Alone Within the Pack

by Sandra Lynch-Bakken

In her inspiring memoir, Sandra Lynch-Bakken describes her years as a zookeeper at Heritage Zoo in Grand Island, Nebraska, where she took care of the zoo's motley pack of gray wolves. She recounts the emotional peaks and shattering depths of keeping wolves at a peculiar moment in history for wolves in America. Gray wolves had recently been reintroduced into Yellowstone National Park, and the country was torn. Are wolves bloodthirsty terrors that needed to be destroyed? Or are they a natural, healthy part of our collective ecosystem? Activists hoped that people would treat their new neighbors fairly, although centuries of fear would prove hard to overcome. At the zoo, Sandra's journey with Heritage Pack had its own challenges and triumphs. Readers will meet ten unique, rambunctious wolves, from quiet Shilo to intimidating Solo and regal Tina. Friendship, love, and heartbreak are woven throughout this amazing story of a pack of wolves and their keeper.

136 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008