Wolf Hollow

Narrator Emily Rankin brings us into the world of 11-year-old Annabelle. Her voice is soft and gentle, reflecting Annabelle's tranquil life on a quiet Pennsylvania farm during WWII--that is, until Rankin contrasts Annabelle's thoughtful tone with the menace in the voice of Betty Glengarry, a bully. Rankin registers Annabelle's fear of Betty's increasing mockery, lies, and threats. Annabelle's reactions to Betty echo her discomfort with the larger world, which seems to be dissolving her innocence as prejudice and cruelty overtake her rural town. Rankin's precise tone also gives a sense of the calmness of Annabelle's mother, the narrow-mindedness of Annabelle's snippy aunt, and the reticence of a kindly WWI veteran. Rankin's shifting voice captures the growing ugliness in Annabelle's formerly idyllic town and her determination to take a stand against it. S.W. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine

Starred review from March 14, 2016
Echoing the tone and themes found in To Kill a Mockingbird and Summer of My German Soldier, this WWII story traces the unlikely friendship between a country girl and a shell-shocked veteran. Most people in Wolf Hollow, Pa., don't know what to make of Toby and his habit of circling the hills with "three long guns slung across his back." But he has always been kind to Annabelle, now 12, and he comes to her rescue when a bully torments her. After Toby is accused of a crime he didn't commit, Annabelle knows she has to take action, but her attempt to hide him from authorities spurs a chain of events that could lead to disaster. In her first book for children, Wolk (Those Who Favor Fire) movingly expresses Annabelle's loss of innocence through the honest, clear voice of her protagonist. Annabelle's astute observations of the Pennsylvania woods and the people who populate Wolf Hollow will resonate with many readers as they present a profound view of a complex era tinged by prejudice and fear. Ages 10–up. Agent: Jodi Reamer, Writers House.