The Wolves at Evelyn is a hybrid of creative non-fiction, autobiography, historical narrative, and philosophical treatise. As such, it focuses on the experience of immigrant families travelling to B.C., while providing a context for their lives derived from their European roots and the chaotic history of several generations.

The book’s philosophical linchpin is the uniquely Canadian obsession with the idea of land. Citing – and critiquing – the colonial definitions of this idea as presented by such “literary aristocrats” as Robertson Davies and Margaret Atwood, Rhenisch attempts to defy, or at the very least expand, the conventional notions of place through the lens of his family’s experience.

Rhenisch posits that the whole concept of “Canada” is an illusion, and insists upon the destructiveness inherent in the idea that one can ever have title to land. His refusal to be – as he describes it – colonized by this traditional view provides an iconoclastic take on the history of a people living in the Canadian wilderness.

The book is at the same time a searing autobiographical look at Rhenisch’s family’s Nazi roots, and he describes the personal fallout from such a shameful legacy. He links these elements within the framework of a unique vision of the history of the founding of B.C.

Rhenisch’s style of writing parallels his iconoclastic views, creating a poetic narrative that contains a plethora of facts and figures, personal accounts, and historical references. Unfortunately, however innovative his unique style is, the rambling, stream-of-consciousness structure is difficult to follow, leading to confusion for a reader struggling to keep up with Rhenisch’s dense prose. Wolves could benefit from a tighter structure and fewer obscure references.

While it is clear that Rhenisch is a supremely intelligent writer, with a deep desire to express his experience of this land, his virtuosity often betrays inability to simply communicate his story.