a book this badly and must really not want wolves around. Very happy I was wrong. She loves them as much as I do and unfortunately this is a sad reminder on how our society views them. This book is up there with Romeo and The Wolf.

[Roberto · Rating 3 out of 5]

Based on true facts about a pack of wolves, this is a accurate and often depressing read about the problems that a pack of wolves has to deal with in order to survive. I found it a sad read even if one keeps in mind that this is not a sugar-coated Disney-esque telling of the lives of such honorable animals as wolves.