Tell the Wolves I'm Home

There's only one person who has ever truly understood fourteen-year-old June Elbus, and that's her uncle, the renowned painter, Finn Weiss. Shy at school and distant from her once inseparable older sister, June can only be herself in Finn's company; he is her godfather, confidant, and best friend. So when he dies far too young of a mysterious illness that June's mother can barely bring herself to discuss, June's world is turned upside down. At the funeral, she notices a strange man lingering just beyond the crowd, and a few days later, June receives a package in the mail. Inside is a beautiful teapot she recognizes from Finn's apartment, and a note from Toby, the stranger, asking for an opportunity to meet. As the two begin to spend time together, June realises she's not the only one who misses Finn, and if she can bring herself to trust this unexpected friend, he might just be the one she needs the most. Tell the Wolves I'm Home is a tender story of love lost and found, an unforgettable portrait of the way compassion can make us whole again.

Advance praise for "Tell the Wolves I'm Home"

"[A] transcendent debut... Peopled by characters who will live in readers' imaginations long after the final page is turned, Brunt's novel is a beautifully bittersweet mix of heartbreak and hope."--"Booklist" (starred review)

"In ["Tell the Wolves I'm Home"], 15-year-old June must come to terms with the death of her beloved uncle Finn, an artist, from AIDS in 1980s New York. ...What begins as a wary relationship between former rivals for Finn's affection blossoms touchingly."-"PW"

"A gorgeously evocative novel about love, loss, and the ragged mysteries of the human heart, all filtered through the achingly real voice of a remarkable young heroine. How can you not fall in love with a book that shows you how hope can make a difference?"--Caroline Leavitt, "New York Times" bestselling author of "Pictures of You"

""Tell the Wolves I'm Home" is a charming, sure-handed, and deeply sympathetic debut. Brunt writes about family, adolescence, and the human heart with great candor, insight, and pathos."--Jonathan Evison, "New York Times" bestselling author of "West of Here"

""Tell the Wolves I'm Home" is a tale as charming and magnetic as the missing character at its heart. It's a love story of the most unusual kind--several love stories, really--vivid and madly relatable, heartening as well as heartbreaking. Brunt is a captivating storyteller and a wonderful new voice."--Rebecca Makkai, author of "The Borrower"

"Not since "To Kill A Mockingbird "have I read a piece of fiction that so beautifully captures the point of view of a young person, especially one so inspiringly unable to accept the prejudices of others....at turns getting away- with-it exhilarating and pass-the-tissues heartbreaking -- but also a testament to the power of secrets kept and revealed." --"Metrosource"

'An astonishingly assured debut, set in 1980s New York at the height of the Aids crisis... It s a bittersweet tale of unrequited love, family portraits and uncovered secrets' --
Marie Claire s Good Book Club choice

'Almost painfully fine-tuned, this rite-of-passage novel draws us into the unspeakable gap between nostalgia for childhood and the fascinating horrors of adulthood' --Psychologies

'This debut is moving and tender' --We Love This Book

'I thoroughly enjoyed this debut novel. Well written and a very thought-provoking read... A well-balanced and inspiring coming-of-age novel.' --New Books magazine

'Carol Rifka Brunt s amazing novel explores life after the loss of a loved one.'
--Featured in The Style List in Stylist magazine

'This beautifully written coming-of-age story is moving and original' --Irish Times

'In this tremendous first novel, Rifka Brunt masterfully uses the subject of forbidden love in a portrayal of grief worked through and identity discovered through facing the truth. Beautifully written with compassion and insight, Tell The Wolves I m Home must be one of the stars of 2012. A must for your book-list.' --Red Online

'It s quite different from many of the books I read and almost the polar opposite of Fifty Shades but it more than deserves the buzz. It s set in the mid- 80s, when HIV and Aids were just becoming words people understand. June is 14 when her uncle Finn dies from Aids. Before his death, the celebrated artist paints a portrait of her and her 16-year-old sister Greta, and this painting becomes the heart of her story. What follows is a heart-breaking, insightful novel, in which both June and Greta struggle to come to terms with their confused feelings over their uncle, their parents, boys, and even their sisterly rela --Fabulous Magazine blog

"A beautifully written tale" --Heat

"A unique, magically rendered friendship ... As painful on the trials of adolescence as it is about impending mortality" --Guardian

"No one is more devastated than June when her Uncle Finn dies of Aids, or so she thinks until she meets his partner Toby. How, though, can they ever cosole each other when her family blames Toby for Finn s untimely death."
--Must-read literary fiction round-up in Sunday Express