About this book
SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2017 MAN BOOKER PRIZE 'A writer with a great future ahead of her...her prose is exquisite' LOUISE DOUGHTY, author of APPLE TREE YARD How far would you go to belong? Fourteen-year-old Linda lives with her parents in an ex-commune beside a lake in the beautiful, austere backwoods of northern Minnesota. The other girls at school call Linda 'Freak', or 'Commie'. Her parents mostly leave her to her own devices, whilst the other inhabitants have grown up and moved on. So when the perfect family - mother, father and their little boy, Paul - move into the cabin across the lake, Linda insinuates her way into their orbit. She begins to babysit Paul and feels welcome, that she finally has a place to belong. Yet something isn't right. Drawn into secrets she doesn't understand, Linda must make a choice. But how can a girl with no real knowledge of the world understand what the consequences will be?
Censorship history
In 2024, "History of Wolves" by Emily Fridlund was banned at the school level in several districts across the United States due to its LGBTQ+ content and sexual themes. The bans were initiated following formal complaints from parents and local advocacy groups, leading to school board votes that upheld the decisions to restrict access to the book. This reflects a broader trend of challenges against literature perceived as controversial, particularly in relation to sexual and gender identity topics. The specific outcomes of these bans varied by district, with some schools opting to remove the book entirely while others engaged in ongoing debates about its appropriateness in educational settings.
Bans
| Country | Year | Reasons |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 2024 | LGBTQ+SexualOther |
