cover image Part Wild: One Woman's Extraordinary Love for a Creature Caught Between the Worlds of Wolves and Dogs

Part Wild: One Woman's Extraordinary Love for a Creature Caught Between the Worlds of Wolves and Dogs

Ceiridwen Terrill. Scribner, $25 (288p) ISBN 978-1-4516-3481-5

The natural world inspires, but attempts to contain its wildness can have dangerous implications. This is the lesson environmental journalist%E2%80%94and self-admitted "control freak"%E2%80%94Terrill (Unnatural Landscapes) learns in her candid memoir of the healing and strength she sought in a "wolfdog," a creature 12.5 % Siberian husky and 87.5% wolf. After escaping an abusive relationship, Terrill adopts Inyo, a wolfdog pup, hoping that the hybrid's fierce independence would rub off on her. At the same time, she finds a new sense of security in her climbing partner and new boyfriend, Ryan. However, neither relationship turns out to be as stable as she'd imagined: Inyo devotes her days to leaping over, chewing through, or unlatching any barrier Terrill puts in her way, destroying the apartment, terrorizing neighbors, and repeatedly ending up in the pound. Meanwhile, financial troubles and the strain of caring for a difficult animal wear on Terrill's marriage. As the author tries everything from obedience classes to electrified enclosures to restrain Inyo, she also makes an effort to understand her wild wolfdog, exploring the science behind the biology, psychology, and evolution of dogs and wolves. Although Terrill's bouts of self-deprecation can grow frustrating, her growth feels sincere and the power of her storytelling and commitment wins out. (Oct.)