One spring day in the forests of Minnesota, a litter of five is born into a wolf pack led by King and his mate Silver.

They get back to the pack, badly wounded; Thinker soon dies from a quill through his eye, which angers King.

Human wildlife rescuers trap Runt and remove the quills, before releasing him.

Publishers Weekly described the book as a "tightly plotted, swiftly paced tale",[1] while the School Library Journal called it "[b]eautifully written".

In a starred review, Booklist said it was a "compelling, poignant story" and that "Bauer precisely and vividly conveys the wolves' wild world".