Before men ruled the earth, there were wolves. Once abundant in North America, these majestic creatures were hunted to near extinction in the lower 48 states by the 1920s. But in recent decades, conservationists have brought wolves back to the Rockies, igniting a battle over the very soul of the West.
With novelistic detail, Nate Blakeslee tells the gripping story of one of these wolves, O-Six, a charismatic alpha female named for the year of her birth. Uncommonly powerful, with gray fur and faint black ovals around each eye, O-Six is a kind and merciful leader, a fiercely intelligent fighter, and a doting mother. She is beloved by wolf watchers, particularly renowned naturalist Rick McIntyre, and becomes something of a social media star, with followers around the world.
My Thoughts: I have always been fascinated by wolves, and I remember hearing about this wolf when she was killed. I didn't really get into her story as to why she was famous, but reading this book, it has opened my eyes as to why she was a rare and great wolf. O-Six lived in Yellowstone in the Lamar Valley and she was an alpha female that had a total of 3 litters of pups. She wasn't always an alpha. Her watchers and scientists couldn't figure out why she would mate with males and then leave to go to another pack. They had pretty strong opinions that she would not last throughout the winter.
About the Author: NATE BLAKESLEE is a writer-at-large for Texas Monthly. His first book, Tulia, was a finalist for the PEN/Martha Albrand Award and won the J. Anthony Lukas Book Prize, the Texas Institute of Letters non-fiction prize, and was named a New York Times Notable Book of 2005. The Washington Post called it one of the most important books about wrongful convictions ever written. He lives in Austin, Texas with his family.
I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.
