We Are Wolves

by Katrina Nannestad

Sometimes it's good to be wild.

Sometimes you have to be wild.

When the Russian Army marches into East Prussia at the end of the war, the Wolf family must flee. Liesl, Otto and their baby sister Mia find themselves lost and alone, in a blizzard, in the middle of a war zone. Liesl has promised Mama that she will keep her brother and sister safe.

But sometimes, to survive, you have to do bad things. Dangerous things. Wild things.

Sometimes to survive, you must become a wolf.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Middle Grade, War, Young Adult, Historical, Fiction, World War II

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2020

About the author

Katrina Nannestad is an award-winning Australian author. Her books include The Girl Who Brought Mischief, the Girl, the Dog and the Writer series, the Olive of Groves series, the Red Dirt Diaries series, the Lottie Perkins series and Bungaloo Creek.

Katrina grew up in country New South Wales in a neighborhood stuffed full of happy children. Her adult years have been spent teaching, raising boys, perfecting her recipe for chocolate-chip bickies and pursuing her love of stories. She now lives near Bendigo with her family and an exuberant black whippet called Olive.

Reviews

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Papa was forced to join the German army, then the Russians advanced on East Prussia, Mama, Oma, Opa, Leisl, Otto and baby Mia were forced to flee. As they travelled on the cart towards the ocean and the ships ready to remove people to safety, gradually their number dwindled. Until finally, on a frozen lake, the children were separated from their Mama, running for their lives toward the forest. The three Wolf children didn’t know what to do. Liesl was the oldest at eleven, Otto was seven and Mia, well she was just a baby. Liesl had promised her Mama she would look after her siblings until they could be together again, and Liesl was determined to do just that.

Finding shelter in an abandoned farmhouse, stealing food and warm clothing, rummaging through the forests for wild mushrooms, fish from the stream, berries – would Liesl continue to keep Otto and Mia safe? They were hungry, filthy, scared – but when the Russians found them, it was worse…

We Are Wolves is an amazing novel by Aussie author Katrina Nannestad, a young adult, coming of age novel. It’s definitely not for children although the main characters are children; they’d be terrified! Liesl was a courageous child, determined to keep her promise to her mother. I thoroughly enjoyed We Are Wolves and highly recommend it.

[Natty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dear Ms. Nannestad,

My name is Nat, I am a fellow Central Victorian...Represent!

And I just loved your book 'We are Wolves', it surprised me in the most beautiful way, while slightly breaking my heart too. I am a lover of all things history, and your perspective of the voices that normally wouldn't be heard in this story was refreshing in the genre of war fiction.

In your narrative from the perspective of the Wolf children from East Prussia at the end of World War II and their journey of survival. The voice of Liesl granted me access to a young girl who grew up quickly to ensure her siblings, her family stay together and they survived. I loved Liesl, maybe because I could see myself in her in many ways as a young girl, the things she valued and stood for, I also felt for her, Otto and Mia because I got to have an innocent childhood when I was just a child, no need to sacrifice food, freedom or even identity - the burning of the photos made me teary.

You may have had a young audience in mind when you wrote this story, and it would be definitely a wonderful story of survival, family and hope that any young audience be better to know it, a great conversation starter about the horrors of war and the history of such atrocities. I feel this story is able to lend itself to an older audience too, your writing and descriptions of the simplest things is very beautiful, the child perspective is wonderfully captured, their imaginations to conquer their fears would remind us adults about the importance of that lifeline in our times of struggle and hard times.

I'll be on the lookout for more of your writing and definitely recommending this one to anyone looking for some hope in their reading.

Until then,
Thanks from (practically new neighbour) and new fan!

