Spirit of a Mountain Wolf

Gr 9 Up—As the story opens, an earthquake in the Pakistani mountains leaves a village destroyed and 14-year-old Abdur-Razaq Nadeem orphaned and homeless. Eventually, he travels to the city to find his uncle. There, Razaq is victimized and sold into slavery. Hawke's novel might remind readers of Kashmira Sheth's Boys Without Names (Random, 2010), but the protagonist is older and endures not only beatings but also rape and threats of castration. There is a lot of cultural detail, such as the villagers' disdain for an unmarried female aid worker. No glossary is provided for unfamiliar words that cannot be inferred from the text, for example, "chutti" (time off). Back matter includes the author's resources, both print and online, which ground the fictional narrative in the real world. A friendship with Tahira, a fellow slave, inspires Razaq's thrilling escape. Their last words, "there is always a way from heart to heart," deliver hope that they might have a future together, an ending that will resonate with readers.—Toby Rajput, National Louis University, Skokie, IL