Synopses & Reviews
Part Wild is the story of a woman and her wolf, or more specifically, a canine estimated to be 12.5% Siberian husky and 87.5% gray wolf: a high purity and bona fide wolfdog named Inyo. In and out of abusive relationships with damaged men, Ceiridwen Terrill is drawn to Inyo as a source of protection, a beacon of strength, and as a fellow traveler—a partner. But this is not a sentimental account of spiritual healing;
Part Wild is a memoir of the beauty and tragedy that comes from living with a measure of wildness.
Over the course of three years, Ceiridwen and Inyo’s adventures veer between hilarious and heartbreaking. When Ryan (a rock-climbing line cook with a love of literature) enters the picture, the three of them find peace by escaping suburban Reno for weekends and hiking in the snowy foothills. But back home, Inyo’s wild nature and Ryan’s insouciance clash with the fences and financial requirements of civilization. Ceiridwen and Ryan’s relationship (along with carpets, leashes, and dashboards) frays under the stress of caring for Inyo, insatiable without the stimulation of a life lived outdoors. Forced to move again and again to accommodate the complaints of fearful neighbors and the desires of the space-craving wolfdog, Ceiridwen is finally confronted with the reality of what she has done by trying to tame a part-wild animal. “For some wolfdogs,” she ultimately understands, “not even the world is big enough.”
Driven to understand the differences between dogs and wolves, Ceiridwen spent five years tracking down and interviewing scientists, wolf biologists, and dog trainers in the United States, Germany, Hungary, Sweden, and Russia, and visited wolf shelters across the United States. The fascinating results of her investigation are interspersed throughout the narrative, elucidating the behaviors she encountered while living with Inyo.
This is a rare story about the alluring call of the wild, the danger and responsibility of heeding that call, and extraordinary animal love. Ceiridwen Terrill is a gifted writer able to capture the beauty and power of the natural world, the complexity of scientific ideas, and the pulse of the human experience.
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"Ceiridwen Terrill will make you fully understand the differences between wild and domestic animals.
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“This introspective and lyrical book will be an eye-opener for all lovers of dogs.” —Booklist
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“A memoir that is impossible to put down, even as it breaks the reader's heart.” —Shelf Awareness
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“The moments of pure wildness that united the spirits of the author and her wolfdog Inyo will touch the soul of every reader.” --Dr. Michael W. Fox
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“I can’t think of anything I’ve read lately that made me more grateful to have dogs, Canis lupus familiaris, as domesticated animals, in my life. The book is beautifully written, bravely honest and heart-breaking. ” --Patricia McConnell, Ph.D., The Other End of the Leash and For the Love of a Dog
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andlt;divandgt;"Ceiridwen Terrill will make you fully understand the differences between wild and domestic animals.
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"Ceiridwen Terrill will make you fully understand the differences between wild and domestic animals. Her riveting prose about her wolf hybrid is essential reading for everyone who is interested in animals." -Temple Grandin
Synopsis
andlt;iandgt;Part Wild andlt;/iandgt;is the unforgettable story of Ceiridwen Terrill's journey with a creature whose heart is divided between her bond to one woman and her need to roam free. When Terrill adopts a wolfdogand#8212;part husky, part gray wolfand#8212;named Inyo to be her protector and fellow traveler, she is drawn to Inyoand#8217;s spark of wildness; compelled by the great responsibility, andlt;iandgt;even danger, andlt;/iandgt;that accompanies the allure of the wild; and transformed by theextraordinary love she shares with Inyo, who teaches Terrill how to carve out a place for herself in the world.andnbsp;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Over almost four years, Terrill and Inyoand#8217;s adventures veer between hilarious and heartbreaking. There are peaceful weekends spent hiking in snowy foothills, mirthful romps through dirty laundry, joyful adoptions of dog companions, and clashes brought on by the stress of caring for Inyo, insatiable without the stimulation of a life lived outdoors. Forced to move and accommodate the complaints of fearful neighbors and the desires of her space-craving wolfdog, Terrill must confront the reality of what she has done by trying to tame a part-wild animal.andnbsp;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Driven to understand the differences between dogs and wolves, Terrill spent five years interviewing genetics experts, wolf biologists, dog trainers, and wolf rescuers in the United States, Germany, Hungary, Sweden, and Russia. The fascinating results of her investigation make andlt;iandgt;Part Wild andlt;/iandgt;as informative as it is moving.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;A gifted writer able to capture the grace and power of the natural world, the complexity of scientificandnbsp;ideas, and the pulse of the human experience,Terrill has written a bittersweet memoir of the beauty and tragedy that comes from living with a measure of wildness.
About the Author
andlt;bandgt;Ceiridwen Terrillandlt;/bandgt; is an associate professor of science writing and environmental journalism at Concordia University in Portland, Oregon. Her essays have appeared in Oxford American and Isotope, as well as the anthology andlt;iandgt;What Wildness Is This: Women Write About the Southwestandlt;/iandgt;. Her first book andlt;iandgt;Unnatural Landscapes: Tracking Invasive Speciesandlt;/iandgt; was published in 2007. To see photos and video from andlt;i andgt;Part Wildandlt;/iandgt; and to learn more about her work, visit MyUrbanWild.com. Follow her on
[email protected];bandgt;andlt;/bandgt;