The Wolf Den (Paperback) - Elodie Harper

First novel in a new historical trilogy set in Ancient Pompeii. Amara is a slave at the Wolf Den - the city's infamous brothel. But just because she's a slave now, doesn't mean she inends to remain a slave forever...

'Vivid, wise and unflinching, this is a triumph' The Times
'I couldn't put it down' Claire Douglas
'Utterly spellbinding' Woman & Home
'Deeply moving' William Ryan
'Gripping' Independent
'One of a kind' Red

Sold by her mother. Enslaved in Pompeii's brothel. Determined to survive. Her name is Amara. Welcome to the Wolf Den...

Amara was once a beloved daughter, until her father's death plunged her family into penury. Now she is a slave in Pompeii's infamous brothel, owned by a man she despises. Sharp, clever and resourceful, Amara is forced to hide her talents. For now her only value lies in the desire she can stir in others.

But Amara's spirit is far from broken. By day, she walks the streets with the Wolf Den's other women, finding comfort in the laughter and dreams they share. For the streets of Pompeii are alive with opportunity. Out here, even the lowest slave can secure a reversal in fortune. Amara has learnt that everything in this city has its price. But how much is her freedom going to cost her?

Set in Pompeii's lupanar, The Wolf Den is the first in a trilogy of novels reimagining the lives of women who have long been overlooked. Perfect for fans of Pat Barker's The Silence of the Girls and Madeline Miller's Circe.

Reviews for The Wolf Den:
'This is a mesmerising, richly detailed tale of sisterhood and courage that fans of Circe will love' Red
'A compelling story of survival, friendship and courage. Amara and her fellow she-wolves are vividly drawn in a fascinating depiction of women at the time. Utterly spellbinding' Woman & Home
'Rich in historical detail, beauty and brutality, The Wolf Den brings to vivid life the doomed city of Pompeii and the powerlessness of its women. I loved it' Caroline Lea, author of The Glass Woman
'A vivacious piece of work underpinned by a woman's longing for freedom' LoveReading
'Utterly gripping' Daisy Dunn, author of In the Shadow of Vesuvius
'Unflinching ... The best book I've read in ages' Sophie van Llewyn, author of Bottled Goods
'The best historical fiction holds a mirror up to the present and The Wolf Den is a triumph. Harper transports us thousands of years and thousands of miles and yet we see ourselves reflected there' Claire McGlasson, author of The Rapture
'A riveting tale of power, love, hate, privilege, female empowerment and female friendships found in the most unlikely situations' Buki Papillon, author of An Ordinary Wonder

About the Author

Elodie Harper is a journalist and prize-winning writer. Her story 'Wild Swimming' won the 2016 Bazaar of Bad Dreams short story competition, which was judged by Stephen King. She is currently a reporter and presenter at ITV News, and before that worked as a producer for Channel 4 News. Her job as a journalist has seen her join one of the most secretive wings of the Church of Scientology and cover the far right hip hop scene in Berlin, as well as crime reporting in Norfolk where her first two novels were set - The Binding Song and The Death Knock. Elodie studied Latin poetry both in the original and in translation as part of her English Literature degree at Oxford, instilling a lifelong interest in the ancient world. The Wolf Den is the first in a trilogy of novels about the lives of women in ancient Pompeii. Elodie can be found online at elodieharper.com