Wolf Constellation

by Lauren Small

Fifteen-year-old Anna Glanz has stopped speaking in the wake of her brother's death, and it's up to psychiatrist Gus Thaler to find out why. Thaler's attempts to cure Anna take him deep in the past to a mystical rabbi-healer who once treated Anna's grandmother. but ultimately fifty years later, as Anna lies dying, her daughter uncovers the truth her mother still can't bring herself to say. A vivid and empathetic portrayal of the effects of bipolar disorder on four generations of a family. With a hint of magical realism, the novel is a beautifully woven story of survival and catharsis.

433 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2018

Reviews

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spell-binding. Lauren Small's meticulously crafted writing gripped me from the very first page and provided a deeply satisfying experience through history, mental illness and epic family saga. Her depiction of this family's secrets as a mystery to solve by psychiatrist Gus Thaler's perspective was a creative narrative twist that developed some fascinating history about Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and how mental illness has been regarded and treated through the ages. Great reading for anyone looking for story about relationships, Jewish history or medical history.

[Bina Shah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tour de force by author Lauren Smalls, who weaves four tales into a rich, multi-layered tapestry. At the heart of the novel is a psychiatrist, Dr. Gus Thaler, and his mute patient, Anna Glanz. Thaler must delve deep into the secrets and mysteries of the wealthy Glanz family to unravel the reasons for Anna's silence. But the reasons (and repercussions) aren't limited to a single time or place: they originate in Eastern Europe, where Jews drowned while fleeing pogroms in Romania; and where a devout Rabbi discovers terrible truths about his adopted daughter. They leach into the future, where Claire, Anna's adult daughter, suffers from bipolar disorder and cannot stop seeing wolves surrounding her as she tries to uncover secrets of her mother's past. Smart pacing and a sense of urgency keep the pages turning, in a novel that is part historical fiction, part fantasy, part psychological thriller. Smalls pulls it all off with literary style and writerly compassion for a cast of characters struggling to make sense of the past, present and future.

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read by local Baltimore author. Like the way she used wolves in the telling of the tale. I could visualize them lurking everywhere, including in the sky!

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story buy a Baltimore author. An interwoven story of three generations and the inherited traumas that are passed down. Wolves play a dominate roll in the story.

[Becky Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful novel! Complex characters and layer upon layer of story create an unforgettable tale. This one has stayed with me.