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Welcome to the website of Wolf Woman author, Holly H. Hertel.

Wolf Woman is a memoir about my years, in early 1980s, of studying a wild wolf pack in northeastern Minnesota, the home of the largest population of wolves in the lower forty-eight states. In preparation for my wolf study, I spent the previous summer assisting in a bald eagle study of territoriality in central Minnesota to get used to wilderness field techniques for my own study.

Along with learning about the wolves, scaring off 500-pound bears at the forest landfill, and reconnoitering wilderness terrain, I went through my own personal journey from an incredibly shy young woman, lacking confidence, to a strong, capable one. Sparked by the beauty of the wilderness, I dug into my history for the answers to the origins of my psychological wounds, and discovered the trauma I experienced as a child of two alcoholic parents who, in their own turn, continued a family legacy of abuse.

My manuscript will be finished by Summer of 2026 and then published. Thank you for your interest!