Natty H

P.S. say Hi to Otto the magpie for me :)

[Manybooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

With her 2020 middle grade historical fiction novel We Are Wolves Katrina Nannestad highlights a historically accurate phenomenon that occurred toward the end of WWII, where East Prussian children (fleeing from the advancing Red Army towards the West) were sometimes and actually even often separated from their families and then took to living in the vast forests of East Prussia and neighbouring Lithuania in order to survive (with these children collectively known as Wolfskinder in German and which translates as wolf children in English). And like is shown in We are Wolves with main characters Liesel, Otto and Mia Wolf (their surname in fact being Wolf, which I originally found a wee bit artificial by Nannestad but that this actually textually works very well and very nicely for me regarding We are Wolves) some of these homeless children were adopted and aided by Lithuanians (and this kindness and support happening despite very harsh, very cruel punishment by Russian soldiers if Lithuanians were discovered helping and harbouring Germans, and sadly even if these Germans were only, were just mere children).

Now Katrina Nannestad's text for We are Wolves (in my humble opinion) does a wonderfully historically authentic and heartbreakingly wrenching job accurately depicting the harshly inhumane conditions and the vast multitude of ever increasingly horrid difficulties the Wolf children must face from the moment their family has to flee from their East Prussian home until Liesel and her two younger siblings are finally taken in and helped by a kind Lithuanian family (rescued from the forest and also being actively shielded and protected from the Red Army), with both my inner child and adult I enjoying and also hugely appreciating how Nannestad in and with We are Wolves explores themes of family, courage, resilience as well as identity (the latter especially important given that the Wolf children have to have their names changed in Lithuania for safety's sake and are also told to avoid using German). And indeed, I also like the way the name Wolf is capitalised throughout the novel since for one nouns are always capitalised in German and for two how Liesel throughout We Are Wolfs is always reminding herself and siblings Otto and Mia that they are indeed Wolfs (their family name).

The Wolfkinder thematic may be a little known, often even hushed up and sometimes also actively, deliberately ignored WWII scenario and tragedy (even in Germany), but given what is happening right now in Ukraine, We are Wolves should definitely resonate with today's middle grade and young adult readers (who are seeing for themselves what the ravages of war doe or can do to families), and I also hope that what Katrina Nannestad is showing and telling with We are Wolves will not end up getting banned by morons who are afraid of showing and demonstrating the truth (although I am rather sure that We are Wolves will not likely ever be available in Russia with Vladimir Putin in power, either in Russian translation or in the English original). However and just to point out, while I have definitely enjoyed We are Wolves and as such also warmly recommend the story, the happy ending for We are Wolves (and where Liesel, Otto and Mia are in fact reunited with their mother), this feels a bit overly positive and almost fairy-tale like unrealistic, and that both my inner child and I as an adult reader would much prefer a more ambivalent and open-ended conclusion for We are Wolves (and that thus my rating for We are Wolves will have to be four and not five stars, but yes, if half stars were allowed by Goodreads, my rating for We are Wolves would probably be three and a half stars).

[Liz Ledden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just ... stunning.

[Saranya ⋆☕︎ ˖ (hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pre-Read

THE CHILDREN THE WAR FORGOT.....

Liesl(12), Otto(7-8) and Mia(2)...
WW2 has destroyed their lives.
They're forced to eat slugs, frogs and raw crayfish... just to survive

I'm literally crying right now... This is one of the best WW2 books I have read till now... with a happy ending !!!
Loved it!

★★★★★

[Graham · Rating 3 out of 5]

This had the potential to be a stunning book, one in which the author didn’t dodge hard things. It had the potential to rip emotions out, to show the devastation conflict has on children and adults, the nihilism of war, the reduction to beasts that is only two meals away from any civilisation.
Don’t get me wrong: the loss of side characters at the start of the book is sad; the loss of Dog the calf, the potential removal of Mia the baby, the spitefulness of Charlotte the waif are all done well. The centrality of family, food, faithfulness, and friendship are also done well.
But two things: Mia ought to have died. Sorry, but there it is. And, secondly, the final chapter in which Mama - against all the odds - finds Liesl, Otto and Mia in the middle of Lithuania… just spoiled the ending for me. It was too…. easy. Perhaps it would have been better if the last chapter was Liesl reflecting on the previous thirty years, now living with a husband and a child, Otto seeing her from time to time with his own Lithuanian family to remember Mia. Perhaps they meet at a quiet grave, and whisper words of German blessing over the tiny mound, and then kneel to form a Liesl-Otto-Mia blob, before switching back to Lithuanian and going back to their new families.

