Tell the Wolves I'm Home

Tell the Wolves I’m Home is the 2012 debut novel of author Carol Rifka Brunt. In it, 14-year-old narrator June Elbus wrestles with her grief over the death of her uncle Finn Weiss, who died of AIDS. Set in 1987 New York at the height of the AIDS crisis, the novel confronts the stigmas surrounding the disease through June’s parents and sister, who blame Finn’s long-term partner, Toby Aldshaw, for transmitting AIDS to Finn. As June attempts to keep Finn’s memory alive, she ventures into forbidden territory by getting to know Toby. June also loses her friendship with her older sister, Greta, as the novel explores the tension that results when jealousy severs ties that were once strong.

Brunt was born in Queens, New York, and now resides in Devon, England. She has indicated that her initial inspiration for the novel came from the image of a dying man painting a final work (“An Interview With Carol Rifka Brunt.” BookBrowse). A New York Times bestseller, Tell the Wolves I’m Home also received the American Library Association’s Alex Award, which is awarded to adult books that appeal to teenage readers.