Federation Book Club Reads TELL THE WOLVES I'M HOME, by Carol Rifka Brunt

Tell the Wolves I’m home, by Carol Rifka Brunt, could be required reading for people who are too young to remember the AIDS epidemic during its time of rampant ignorance. The main protagonists are members of a family struggling with grief, honesty, love, artistry, sibling rivalry, triangulated relationships, and the struggles between denial and acceptance. June Elbus and her portrait-artist uncle, Finn Weiss, develop a delightful mentor/mentee relationship, causing resentment and jealousy between June and her sister Greta. The action centers around Finn’s art, his own sister’s refusal to accept him as gay, AIDS, and the dire consequences of rivalry between young and adult siblings. It’s a heart-wrenching tale so rich in detail that after reading it, you might feel as if you’ve lived in the 1980s New York City.

Beth Buechler
Community Contributor

Federation Book Club meets via Zoom at 4 PM on the 2nd Thursday of the month. Contact info@thejewishfed.org with “Book Club” in the subject to get involved.