Now I get the book is for kids, but this is just too hopeful, too clean, and I think it feels like a publisher wanted a happy ending. But that’s not what happens in life when there is a war. People properly die, disappear, and sometimes the resolution is to move on; move on with that emptiness inside, but pack it round with new life, new loves and new hopes.

[Marie Miegel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not think that anyone was capable of equaling the brilliance of Gleitzman when writing for children about the Holocaust, but Katrina Nannestad has succeeded. Beautifully written with just the right balance of poignancy, warmth and humour, the characters of the Wolf children will be long remembered. This is a brilliant read for both children and adults.

[Bridget · Rating 4 out of 5]

Based on a true story this is harrowing and moving. A beautiful story of sibling love, survival against the odds and heartbreaking.
About to leave on holiday and clearing my lists for the end of the year.

[Union County Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

11-year-old Liesl and her younger siblings, Otto and Mia, live in East Prussia at the end of World War II. Their father has gone off to fight in Germany's doomed effort to stave off the Russian advance. The children, their grandparents, and their mother join the mass exodus of citizenry to avoid the same advance. When they become separated from their mother, the children become "Wolfskinder," the German orphans and lost children attempting to survive in the forests.

Nannestad tells the Wolfskinder story with heart and tenderness. She is able to relay the horrors in a manner palatable to most children while still remaining true to the historical record. Heart wrenching but also heartwarming, this is a story not to be missed. Highly recommended for older elementary and middle school children.

- Reviewed by Shelley F.

[Elyse Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favourite books. Just an amazing story.

[Penny Waring · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liesl Wolf is a German girl living in East Prussia at the end of the war. After being forced to flee from the invading Russian army with her family, Liesl and her siblings (Otto and Mia) find themselves lost and alone in a blizzard. Liesl promised her Mama to keep Otto and Mia safe, but how will the siblings survive the harsh winter?

This book explores themes of resilience, family and identity, and examines the ethics of war, and the power of storytelling. At the beginning of the story, Otto exemplifies typical 'us and them' thinking about the Germans and Russians, and Liesl has a strong sense of right and wrong. Once sheer survival becomes their key motivator, the children see that you sometimes need to break rules and do bad things in order to stay alive. The characters the siblings meet during their journey help to demonstrate that not all Russians are evil and not all Germans are virtuous.

Katrina Nannestad wanted to highlight lesser known victims of the Second World War, the 'wolf children'. These were German children who had been lost or orphaned in East Prussia at the end of the war, and they were forced to survive in forests or abandoned farms scavenging what they could find. Some found their way to Lithuania, where some were adopted secretly by families and others worked as slaves.

I would recommend this book for middle years readers (10+). The novel is 302 pages long with good descriptions, relatable dialogue and plenty of rich imagery.

[Emily Dennehy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I don't think I have SOBBED so much at the end of a book, with both utmost sadness but also great joy. This book was BEAUTIFUL. it may be written for children (11+ I'd say) but it evoked so much emotion in me, that it's a well worth read for adults too.

I loved it so much, I think it will be one of my top books this year, I wish I had read it sooner.

Edit: now that I have composed myself, I have reflected on the themes of this story. The perspective from Germans and German children during WW2 is often not focused on, so it is refreshing to see a story, based in fact, about how they suffered too. The clear struggles of Lisel with identity as a Wolf (both as a last name but also as an allegory for her wildness as they survive) is heartbreaking. Family is such a strong theme here to, either in blood family but also chosen family and the love that others show even in the darkest of times.

[Ingvild L. Røkke (ingvildleser) · Rating 5 out of 5]

«Vi er ulver» er en utrolig sterk, rørende og hjerteskjærende historie om å være barn i en krig, og det å måtte legge ut på flukt alene, og får barndommen ødelagt og må bli voksne så alt for tidlig! Samtidig er historien også fylt med håp, optimisme, vennskap, fantasi og drømmer!

Det er et godt språk i boka, og vi får se hva krig kan gjøre med mennesker, sett fra et barns perspektiv!

