The Plot In Five Sentences Or Less:  Annabelle is a 12 year old girl living on a farm in rural Pennsylvania in the autumn of 1943.  Betty is a new girl at school who jumps Annabelle on her way home one afternoon in the deep recess of Wolf Hollow, a low, dark place that runs between the school and Annabelle’s farm.  Betty threatens to beat her with a stick and hurt her younger brothers if she tells anyone.  The one witness to this cruelty is Toby, a local homeless man with a mysterious past who wanders the local woods.  The tension culminates is a violent incident that turns the town against Toby and makes Annabelle realizes that she is the only person who can protect him.

My Take:  This was a book that gripped me from the opening pages and then expanded into a conversation about larger themes.  I appreciated that author Lauren Wolk takes no time in introducing the character of Betty Glengarry who immediately provides a source of danger and conflict.  She’s a wonderful antagonist that fills the narrative with a tension that makes you want to continue reading.  Later on, as we get to know the character of Toby, we are asked to make sense of a more complicated character:  a man who is obviously troubled, perhaps dangerous, but also show signs of warmth and kindness.  When we learn the source of Toby’s demons, we are hoping that the community will show wisdom and patience in how it treats with him.  This is a wonderful book that will encourage readers to ask questions about the homeless, the mentally ill, PTSD, and the ambiguous consequences of deception.  I can certainly understand why Wolf Hollow won a Newberry Honor earlier this year.

One Interesting Note About The Author:  Lauren Wolk has a new book out entitled Beyond The Bright Sea that is already creating some Newberry chatter for 2018.