Once There Were Wolves

 

 Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy (2021) 258 Pages

Inti Flynn, doctor in conservation specializing in wolves and rewilding, arrives with a pack of wolves to reintroduce them to the Highlands of Scotland. With her is her identical twin sister, who is mute having been through some traumatic incident. We don't learn what happened until later, as most of the story is intertwined with these events. The small town is up in arms, literally, about the new neighbors, the wolves. Many are terrified their livestock will be attacked. Inti is frustrated with the community, she knows the wolves will keep clear of humans and tries to explain if the wolves are reintroduced, the Highlands ecosystem will once again thrive. Inti becomes involved with the local police chief. A local man, Stuart is known for beating his wife, but nobody does anything about it. Inti cannot handle the complacency and fights with Stuart, when Duncan, the police chief also gets involved. That night Inti is taking a walk in the woods and discovers Stuart's body, gutted. She makes a decision that will change the course of the next 8 or 9 months. 

I enjoyed this book as it wasn't entirely about trauma and healing, but those themes were tied in nicely with the storyline.