Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Wolf At the Door

Rate this book
Lee spends the summer in her new home in Montana writing, drawing, and managing and protecting her own wolves, helping her in her struggle to feel adequate in relation to her younger sister, a pretty actress. Jr Lib Guild.

192 pages, Hardcover

First published October 31, 1993

2 people are currently reading
85 people want to read

About the author

Barbara Corcoran

76 books46 followers
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

This is not the Shark Tank celebrity, but an author of children's books. The books are mostly realistic fiction about older children and teens who come from families that are dysfunctional or at least face interesting challenges.

Also used the pseudonym Paige Dixon and Gail Hamilton.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
54 (54%)
4 stars
34 (34%)
3 stars
9 (9%)
2 stars
3 (3%)
1 star
0 (0%)
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
9 reviews
September 23, 2016
Friday 23, September 2016
Wolf at the Door
Barbara Corcoran

I would rate this book five stars in one summary. Savannah and Lee live in Missoula, Montana until their dad got put into the army. After that they lost their house and started to live in a cabin near a lake in Montana. The saw a really small abandoned zoo with three animals. The on Lee really liked was the wolf. She was very skinny and needed food and water. Than an old man came out of the house next to the zoo. Lee's mom gave him $50 for the wolf and drove away. They called her Ruthie. Everyone heard about the wolf they were raising. A guy came the next day with four more wolves. They got along until something tragic happened to Ruthie.

The theme to this book was to never judge a book by its cover. Lee's sister savannah was terrified of the five wolves she owned because they looked scary. Plus most myths about wolves make you hate them. two people in the book poisoned the meat they fed to the wolves. Savannah found out first because she heard all of it go down. She ran into the cage although she was terrified of wolves and threw the food over the fence only to save four wolves except Ruthie because she ate too much of the meat. After that Savannah loved the wolves and should have never thought they were dangerous.
Profile Image for Sierra.
Author 2 books35 followers
June 27, 2018
I picked this book up at our library's used book sale, it's a children's/juvenile which I love to read every once in awhile!

I love books about wildlife and wolves in particular.  This story is about a young girl who has to move into a secluded house with her family when her dad gets a new job.  She's reluctant at first, but on the way to the new house she spots a small sign that says Zoo and begs her mom to stop.  They happen upon a dilapidated house and animals that are half starved in cages, including a young wolf.   Her mother promises they will be returning in a week.

When that day came, her mother decides that they are going to take the wolf home with them to save it from it's current demise.  They also open the cages of some rabbits to set free.  Soon the young girl gets a random phone call and in the blink of eye, she now is caring for a whole pack of wolves.  These wolves are now becoming a controversy to local farmers and others, it becomes the young girls goal to keep these wolves protected at all costs.

A great story for young readers!
Profile Image for Cheryl.
13.5k reviews488 followers
xx-dnf-skim-reference
May 8, 2021
I guess I'm old and jaded. Between the blurb, the first twenty and the last 12 pages, and my understanding of how stories like this work, I got all I want out of it. I still kinda-sorta recommend it for interested kids and families though... at least if they can understand the premise of how the mom picked her battles and therefore 'obeyed' her husband both times her turned their lives upside-down.
(Well, actually... discuss it with your family; maybe 'picked her battles' isn't quite the right way to phrase it. But it wasn't exactly 'negotiated' either.)

Anyway, the point of the story was the wolves, and I honestly don't think there was much actual description of them and their behaviors in the whole middle that I skipped. There was clearly a lot about conservationists and animal lovers vs. ranchers and exploiters, which I really don't care to read.

May 2021.
1 review
February 26, 2021
I read this book as a child back in the 90s and I absolutely loved it, I kept it this whole time, until it had some water damage and I had to throw it out. I've always wanted another copy of it and we'll get another one at some point.
1 review
November 10, 2024
I read this book YEARS ago and still think about it occasionally. One of my favorites. A truly touching story demonstrating the immense impact of the companionship and compassion between humans and animals.
51 reviews
April 2, 2025
I often think about this book from time to time. It's a unique coming of age story aimed at younger viewers but written VERY well.
6 reviews1 follower
January 19, 2016
Thirteen year old, Lee Mcdougall always being the shadow of her younger sister Savannah who always has the spotlight with in her friends and family, finally finds something her sister can't take away when her mother adopts a wolf from an abusive man. When their story goes viral, about the wolf being saved a man calls and asks if she would be interested in 4 more. Lee having her big heart and compassion for wolves leaps at the offer to have more wolves. Realizing she made this large decision with no one in her family to ask. But larger problems occur when near by cattle workers hear of these wolves lurking in nearby woods. Creating tension between their fellow western Montana friends. When they are soon to realize it will also be testing the strength of their family. After Lee puts so much love into these animals she soon is to realize her sister is not the only one with talents and begins to trust in herself along with others.
I recommend this book to readers who are 8 years and older because I feel it could be more relatable to kids/ Adults of that age category. Also the book is about self esteem and how to feel important when being shadowed in your own family which a lot of kids can relate to and how Lee was able to get out of being the shadow. The book is entertaining and there's tension throughout the book along with an interesting plot that is not as usual as most every high school books.
Profile Image for Royale.
34 reviews1 follower
March 1, 2012
This is one of my first books to put on my original goodreads account. One of the first that started my reading frenzy. There's nothing paranormal about it, nothing magical, except for the drawl of the story.

Anyone that knows me, knows that I love wolves. Werewolves, shape-shifter, puppies, any kind of wolf I love. This is proof. I loved the wolf Ruthie until the very end. If I had time, I'd re-read this excelent book.

M&M Drew
41 reviews
April 1, 2011
I liked the story. It's about a teenage girl who acquires wolves -- 1 that is near death and 4 because the owner is leaving and needs to keep them somewhere. There is an underlying story of her flamboyant sister and eccentric grandmother.
Profile Image for Stephanie A..
3,019 reviews94 followers
July 14, 2017
A wonderful, heartwarming story featuring one version of my dream life, a/k/a moving to a rural area and becoming the owner of five rescued pet wolves, thanks to my awesome mom and reluctantly malleable dad.
Profile Image for Sissy.
4 reviews1 follower
September 7, 2009
A girl named lee take cares of wolves and I learn how wolves can be harmless.
Profile Image for Tyler.
1 review
April 7, 2017
This the most amazing book you could ever read. I don't read much but I've feel head over heels for this book.
Profile Image for Angelina.
18 reviews34 followers
May 21, 2014
I loved it...I just wish Ruthie didn't have to die. :(
Profile Image for Kye.
7 reviews
January 6, 2023
I read this book when I was in 5th grade. Great book. The ending made me cry. :( Still love it though.
Profile Image for ★ Dreamfyre.
296 reviews
January 25, 2024
Honestly, I read this years ago and maybe one day I will re-read it, but from what I remember, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews