FREE: Book: Julie's Wolf Pack by Jean Craighead George

About 192 pages

Drawing upon her knowledge of wolf behavior, Eskimo culture, and Alaska, George continues the story of Kapu, the splendid male pup Julie nursed back to life in Julie of the Wolves (HarperCollins, 1972). This third adventure chronicles six years in the life of Kapu and his pack family. The animals are convincingly depicted with such respect and affection that readers will feel as though they too are in the wild rooting for the pack in times of famine, admiring Sweet Fur Amy whose unusual leadership abilities enable her to become an Alpha female, and feeling anger when Kapu is captured for research. The book is divided into three parts that suit the episodic plotting style; the strongest segment occurs in the middle when a lone female infected with rabies joins the pack, threatening the lives of its members. The writing is laden with natural descriptions and keen observations, some of which interrupt the story's flow, but this rich detail is also the book's strength. The perspective of the wolves is effectively maintained, but their encounters with hunters, veterinarians, and government researchers provide a framework for the different factions that must learn to coexist if this resilient yet fragile species is to survive. Those who have enjoyed Julie's story thus far will want to read this latest encounter in which she grows up, attends college, and comes full circle back to the tundra, this time to study her beloved wolves with her new husband, Peter Sugluk.