Jeg synes det er interessant å lese bøker om andre verdenskrig, men jeg har aldri hørt noe om ‘ulvebarn’ før, som er en betegnelse for foreldreløse barn fra Øst-Prøyssen som må klare seg alene etter evakueringen av Øst-Prøyssen etter russernes invasjon i slutten av andre verdenskrig!

[Emily McKee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hope outweighs reality, balancing the intensity, in this historical novel about children fleeing the Russian army after WW2.

Highly recommend this one, and if you can’t find it at the library, it’s worth buying—suspenseful, loving sibling bonds, and full of historical detail. Younger readers (<10) will benefit from an adult being close by during the most intense passages.

[Emma-Rose Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was sad but really good

[Jacqui · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crying in the car to this one

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a wonderful, heartfelt story. When father is called up to serve, 2 months later he is MIA. When I read this, I kept thinking that he fled and was coming back to be with his family. As I read, I kept searching and waiting for his return.

They leave their home and flee with their loaded down wagon and their horse Mozart traveling West away from the Red Army. Joining into the line of traffic of young and old travelers, they fit right in. There are walkers, riders, and a combination of both- everyone just wants to get away. Finding refuge in a farmhouse, they discover that it hasn’t been ransacked by the Russian soldiers and it’s well-stocked.

I liked how they were taught by their Papa to recite their relatives’ names. The desperation of foraging while on their journey, their encounter with the Russians and how the family stayed together were key highlights of this book which I enjoyed. The ending was not what I expected and wanted. Another great historical middle school read. 5 stars

[Milton Public Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story about the Russian invasion of East Prussia at the end of the war. The Wolf family is torn apart when Papa is forced to join the German army. Not long after, Mama, Oma, Opa, Leisl, Otto, and baby Mia are forced to flee their home to avoid Russian attacks. The story is about determination, sacrifice, and the horrible consequences of war.

Find it in our SHARE Catalog today!

Jayme A. / Milton Public Library #CheckOutMPL

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

'I don't want to stop because when the songs and rhymes and stories and all the German words are gone, I will be gone. Liesl Anna Wolf will be no more.'

[Superstine · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5

Vakkert og sterkt om krig og flukt fra barns perspektiv. Kanskje den beste krigsboka jeg noensinne har lest 💔

[Maya]

Spännande och gripande och passade Laura 10 år som gemensam läsning men ibland lite många ord för min smak.

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Near the end of World War II, the Wolf family in East Prussia is devastated that their father has to report to the front as a soldier for the German army. When news comes at Christmas that he is missing in action, they can hardly believe it. As things worsen in their area, there is some talk of preparing to flee, but the mother doesn't make plan. Mia is an infant, Otto is about 8, and Liesl is 11. When soldiers knock on their door and tell them they must leave, things are thrown into suitcases and the family joins the exodous out of town. The mother makes Liesl promise to keep her brother and sister safe, and to remember their true identities, no matter what. This is helpful when they are separated early on from their mother, and they follow their grandfather's advice to head to Vistula Lagoon and try to get a ship to safety in Denmark. At first, the children manage to fall in with some Russian soldiers, some of whom seem actually nice. They explain that the Germans had good lives, while Russians lived lives of deprivation. Liesl is fine with being helped by the enemy until one of the leaders wants to take Mia back to his own wife, who lost a child. The children run away, and take up with some other children. One of these children, Charlotte, is a spoiled child who doesn't grasp the seriousness of their situation, and at one point trades their cow for a new dress! Making their way across the countryside, the children face terrible cold and hunger, and make do with the few resources they have. The meet with more kindness than one would imagine, and eventually come to the home of Lithuanians Magdalena and Dovydas, when Mia is very starved and sick. The couple has had their share of losses during the way, and are happy to help out the children and have them become family. For their own safety, the children are given Lithuanian names and told to never speak German. While Liesl is glad to be warm, safe, and fed, she is worried that Mia in particular will forget her past. As the war winds down, will the children receive any word about their family?
Strengths: It's always interesting to see glimpses of middle class German life before the war; not everyone supported Hitler. This didn't linger on the time before the war, and got straight to the harrowing experiences of leaving home and trying to get out of East Prussia. The details of joining up with Russians and other children, of asking for help, and of having so few resources will appeal to readers who have an interest in World War II survival stories. I appreciated the inclusion of Lithuania-- there are still a lot of tales involving the Baltic States that could be told. The horrible experiences were balanced by the kindness of strangers, and the book ends as happily as this sort of story can.
Weaknesses: The ending seemed a bit improbable, but I'm sure that there are many true stories where people were able to reconnect despite overwhelming odds as well.
What I really think: Even though our 8th grade will probably drop their Holocaust unit, there is still an interest in stories like Harbour's Flight and the work of Marsha Skrypuch, so I will buy this book and turn a critical eye to some of my older, less appealing WWII books to be weeded.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a beautiful story about a family of three German children and all that they endure to survive during the war. Liesl is the eldest, and she promised her mother she'd keep them together and protect the others, no matter what happens. And she tries. But it’s hard when you're homeless and there are soldiers everywhere and nothing to eat and stealing is wrong. But eventually the Wolf children learn that to survive in this new world, sometimes you have to be a little bit wild. You have to be a wolf.
It's a very haunting tale, low on violence and death (considering the setting) though it is mentioned in the text. Not much in the way of gore, it's more about resilience and what lengths you'd go to to survive. Like eating slugs. I did prefer Rabbit, Soldier, Angel, Thief, but it's probably better suited for slightly older children than this one.

