What happens when you bring Wolves to the City?

We were very honoured today that one of our guests, Dorris Heffron, took some time away from the beach -- and more importantly away from the grandkids! -- to visit the local Dwight Public Library, talking about her most recent novel, CITY WOLVES.

There was a great turnout from the Book Club and other Library patrons, and she sold out every book she had brought with her.  That's always a good sign.

It's a great book, too.  An historical fiction, it is meticulously researched, well written, with engaging characters (both fictional and real).  Following the notorious Dog Doctor of Halifax, the first female veterinarian in Canada, the story winds from Halifax, through Boston, to the Yukon Goldrush in Dawson City.  What both drives and binds the tale is the development of the Malamute sled dog breed, closely descended from wolves, and a truly Canadian indigenous breed.  These were the dogs that opened up the North for both First Nations and the later prospectors and Northwest Mounted Police. 

The main character, Meg, follows her dream and passion at a time when most women were -- as Meg's sister and mother -- entangled in childbearing, with little time left over to pursue anything else.  Whe her unusual and childless marriage abruptly ends in Boston, she heads across the country, drawn by the legends of the sled dogs.

Hovering around her throughout the book are the spirits of an old Inuit couple from the malamute tribe who devoted their lives to raising wolves from the wild to become the most superb sled dogs, and the foundation of the Malamute breed.

It's a great read for anyone interested in Canadian history, the Gold Rush in the Klondike, the pioneering spirit of women moving away from traditional roles, dogs in general, Malamutes and wolves in particular... or for someone just looking for a great tale to read over the summer.

It's definitely going on the Book Club list at Dwight.  Thanks so much for sharing with us, Dorris!  And thanks for sharing your "first Muskoka experience", way back when, working at the old Grandview Farm, and fleeing when the owners got into an altercation while brandishing knives in the kitchen... those were the days...  The Cooksons were a trifle eccentric, but sure could serve up a great meal!