by Ayelet Gundar-Goshen (T. Sondra Silverston)
SYNOPSIS
Lilach seems to have it all: a beautiful home in the heart of Silicon Valley, a community of other Israeli immigrants, a happy marriage and a close relationship with her teenage son, Adam. But when aa local synagogue is brutally attacked, her shy, reclusive son is compelled to join a self-defense class taught by a former Israeli Special Forces officer. Then a Black teenager dies at a house party, and rumours begin to circulate that Adam and his new friends might have been involved.
As scrutiny begins to invade Lilach's peaceful home, and her family's stability is threatened, will are her own fears be the greatest danger of all?
This psychologically astute, timely and page-turning literary novel is perfect for fans of Leïla Slimani, Your House Will Pay by Steph Cha, and We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver.
REVIEW
The Wolf Hunt revolves around an Israeli couple, Lilach and Mikhael, who moved to America with the hope of providing a safer life for their son Adam. They lead a seemingly normal life until one day they see news reports of a senseless terrorist attack at a local synagogue. They want to show their support but all this does is highlight the fear that they have for their son and insist that he takes part in self defence classes led by a former Israeli Special Forces officer. The relationships Adam forms through this group and the mindset he develops are a big worry for Lilach, and it looks like her fears may actually be realised when a young boy called Jamal is killed at a house party, with suspicions landing on Adam and his friends.
"I look at the tiny fingers of a newborn baby and try to understand how they could possibly grow into the fingers of a killer."
This first line of this book was so chilling and set the tone for the rest of the story. As a mother, I can't even begin to imagine the impossible and gut-wrenching situation Lilach was facing in this story. As you can probably tell, it was one of those stories that was really very difficult to read while at the same time impossible to put down.
The quality of the writing and translation was just brilliant in creating an incredibly raw, no holds barred account of what this family had to endure. There were so many layers to the story, it covered so many topical issues and as a result went far beyond my original expectations of what to expect.
The Wolf Hunt is listed as literary fiction but in my opinion as a crime fiction blogger, this story also had many elements of a psychological thriller - it was tense and disturbing as well as being emotional, thought-provoking and full of suspense. Lullaby by Leïla Slimani is one of my all-time favourite books and I have to say that The Wolf Hunt is right up there with it. I can see why there were comparisons, even though it was a completely different setting, it had the same feeling about it - something that just niggles at you the whole way through making you feel uneasy as you read.
An unforgettable, solid and disturbing read, I would highly recommend The Wolf Hunt for anyone looking to read a story that really explores the mindset of the characters, looking at the psychological impact that traumatic events can have on a family, as well as the political element of radicalisation and cultural differences.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ayelet Gundar-Goshen is an award-winning novelist based in Israel. A clinical psychologist, she has also worked for the Israeli civil rights movement and is an award-winning screenwriter. She is the author of One Night, Markovitch, Waking Lions, which won the JQ-Wingate Prize and was a New York Times Notable Book, and Liar, which are all published by Pushkin Press. Her novels have been translated into over 15 languages.
Thanks to Pushkin Press - @PushkinPress and Ayelet Gundar-Goshen for the opportunity to read and review.
Publisher: Pushkin Genre: Literary Fiction / Contemporary
ISBN: 978-1782279884
Pages: 288pp
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