The Mad Wolf's Daughter

Gr 4–7—Drest has just six days to save her father and brothers from the hangman's noose in this adventure tale set in medieval Scotland. As the daughter of the "Mad Wolf of the North," Drest is no stranger to a bit of scrapping, but when a band of knights, under the direction of a vengeful Lord Faintree, take her family's camp by surprise, she alone must save them. Drest is likable and headstrong character, and the composite of various regions in Scotland will appeal to tweens who appreciate atmospheric woodsy settings. Readers will learn, along with Drest, about feudal village life, contemporaneous attitudes toward gender, and the relationship between truth and legend. Drest's thoughts occasionally reflect some internalized misogyny; she is not like the other "frail women and girls" or "weak and feeble like every other lass." These particular statements aren't directly unpacked, but the young protagonist does engage in more illuminating conversations about gender with other characters. An allusion to rape that involves Drest's brothers ("Was it a tribute to drag the weavers' daughters into the woods—") is dismissed as rumor. The running theme of trust and family secrets propels much of the plot, and while most conflicts are rather neatly tied up, Drest's embrace of unlikely friendships and a new code of honor are well done.