Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt

Strange relationships.  How about this one?  A young teenage girl and her dead, gay uncle's partner.  Hard to picture, but in this wonderful book, it all makes sense.  The book takes place in the mid-80's when AIDS was still something of a mystery, and people were afraid and embarrassed by associating with individuals affected.  June and her sister, Gerta, pose for a portrait that their Uncle Finn is painting as he is dying.  After Finn's death, June meets and connects with Toby, Finn's partner, and it's their relationship that makes up much of the book.  I loved the characters in the book, and it was one of those rare books where the ending really satisfied me.  I did think the actions of Greta were sometimes overdone, but her relationship with June was very touching.  I'm sure the many references to wolves in the book have all kinds of symbolic meaning, but I'll be darned if I can figure them out.  And I think the title of the book (which is also the name of the painting) may cause some people to avoid the book.  But I loved it and highly recommend it.  -June