White Fang
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Jack London travelled to the Arctic regions of North America at the end of the 19th century, as a young man, and his writing career was based on his adventures and the tales he heard there. 'White Fang' is the story of an Arctic wolf-dog, with a wolf for a father, and a wolf-dog hybrid for a mother. White Fang grew up with a Native American tribe, and then fell into the hands of a brutal white owner. He was rescued, and treated with kindness by his new owner, whom he grew to love.
Children will enjoy this book. There may be tears as White Fang passes through his trials and tribulations, but it ends happily. The story can also gives a glimpse into the past. We are taken back to the 1890s, and see life in the Arctic as it was then, through London's eyes.
The story of White Fang is a good yarn, with a satisfyingly happy ending, but it should come with a health warning 'don't try this at home'! Keeping wolf hybrids has become fashionable, and 'White Fang' is one of the romantic stories which has encouraged this trend. Many dogs that are part-wolf are very difficult to train, becoming unmanageable when they reach maturity. Dogs have been bred for temperament, as well as looks, over thousands of years, so are much less likely to bite and more likely to obey than the average wolf. 'White Fang' is not an instruction manual for training a wolf-hybrid, but it is a classic story, which has been enjoyed by many generations.
