Wolf Hollow

The year I turned twelve, I learned how to lie. I don’t mean the small fibs that children tell. I mean real lies fed by real fears – things I said and did that took me out of the life I’d always known and put me down hard into a new one. It all begins in the summer of 1943, in a place a long way from war and yet haunted by it, in a community hiding prejudice and fear. Annabelle has lived in Wolf Hollow all her life: it’s a quiet place where Anabelle has never had any reason to be afraid. But when cruel, manipulative Betty arrives in town, Annabelle's calm world is shattered, along with everything she's ever known about right and wrong. Then Betty disappears and suspicion falls on strange, gentle loner Toby, a shell-shocked veteran. As Wolf Hollow turns against him, and tensions quickly mount, Annabelle must do everything in her power to protect Toby - and to find Betty, before it is too late. Powerful, poignant and lyrical, Wolf Hollow is an unforgettable story about growing up and facing the many difficulties of adulthood; not least the realisation that the ties that bind are also often the roots of our deepest communal intolerances. ‘Harper Lee has a worthy successor. Wolk is a big new talent.’ – The Times ‘”Wolf Hollow” is beautifully written, with spare, simple language perfectly suited to its subject and setting… masterfully balancing a mood of aching regret with an electric sense of ominousness.’ – The New York Times Lauren Wolk has variously worked as an editor, teacher and award-winning artist and poet. Her first novel for children, Wolf Hollow is set in western Pennsylvania where her family roots run deep. Both of her parents were raised in that area, her mother on a farm and in a family that served as the inspiration for the novel. Her second novel, due for publication in 2017 is Beyond the Bright Sea.