Take an additional 35% off all SALE items with code CLOSEOUT35!

Tell the Wolves I’m Home by Carol Rifka Brunt

February 20, 2013

“The sun kept on with its slipping away, and I thought how many good things in the world might be resting on the shoulders of something terrible.”

Carol Rifka Brunt’s heart wrenching novel begins by introducing 14 year old June Elbus.  June is a self proclaimed “weird” girl who enjoys venturing into the woods behind her school and imagining that she lives in the Middle Ages.  There is only one person who really understands June and all her weirdness and that is her Uncle Finn.  Finn is a world renowned painter who is also gay.  June finds out at the beginning of the novel that Finn has AIDS and is dying.  Before he dies, Finn is determined to paint a portrait of June and her older sister which requires weekly visits to his New York apartment. 

Set in the 1980s during the AIDS epidemic, June’s mother forbids her from meeting or being around Uncle Finn’s “special friend.”  It is not until he dies that June finds out about Finn’s boyfriend, Toby. Her mother continues to forbid her from seeing Toby, but June is determined to hang on to Finn’s memory and meeting with Toby is the only way she knows how to do that. While her family believes that Toby is a murderer, June seeks to learn all about Toby and the life he lived with her uncle.

My Thoughts:  
This novel was a little slow in the beginning, but once I got about a fourth of the way in, I could not put it down.  While June has a special relationship with her Uncle Finn, who is also her godfather, this novel is more about the forbidden relationship that June develops with Toby after Finn’s death.  It is also about June’s relationship with her mean older sister who used to be her best friend.   In a nutshell, this is a story about many different types of relationships and how they shape our lives.  While sad, Tell the Wolves I’m Home is a book you will not want to miss.  






Leave a comment

Comments will be approved before showing up.


Also in Blog

Transitioning Your Skincare for Summer
Transitioning Your Skincare for Summer

July 26, 2025

Anyone else have skin that goes a little crazy when the warmer months roll in? You are not alone. Here in North Carolina, the humidity gets out of control around this time and I basically go from having dry, wintry skin to skin that is constantly sweaty and damp. I've learned a few tricks for switching up my cleansing routine and wanted to share them with you ...

View full article →

Spring Cleaning + Essential Oils
Spring Cleaning + Essential Oils

July 26, 2025

One of the first ways I began using essential oils was to create my own cleaning products. After years of battling chronic migraines and completely changing my diet to help balance out my hormones and heal my gut, I began researching other things that might be endocrine disruptors (which can cause hormone imbalance). One of the ...

View full article →

Winter Diffuser Blends
Winter Diffuser Blends

November 09, 2024

It's the most wonderful time of the year!! These scents will make your home smell all warm and cozy! Here are some of my favorite diffuser blends for the winter season. 

...

View full article →