Dreaming of Wolves by Alan E. Sparks is unlikely to be enjoyed by anyone who does not already have an interest in the Carpathian Large Carnivore Project (which no longer exists.) Alan volunteered at the sunset of the project after finding himself forced into early retirement by his downsizing employer. This book is his personal diary of his time there.
You can safely skip the first 30 pages altogether. Many authors start their books too early, it’s a common mistake. Usually beta-readers or agents point it out long before a book would reach publication. This one seems to have slipped through. I would have preferred getting to know Alan at the wolf cabin not pouring over his retirement package, not taking a job at Blockbuster, not musing about maybe joining the Peace Corps.
The diary entries from March 3 to May 24 will be interesting to wolf enthusiasts. I enjoyed Alan’s descriptions of tracking wolves and his observations of what he learns of wolf behavior. Occasionally, he gives lovely descriptions of the scenery and historical attractions in the area. I enjoyed these. Dearest and I are thinking about hiking the Carpathian Mountains next year and reading about the little towns of Romania was fun. Alan does have a gift for description. I enjoyed his visit to monastic caves and his account of the historic towns of Bran and Brasov. Alan also describes some of his encounters with the local people though these seem to be sporadic and not particularly meaningful to his narrative. I would have liked to learn more about the people through his eyes.
I’m afraid if you need a good piece of weekend reading, I can’t recommend Dreaming of Wolves unless you have a particular fascination with Wolves. If not, you might try a visit to my friend Sarah’s blog WanderShopper and see what she’s been reading.