Uniquely voiced, elementally powerful literary thriller that crackles with page-turning tension.
Aged seven, gutsy Elka ran away from her nana and wound up getting lost in a forest. She was found by Trapper, a lone hunter whose “voice had a breath of kindness to it”. But when Elka learns that the man she’s come to call Daddy is a “murdering, kid-killing bastard”, she flees him in search of her “true momma and daddy”, who left her in pursuit of gold rush riches. But the wild land Elka traverses is populated by wolves, bears and the kind of humans a person could do without encountering…
The framing theme of hunting and searching - especially Elka’s sense of being tracked, and her raw instinct for survival - makes for a serious edge-of-your-seat experience. ~ Joanne Owen
A debut literary thriller from an incredible new voice. What do you do when the man who gave you everything turns out to be a killer? Perfect for fans of STATION ELEVEN by Emily St. John Mandel. Trapper was my family even though I didn't know a sure thing about him...Trapper was the kind a' family you choose for yourself, the kind that gets closer'n blood. He was what I chose and I chose wrong. Lost in the harsh forest as a child, Elka was taken in and raised by the man she calls Trapper, the solitary hunter who taught her all she knows. So when Elka sees the Wanted poster in town, her simple existence is shattered. Her Trapper - Kreagar Hallet - is wanted for murder. Even worse, Magistrate Lyon is hot on his trail, and she wants to talk to Elka. As winter sets in, Elka flees into the vast wilderness, determined to find her real parents. But Lyon is never far behind, and she's not the only one following Elka's every move. Soon Elka must confront the darkest memories of her past- and end Trapper's killing spree for good.
'An intriguing tale of post apocalyptic survival ... One of those books one picks up instead of turning on the television ... Read this book for the characters and the tale of how they develop against a stark backdrop of survival in a crumbled world' Robin Hobb
'What a voice Elka has, marvellously sustained' Rob Ewing, author of The Last of Us
'Arresting ... Lewis takes the reader on an odyssey that highlights the striking wilderness landscape and Elka's grit' Publishers Weekly
'The Wolf Road is an extraordinary novel - dark and funny and full of wild energy. Elka is a brilliant creation - fierce and vulnerable at the same time. Her story and her voice pull you in from the first page and never let you go. Gripping and unforgettable' Antonia Hodgson, author of The Devil in the Marshalsea
Author
About Beth Lewis
Beth Lewis was raised in the wilds of Cornwall and split her childhood between books and the beach. She has travelled extensively throughout the world and has had close encounters with black bears, killer whales, and Great White sharks. She has been, at turns, a bank cashier, fire performer, juggler, and is currently a Managing Editor at a leading London publisher.
