Sold by her mother. Enslaved in Pompeii's brothel. Determined to survive. Her name is Amara. Welcome to the Wolf Den...
Amara was once a beloved daughter, until her father's death plunged her family into penury. Now she is a slave in Pompeii's infamous brothel, owned by a man she despises. Sharp, clever and resourceful, Amara is forced to hide her talents. For as a she-wolf, her only value lies in the desire she can stir in others.
But Amara's spirit is far from broken.
By day, she walks the streets with her fellow she-wolves, finding comfort in the laughter and dreams they share. For the streets of Pompeii are alive with opportunity. Out here, even the lowest slave can secure a reversal in fortune. Amara has learnt that everything in this city has its price. But how much is her freedom going to cost her?
Set in Pompeii's lupanar, The Wolf Den reimagines the lives of women who have long been overlooked.
2021 Head of Zeus
Shadira
6-12-2021
The Wolf Den is at its heart a tale of female solidarity and sisterhood, of women having each other’s backs and caring for one another when nobody else will. Their lives are hard and they suffer so much violence, but they’re still able to experience laughter and warmth with each other. The book briefly explores the plights of other slaves – of men forced into prostitution and servitude, as well as what happens when the beauty and youth that makes a slave desirable gives way to old age – but Harper never lingers too long on anyone other than the she-wolves. This is their story from beginning to end, and the intense focus on the women of the Wolf Den makes readers live every single struggle with them. Beautifully written, brutally honest and packing quite the emotional punch, The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper is now one of my favorite books of the year. I would very highly recommend it to everyone!