The Wolf Hour

by Sara Lewis Holmes Narrated by David de Vries, Thérèse Plummer

Overview

A girl. A wolf. A red cape. And ... pigs? In the vein of A Tale Dark and Grimm, this gorgeously written, endlessly surprising retelling explores the stories and wildness that define us.

Welcome, my little lambs, to the Puszcza. It's an ancient forest, a keeper of the deepest magic, where even the darkest fairy tales are real.Here, a Girl is not supposed to be a woodcutter. Or be brave enough to walk alone.Here, a Wolf is not supposed to love to read. Or be curious enough to meet a human.And here, a Story is nothing like the ones you read in books, for the Witch can make the most startling tales come alive. All she needs is a Girl from the village, a Wolf from the forest, and a woodcutter with a nice, sharp axe. So take care, little lambs, if you step into these woods. For in the Puszcza, it is always as dark as the hour between night and dawn -- the time old folk call the Wolf Hour. If you lose your way here, you will be lost forever, your Story no longer your own.You can bet your bones.

Editorial Reviews

JANUARY 2018 - AudioFile

The narration of this audiobook is spectacular. Thérèse Plummer brings power, venom, and precision, and David de Vries demonstrates equal power, along with warmth and humor. They transport listeners into the Polish Puszcza—a forest cold, dark, and full of magic. And wolves. And stories. Young Magia desperately wants to follow the footsteps of her woodcutter father into the Puszcza, but how can she without becoming part of the forest’s magical web? Plummer and de Vries alternate the narration. Plummer delivers the narrative as well as portraying Magia and Miss Grand, a manipulative witch. De Vries crafts intriguing vocal personalities for the wolf and the three pigs. While the story has many magical threads and altered folktales to keep in mind, the vivid narration will make following the characters a joy. A.R. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine

Publishers Weekly

09/04/2017
The story of Little Red Riding Hood intersects with that of the Three Little Pigs in this complex fantasy, set in and around an alluring but treacherous Polish forest known as the Puszcza. In this folktale world, readers meet a woodcutter’s daughter named Magia, who is enticed by a powerful red cape offered to her by a carefully disguised witch; a young wolf named Martin who has no sense of tracking but adores books; and three pigs who long for their absent mother. As these narrative strands intersect, the retellings illustrate the power of story (Martin’s mother has taught him to believe that “stories can kill you”) while blending humorous details, such as Martin’s photographic memory of his books, with an abundance of magic. Holmes (Operation Yes) offers additional ruminations on the nature of story in occasional notes directed at readers. But although elements of these interwoven tales are individually compelling, such as Magia’s desire to ease her mother’s depression, the machinations and intersections become excessively complicated, causing the storytelling to bog down. Ages 8–12. Agent: Tina Wexler, ICM. (Sept.)

From the Publisher

Praise for The Wolf Hour:"A lovely, haunting weave of fable and fairytale, The Wolf Hour will claw its way into your heart and sing to your soul." — Liesl Shurtliff, New York Times-bestselling author of Red: The True Story of Red Riding Hood"Holmes' eerie, anachronistic storytelling style is perfectly suited for this postmodern fairy tale pastiche. . . . Holmes' dreamy narrative is not to be missed for fans of fairy tales and fairy tale retellings." — Booklist"This might land well with fans of Ursu's Breadcrumbs, and the triumphant conclusion could please fans of fairy tales with happy endings." — Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books"Compelling." — Publishers Weekly"This is a true fairy tale, a deep forest of a book. The Wolf Hour swallowed me whole." — Laurel Snyder, author of Orphan Island"Fairy tales are precarious places for girls and wolves. In a brash, dazzling break with tradition, Sara Lewis Holmes arms a woodcutter's daughter and a sensitive wolf pup with a means of defense against the old familiar roles that threaten to swallow them whole. The story of how they come together to rewrite fate is bewitchingly delicious; you'll gobble it up." — Christine Heppermann, author of Poisoned Apples: Poems for You, My PrettyPraise for Operation Yes:* "The entire tale is purest stagecraft: quick, funny, sad, full of heart, and irresistibly absorbing." — Booklist, starred review"[T]his story of middle-school classmates who come together to honor their teacher and her war-injured brother entertains. . . . Miss Loupe is the kind of teacher every kid dreams about, and the 'all for one, one for all' mentality that comes through as the students band together is inspiring." — Publishers Weekly"In this lively, often funny novel, an enthusiastic teacher brings improv to restless sixth graders at a rundown school on a North Carolina Air Force base. . . . Pitched to readers in both military and civilian families, this engaging story avoids larger questions of war and peace, focusing instead on how they affect the lives of American kids who deal with the consequences every day." — Kirkus Reviews"The classroom is often a place of lessons, but Holmes tells her story — infused with details of military life — with heart and energy, and leaves any didacticism at the door. Sixth graders, military brats or not, will identify with this rich cast." — The Horn Book Magazine

