“When you see a bird flying … that moment when it chooses to swoop over lower or soar higher, when there’s nothing but air stopping it, that’s what freedom feels like.”
The Wolf Den by, Elodie Harper is a historical fiction novel set in Pompeii in 74 AD. The main character, Amara, has been sold into slavery by her mother, which ultimately results in her becoming a prostitute at the Wolf Den with four other women. However, despite the unbearable conditions Amara has to face on a daily basis, she never gives up her desire for freedom and uses her wit and resourcefulness to attempt to achieve her goal.
The Wolf Den is not, nor is it trying to be romantic. A lot of historical fiction tends to romanticize the past, even when covering difficult topics or events - there is typically this sense of an idealistic otherworldliness that hovers over these narratives. However, The Wolf Den is realistic, violent, crude and graphic - it is a portrayal of a harsh reality.
What stuck out to me the most about The Wolf Den is the resiliency of these five women and the friendships that keep them hanging on, despite the traumas they experience.
“I hate it, “ Dido says. “I hate men staring. I hate it when…” she trails off. “I guess I’ll get used to it, all of it, eventually.” “No. Just endure it. Never get used to it.”
When one of these women’s walls begins to crack, another steps in to apply the caulk. There are times when their relationships are strained, however Harper avoids the typical cattiness that would have been so easy to write here, and I found that refreshing. Regardless of conflicts, these women ultimately stick by each others’ sides - their bonds are stronger than strife because they’ve all had to endure the same traumas and can emphasize with one another.
A phrase that kept coming to my mind as I was reading The Wolf Den was “Stockholm Syndrome.” Amara loathes Felix, the pimp that owns her - he’s cruel, violent, licentious, and manipulative. However, there are times when she is taken aback by the instances in which he seems playful, humorous or even tender. There is this odd tension because he is her abusers and provider at the same time. Whether she would like to admit it or not, there is a vague undercurrent of sympathy and fondness (however slight and misconstrued).
“I hate him,” she tells the empty room. “I hate him.” She trawls through her memories, remembering every cruelty … But other images push through like weeds.”
Don’t get me wrong, Amara does hate Felix, but there are times when she is confused by him. Again, Harper makes the characters and their relationships with each other more complex than she really needed to. It would have been easier for Felix to be painted as this flat, static, predictable abuser. Yet, she adds nuances to his personality that made me loathe him and feel sad for him at the same time, much like Amara. I always appreciate it when an author does this.
A theme I picked up on, which may be my favorite in this novel, is how comedy/fiction is used as a medium to reveal tragic realities.
“There’s nothing more truthful than a play, is there? I love them a;l, but do you know, I think comedies are braver somehow. All of life up there on the stage, and actors, have the courage to say what one cannot say elsewhere.”
This greatly reminded me of Aristophanes, the Ancient Greek playwright and master of the Old Comedy, in which his comedic plays are still considered a greater expression of freedom of speech than we have now. In a way, one can argue that Harper is doing this with The Wolf Den, and though this is by no means a comedy, the method of using fiction to portray reality is the same. Through fiction, the writer is able to dive into the deep abyss of human suffering and present it in a way that makes the reader more inclined to digest it. The Wolf Den is not graphic for the sake of being graphic; it’s graphic for the sake of reality - theres’ a subtle but significant difference between the two. The characters are fictional, but the essence of their experiences are not, and these are tales as old as time.
The Wolf Den kept reminding me of the countless real-life interviews and stories I’ve listened to of pimps and prostitutes - from time to time I listen to these people tell their stories on the YoutTube channel Soft White Underbelly. These are some of the most heartbreaking, devastating and graphic stories you will ever hear. I don’t like to live in an echo chamber. I don’t like to live in a soft, fluffy bubble where I’m shielded from the horrors that are some people’s lives. I like to be uncomfortable so I can understand, challenge myself, and listen to others who are different from me. Everyone has a story, and just because it may be unfathomable, they deserve for their stories to be told. I will be diving into this concept of graphic, traumatic fiction more after I read A Little Life in September, because I actually disagree with the common notion that it’s traumatic for the sake of being traumatic. That type of content is not fiction for a lot of people - it’s a reality. Long story short, I was pleasantly surprised that The Wolf Den ties into this concept and I can include it in this conversation.
Lastly, I want to discuss the writing style and dialogue in The Wolf Den. From the very first page, I noticed that the language is very contemporary and I was a little wary at first - I’m not super keen on historical fiction reading quite modern. There was only one time where a line threw me completely out of the story, but over all I surprisingly wasn’t bothered. I think, that the reason the more contemporary style works for this novel is because the majority of these characters are not aristocrats and even when there are wealthy characters, the settings are unsavory. Amara and her friends live in a brothel as slaves; they are at the bottom of the social hierarchy, so the coarse, common language is indicative of their status. This is not a case in which 21st identity politics is permeating a historical fiction novel and projecting it’s ideals on to a Ancient Roman society and people who would have been completely baffled by our beliefs.
These women, Amara especially, learn to be resourceful within the confines of Ancient Roman society. They are still women of their time and are not 21st Century women being placed in Ancient Rome.
Overall, I really enjoyed The Wolf Den. It’s fast paced, engaging and unapologetic. I will be transparent and say that some people will not like this novel because it does cover graphic content, which some people just don’t and I get that - to each their own. However, I personally have a high tolerance for the tough stuff and I’m rarely phased. In fact, I appreciate Harper’s willingness and guts to “go there.” I’ve been thinking about this novel since I finished it almost two weeks ago and I’m so glad it’s the first installment of a trilogy. I can wait to read the next one, set to be released at the end of next year.
Rating: 4/5
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