[Elizabeth Chandler · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is hard to put into words how good this children's historical fiction book was. This is one of those titles that is going to stick with me for a long time. If you are even on the fence about reading it, do it! The cover drew me in, but the story absolutely held my intrigue until the very end. It managed to teach me something about world war II that I had no idea about and it does it in a delicate way to teach other children. I can see this being mandatory reading in classrooms in the future like the title Number the Stars. Though the characters are fictional, I believe they represent the true victims of this tragedy well. Very sad but so good to read and a pleasure to learn from!

[Dale · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enthralling and heartbreaking story full of love. Such a great reminder to be grateful and appreciate everything you have, no matter how small. These small things are the treasures! 💖 I loved this book.

[Anna Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gorgeous WW2 story, perfect for fans of The War that Saved my Life. The physical book is beautiful; hardback, stunning cover and illustrations throughout.

[Kristy Pimm · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is magnificent. Written for young readers, the simple words are masterfully woven into an unforgettable story of love, loss, joy, pain, family and friendship.
A treasure.

[Rebecca Preedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful book about war and love through a child’s eyes - in the vein of the Once series.
For middle school

[Jude · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel by Katrina Nannestad is the story of the Wolf children - Liesl, Otto and Mia - who live in East Prussia, close to the German front in WW2. They witness wounded and lifeless German soldiers passing through their village who tell them that the Germans have almost certainly lost the war and that the Russian soldiers are coming. The children and their mother decide to flee before the Russians arrive. In a disastrous turn of events the children are separated from their mother who has made Liesl promise that she will do her best to keep the family together. They move through the countryside, spending a few days in one spot and moving on when others are around. I know that many terrible things happened during the War and this is another of them, perhaps a little more unknown one. It's a great story and I will definitely recommend it to the 11 and 12 year olds at school.

[Mari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Det är vintern 1944-45 och slutskedet av andra världskriget. Tyskland har förlorat kriget och vi får följa syskonen Liesl, Otto och Mia när de tillsammans med mamma, farmor och farfar flyr från sitt hem i Ostpreussen. På vägen hamnar de olika sorters faror och utmaningar som gör att de kommer ifrån de vuxna. Nu är det upp till dem att klara sig i de tyska skogarna.

En otroligt intensiv berättelse där barnen får vara i fokus och de blir utsatta för extremt mycket. Det är mycket som i mina ögon idag känns så osannolika, men eftersom det är baserat på verkliga händelser förstår jag att det verkligen har hänt, men det är svårt att ta in. Jag beundrar verkligen Liesl, som inte är särskilt gammal, men som gör allt för sina syskon.