Wolves Among Us by Ginger Garrett
Paperback, 304 pages
April 1st 2011 by David C. Cook
Review Copy
This richly imagined tale takes readers to a tiny German town in the time of “the burnings,” when pious and heretic alike became victims of witch-hunting zealots. When a double murder stirs up festering fears, the village priest sends for help. But the charismatic Inquisitor who answers the call brings a deadly mix of spiritual fervor and self-deceptive evil. Under his influence, village fear, guilt, and suspicion of women take a deadly turn. In the midst of this nightmare, a doubting priest and an unloved wife—a secret friend of the recently martyred William Tyndale—somehow manage to hear another Voice…and discover the power of love over fear. Dinfoil, Germany, 1538. In a little town on the edge of the Black Forest, a double murder stirs up festering fears. A lonely woman despairs of pleasing her husband and wonders why other women shun her. An overworked sheriff struggles to hold the town—and himself—together. A priest begins to doubt the power of the words he shares daily with his flock. And the charismatic Inquisitor who arrives to help—with a filthy witch in a cage as an object lesson—brings his own mix of lofty ideals and treacherous evil. Under his influence, ordinary village fears and resentments take a deadly turn. Terror mounts. Dark deeds come to light. And men and women alike discover not only what they are capable of, but who they are…and what it means to grapple for grace.
Review
Mia is a simple woman, living in a simple town, some might say Mia is even a woman of a simple mind. Mia is living in a time when women are viewed as property rights, lowly beings and prone to all the evil ever created to man, tending to give a girl a simple outlook on life. Mia spends her days married to the towns sheriff and stays at home taking care of his disabled and mute mother while also nursing her ill child Alma. She keeps to herself, avoiding the other women in the village and attempts to keep away from idle village gossip. While the people live a simple life, the message they are fed everyday from priest Stefan is far from simple, they are told women are the weaker vessel, that they are prone to illusions and hysterics and that a woman's duty is to be her husbands servant, soft spoken and knowing her place in the home. That's how life is in this village, quiet meekly women who dare not speak against any man or speak out loud in public, except for the gossip they engage in everyday.
Gossip and panic are all astir when one of those women, the wife of the towns drunk husband (who uses his fists while everyone looks the other way) shows up missing and later murdered with her husband slowly turns the quiet town into a three ring circus. People are freaking out, the sheriff is overwhelmed and there are whispers of a murderer among them. Stefan doesn't know what to do and decides to call in an Inquisitor to help with the murder mystery. But when he shows up his poisonous words infiltrate the minds of the people and then begins the witch hunts, which turns the town against each other and against the women, thus causing mass-hysteria and complete madness.
Gossip and panic are all astir when one of those women, the wife of the towns drunk husband (who uses his fists while everyone looks the other way) shows up missing and later murdered with her husband slowly turns the quiet town into a three ring circus. People are freaking out, the sheriff is overwhelmed and there are whispers of a murderer among them. Stefan doesn't know what to do and decides to call in an Inquisitor to help with the murder mystery. But when he shows up his poisonous words infiltrate the minds of the people and then begins the witch hunts, which turns the town against each other and against the women, thus causing mass-hysteria and complete madness.
When it boils down to it the village was full of ignorance and a faithless religion. Had any of them, even the priest who should have been their leader really relied and trusted upon God, none of this would have happened. Even though Stefan redeems himself near the end, he as well as all the men in the novel held women in contempt, they had so much pride that the easiest thing to do was blame women for everything. From the shocking witch pointing to blaming women for a mans infidelity it was obvious that the men in this story and historically speaking had read their Bibles wrong. All through out the book I cant believe how angry it made me, my inner feminist was starting to rise up and almost took over with me launching the book somewhere out the window, but I stuck it out and eventually Garrett draws parallels to the mistakes of the men and the women and finds some brave souls who are willing to stop the madness from overtaking all of them. While the ending was very sudden and could have been much more drawn out, it gave the characters and the novel much needed closure.
Don’t mistake Wolves Among Us for the uniting of feminists nationwide but take it for what it is…a fabulous story written well and questions the issues of ignorance and self-reliance, mass-hysteria, false prophets and the greedy lust of mankind.
Rating
Wolves Among Us can be read by adults and mature teens. Contains: Violence, murder, adultery, twisted romance, mild passion (kissing) witch hunts, religious commentary, gossip, sickness and mass hysteria
3/5- Inspirational Fiction-Suspense
Thanks to David C. Cook and the Cfba for review copy
LOL at "These characters bought into a mass hysteria witch hunt faster than a Taylor Swift breakup"
ReplyDeleteWhat a great cover on this book! I couln't tell it was an inspy until I read your review (and that's a compliment).
Oh this one sounds really interesting. It never ceases to amaze me how quickly a mob of people can be worked into a frenzy and turn on another human being as though that person wasn't their friend or neighbor a few moments before. Definitely intrigued with this one, thanks Tina!
ReplyDeleteSounds like something I would love.
ReplyDeleteGREAT review.
Thanks for the warning on the silly men.
LOL! I love the little pictures you often insert into your reviews, T. And of course, your snarky little comments are always so funny. Finding one in your reviews is like hunting for easter eggs. :)
ReplyDeleteSmall minded men and mobs of mass hysteria... always an unavoidable combo, eh?