School Library Journal

08/01/2017
Gr 5–8—A metafictional retelling of "Little Red Riding Hood." In the Puszcza, an ancient forest with magical roots, fairy tales are real—magicked and crafted into being by a sly Witch. But two characters, Magia, a brave woodcutter's daughter in a red cap; and Martin, a wolf who loves to read and is curious about humans, don't fit their prescribed roles. When Magia's family is threatened, she sets out for the dark forest. Martin does the same after his beloved mother goes missing. The two are on a collision course, but will their stories follow the same old path readers have come to expect? In a heady mix of folklore and fantasy, Holmes offers a meditation on fate, expectations, and the ability of people to determine their own futures. It is also an exploration of stories and the ways story can be used to harm, misinform, and alienate—a timely topic indeed. Flowery syntax and a sprinkling of Polish terms make this a sophisticated read best suited to fantasy and fairy tale lovers with an appreciation for language. VERDICT Unique and challenging, this retelling will be welcomed by fans of Gregory Maguire's Egg and Spoon and Kelly Barnhill's The Girl Who Drank the Moon.—Kiera Parrott, School Library Journal

JANUARY 2018 - AudioFile

The narration of this audiobook is spectacular. Thérèse Plummer brings power, venom, and precision, and David de Vries demonstrates equal power, along with warmth and humor. They transport listeners into the Polish Puszcza—a forest cold, dark, and full of magic. And wolves. And stories. Young Magia desperately wants to follow the footsteps of her woodcutter father into the Puszcza, but how can she without becoming part of the forest’s magical web? Plummer and de Vries alternate the narration. Plummer delivers the narrative as well as portraying Magia and Miss Grand, a manipulative witch. De Vries crafts intriguing vocal personalities for the wolf and the three pigs. While the story has many magical threads and altered folktales to keep in mind, the vivid narration will make following the characters a joy. A.R. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine

Kirkus Reviews

2017-07-02
Little Red Riding Hood meets the Three Little Pigs—literally—in this fairy-tale mashup set in Poland. Magia lives with her parents, brother, and sister near the Puszcza, a mysterious forest that is greatly feared by villagers—along with the wolves that roam it. Rejecting traditional gender roles, Magia longs to become a woodcutter like Tata. She soon finds more adventure than she bargained for, wandering into the Puszcza alone; caring for a gentle, literate, orphaned wolf cub who also defies convention; battling wits with a bloodthirsty witch; and trying to rescue her family from a terrible enchantment. It emerges that the power-hungry witch holds everyone in thrall—from the little girls she tempts with a red, hooded cape to the three little pigs who just want their mother back—through her manipulation of stories. Although folk tales rely on archetypes, a novel-length fairy-tale fantasy requires more character development than is present here. The only clue to the setting is the sprinkling of Polish words whose origin many young readers may not recognize, with little sense of Polish culture conveyed in other ways. Additionally, neither of the folk tales incorporated into the story is traditionally Polish. There is a bit too much going on in this convoluted tale, making it difficult for readers to plunge in and fully immerse themselves. (Fantasy. 10-14)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170564880
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	09/26/2017
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	8 - 11 Years

Read an Excerpt

From The Wolf Hour:Once upon a time there was a wolf. When he wasn't any more, there was another one. And another one. How could this be? A wolf without end? Welcome, my little lambs, to the Puszcza, where even wolves must live and die by the rules. It's an ancient forest, a keeper of the deepest magic, and there, fairy tales of the darkest kind are real. Some even call them spells, for if you're unlucky to be caught in one of them, you must play your part, all the way to the bitter end.Psiakrew! you say. You're trying to frighten me! Besides, fairy tales contain silly things like talking wolves and clever pigs and ugly witches. Ridiculous, but not dangerous.You're right, of course, if you mean the pantomimes recorded in books. But those printed words are like the sparse, thin-limbed trees at the edge of the forest — nothing compared to the thick-boughed, magic-laden, spell-fraught depths of the Puszcza.Here, clever pigs can follow every word of their mother's advice, and still have their lives blown down around them.Here, an ugly witch can offer sweet things to a brave girl, and both can leave as empty as they came. And here, a wolf can tumble down a chimney, neat as a bale of hay, into a pot over a hungry fire. No matter how many fancy words he knows.So I don't blame you if you want to look away, little lambs. Look away until the wild jig of boiling water has loosened the scrubby fur from the wolf's flesh, and released his pike-sharp teeth from his soft pink gums. Look away until all that's left are bones.Smooth, twinkling-white, wolf bones. But if you desire a life beyond the ragged edges of the forest, and if you wish to see how the living are plucked from the dead and the mad cleaved from the sane, and — most of all — if you're ravenous for another heart to beat in time with yours, come into the Puszcza. There lived a talking wolf. A brave girl. And a witch who told fairy tales.You can believe those tales if you like, my lambs. You can be amused by the clever pigs who pop up from time to time. But never forget that in the Puszcza's deepest reaches, it is always as dark as the hour between night and dawn. Always the hour more people come into this world and more people leave it than any other. Always the hour the old folk call the Wolf Hour. If you lose your way then, you will be lost forever, your Story no longer your own.You can bet your bones.

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