Inside you, there are two wolves … Of course, the meme came after Jodi Picoult’s 2012 book, Lone Wolf, but it’s pretty apropos! In fact, Picoult quotes an iteration of the Native American version of the quote. But another way of stating it, which I think fits Picoult’s book and the character at the heart of it, Luke Warren, who grew up among wolves, and as an adult lived among them for two years in the Canadian wilderness, is that every human straddles the existential line between being of nature and above nature — a being born with ancient wild instincts and growing up in a civilization that necessarily subdues it. Put in sharper focus with Warren’s character of living with wolves, but also trying to be a family man, Picoult’s novel is a fascinating exploration of what it means to be human, what it means to be alive and how we ascertain death, and what it means to have a relationship with complicated humans who are far messier than wolves.
In Lone Wolf, which is set in New Hampshire, Luke suffers a traumatic brain injury after hitting a deer while driving with his 17-year-old daughter, Cara. His estranged older son (seven years older than Cara), Edward, returns from Thailand to care for his father and because he’s technically the legal next of kin since Luke and their mother, Georgie, are divorced. Written only a handful of years after the Terri Schiavo case, Picoult’s book becomes a larger discussion about whether to “pull the plug” or not, with Edward wanting do so, and Cara thinking her dad will recover (basically like the “wolf” she thinks him as). If Edward is able to pull the plug, Luke’s organs will be recovered and donated in coordination with New England Donor Services, the organ procurement organization covering the New England states. The reason I’m particularly noting this is two-fold: I now work for an OPO and I’m always intrigued to see donation mentioned, and because I was impressed by Picoult’s discussion about organ donation and how the process works within the book. She acknowledges working with New England Donor Services, so, that’s good! And at the end, Picoult includes links to various organ donation websites, if people want more information. I appreciate that and Picoult’s efforts at painting the organ donation picture, although I did cringe at the neurologist and two different nurses in the book using the word “harvest.” We don’t harvest organs. We recover gifts for transplantation.
A legal battle ensues between the siblings, particularly after Edward’s bone-headed move to quite literally pull the plug himself. Then, Cara perjures herself by claiming Edward tried to kill their father maliciously because he hated him. Cara was quite unlikable at this point. I’m understanding of the emotional state she was in. After all, she was in a traumatic accident and was injured herself necessitating surgery, and she’s dealing with the difficult decision of her father’s medical status and the return of her estranged brother into her life. But that can’t justify lying to prosecutors and a grand jury to ensure your brother is charged and potentially convicted of murder! That’s inexcusable behavior. However, I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention that Edward, who is represented by his step-father, Joe (a bit weird, I think, that a divorce lawyer is so competent at this kind of case, but he’s great at it and a great character!), is the worst client. He talks too much, and that’s the worst thing your client can do, if you’re a defense attorney.
The way Picoult structures the book is quite well-done and made for a fast, enjoyable read. She presents the different perspectives of the family dynamic throughout: Edward, Cara, Georgie, and even Joe. Then, interspersed throughout these different characters perspectives are excerpts from Luke’s memoir — he became famous after returning alive after two years with wolves in the wilderness — so we can learn about wolf behavior, how wolf packs work, and the obviously interesting metaphors as applied to humans and human family dynamics. In essence, Luke was a bad father and worse husband. He preferred being with his wolves, and even when he returned, he couldn’t acclimate back to ordinary life. To top it off, what caused the estrangement with his son was not that the son came out as gay to him, but that Edward caught his father cheating on his mother (and then paying for an abortion).
But his character flaws aside, there’s still the matter of who will have custodial permissions to decide Luke’s health care. The latter half of the book turns into a legal thriller with the state of New Hampshire trying to determine who will be Luke’s guardian. Ultimately, the judge decides, rightly in my humble opinion, that it will be Edward, and that Luke is suffering from an irreversible condition. His organs are donated after being off of ventilator support, and Picoult’s lovely end to her book is from the perspective of Barney, who received Luke’s kidney, allowing him a second chance at life free from dialysis. That was such a nice touch.
I highly recommend Picoult’s novel because she offers much to chew on about how we fit in in modern civilization, how we fit in within our own families, and how we fit in in relation to the rest of nature, including misunderstood and long-maligned wolves. And do please keep an open mind of consideration toward giving the gift of life through organ, eye and tissue donation! Also, as Picoult mentions in an author interview at the end, no matter what you want to happen, should you get into a situation like Luke Warren and however you feel about organ donation, talk to your family! They need to know your wishes, so they aren’t left wondering during tragedy.
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