WHERE WOLVES DON'T DIE

Anton Treuer does double duty as narrator of his debut novel, set largely in the wilderness surrounding the Nigigoonsiminikaaning First Nation, north of the Ontario-Minnesota border. Working with Grandpa Liam on his trapline, 15-year-old Ezra Cloud grapples with grief at the recent loss of his mother. It's an affecting story, but, sadly, Treuer is less gifted as a narrator of long-form prose than as a writer. His voice is pleasant and light, well suited to this earnest Ojibwe teen's interiority, but his delivery is halting, and his rendition of Ezra's conversations with his best friend, painfully wooden. His characterization of Grandpa Liam is delightful, but that may not be enough to engage listeners. This is one audiobook kids may be better off reading. V.S. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2024]