The Wolf Border

I've long had an interest in the ongoing conversation regarding the reintroduction of wolves into the wild in Britain, particularly in Scotland, and to see these often frustratingly circular discussions come to fruition in The Wolf Border was magical.

Hall's writing is effortlessly evocative; reminiscent of Matt Bell's in its demands that you read slowly and carefully. There is so much packed into this book, far beyond the confines of wildlife conservation. Hall's examination of the human condition in parallel with the lives of the new wolf pack is deftly presented in her wonderful prose, and her vision of a world in which the campaign for Scottish independence was successful cut very close to the bone.

My first Sarah Hall but definitely not my last.

If I'd known this novel was mostly about motherhood, I probably wouldn't have picked this up. I have nothing against that as a theme, but reading about every single detail on raising a baby doesn't really interest me personally. I liked the symbolism between the wolves being reintroduced to Cumbria and the protagonist Rachel's personal life; borders, the wilderness, freedom... It also helped that this is set very close to where my family lives so I got a bit of a thrill reading about very familiar places! The strongest parts of the novel were Hall's beautiful and vivid descriptions of the wolves and the wilderness, along with a few very touching moments between Rachel and her family. Unfortunately, I really wish the plot had been tighter and better paced. Too often it felt like Hall was simply rambling or getting side-tracked. A shorter, more focussed novel might have kept my interest a little longer.