Starred review from November 21, 2022
This impressive novella from Mandelo (Summer Sons) probes the bounds of human empathy in the face of ecological crisis. Sean, a middle-aged researcher in the year 2031, embarks on a study that will link her brain to the brain of a wolf whose habitat has been shrinking rapidly. Her wife questions her motivations, and indeed, Sean’s interest in experiencing a wolf’s perspective of the world is initially largely personal. But as the season changes and the wolves struggle to survive, she becomes increasingly invested in the pack’s ability to persevere and thrive. Mandelo achieves a remarkable feat in capturing the wolf’s-eye view, creatively and believably describing the interiority of a wolf’s mind and offering a complex look at what effect Sean’s connection to this different way of thinking might have. Through this close link between woman and wolf, Mandelo delivers a powerful message about environmentalism and the limits of technology that doubles as a page-turning story about a collapsing marriage. Urgent, intimate, immediate, this is sure to wow.
June 10, 2024
Mandelo's (Summer Sons) genre-bending novella challenges listeners to imagine experiencing the world through an animal's eyes--feeling their heightened senses, reflexes, instincts, and hunger. Dr. Sean Kell-Luddon doesn't have to imagine anymore. In this near-future tale, Sean uses a neurological interface to experience firsthand what it's like being a wolf in the wild. It's all new scientific research, and despite objections from her wife, Sean can't stop obsessing over her project. Soon, the only thing she looks forward to is getting to the lab so she can "log on" and become one with her wolf. As Sean continues to lose herself in her work, her relationship with her wife deteriorates, and her team's trust in her starts to falter. Is Sean even trying to collect data anymore? Is she just trading one pack for another? The audiobook is exceptionally narrated by Natalie Naudus, who flawlessly conveys the growing feeling of unease as Sean becomes one with the wolf's mind. VERDICT This intriguing novella is perfect for those audiences who love ethical quandaries touched with a bit of science fiction. Though short, the story will stick with listeners long after the end.--Erin Cataldi
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