Shortlisted for the Newcomer of the Year Award at the Galaxy British Book Awards 2008.
Winner of the Costa Book of the Year 2006.
A big sweeping drama set in an icy Canada of 1867. A trapper is murdered, a young man disappears into the wilderness, agents from the Hudson Bay Company are called for and a small settlement is in turmoil. Trackers arrive, secrets appear, love blossoms, duty calls … and the whole mystery and adventure is revealed to us through different voices in a thoroughly intriguing manner. I found this very difficult to put down, it haunted me until I could come to it again. Full of strong characters and magnificently visual descriptions, it is a wonderful read.
Costa Book Awards 2006 Judges' comment: "The Tenderness of Wolves is atmospheric, gripping and compassionate and perfectly evokes the snowy wastes of nineteenth-century Canada."
10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY EDITION - FEATURES READING GROUP QUESTIONS AND NEW MATERIAL FROM STEF'S UPCOMING EPIC NOVEL, UNDER A POLE STAR
COSTA AWARD WINNER and WORLDWIDE BESTSELLER. A breathtaking tale of mystery, buried secrets and romance, set in nineteenth century frontier Canada - for fans of THE SNOW CHILD and A PLACE CALLED WINTER.
'Unquestionably atmospheric, evocative and rewarding' Independent on Sunday
'A tense and delicately written thriller' Observer
Canada, 1867. A young murder suspect flees across the snowy wilderness. Tracking him is what passes for the law in this frontier land: trappers, sheriffs, traders and the suspect's own mother, desperate to clear his name. As the party pushes further from civilisation, hidden purposes and old obsessions are revealed. One is seeking long-lost daughters; another a fortune in stolen furs; yet another is chasing rumours of a lost Native American culture. But where survival depends on cooperation, their fragile truce cannot afford to be broken, nor their overriding purpose - to find justice for a murdered man - forgotten.
The Tenderness of Wolves is a must-read historical epic, weaving adventure, suspense and humour into an exhilarating thriller, a panoramic romance and ultimately, one of the books of the last ten years.
Stef Penney was born and grew up in Edinburgh. After a degree in Philosophy and Theology from Bristol University she turned to film-making, studying Film and TV at Bournemouth College of Art. On graduation she was selected for the Carlton Television New Writers Scheme and has since written and directed two short films. She is the author of The Tenderness of Wolves and The Invisible Ones.
