The Wolves of Willoughby Chase

The Wolves of Willoughby Chase (1962) is a children’s novel by Joan Aiken and the first book in Aiken’s 12-book Wolves series. The novel is set in an alternate historical 19th-century England, where wolves are not extinct and the Stuart family still occupies the British throne. The story follows Bonnie and Sylvia Green, two young girls who find themselves at the center of a plot by a distant cousin, Letitia Slighcarp, to steal the Willoughby estate from Sir Willoughby, Bonnie’s father. The novel explores The Importance of Friendship, The Dual Nature of Strangers, and The Impact of Independence.

Aiken wrote more than 100 books for children and adults, but is best known for her children’s novels. She was awarded an MBE (Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) in 1999 for her achievement in children’s literature. 

This guide uses the 1962 Laurel Leaf paperback edition of the novel.

Content Warning: The source material and guide feature depictions of child abuse, animal cruelty and death, and bullying.

Plot Summary

The novel opens on the cheery, bustling Willoughby Chase, owned and managed by benevolent Sir Willoughby and his wife, Lady Green. Their passionate and hardy daughter, Bonnie, is full of excitement while anticipating the arrival of her cousin, Sylvia, from London. The winter landscape is both beautiful and threatening, with the howls of wolves echoing through the woods. 

At the sound of the front doorbell, Bonnie races to greet her cousin and runs directly into Letitia Slighcarp, Sir Willoughby’s distant relation, who has been asked to come stay with Bonnie and Sylvia while Sir Willoughby and Lady Green travel for Lady Green’s health. When Bonnie shows Miss Slighcarp to her room, Miss Slighcarp viciously attacks Bonnie’s maid, Pattern, with a hairbrush for opening one of Slighcarp’s cases. Bonnie flies into a rage and throws the hairbrush through the window, then tosses a pitcher of water on Miss Slighcarp. Though Bonnie is instantly apologetic, Miss Slighcarp insists to Sir Willoughby that Bonnie be punished. Sir Willoughby excuses Bonnie’s outburst and grants her permission to go with the men to collect Sylvia from the train station.

The narrative jumps back two days to follow Sylvia’s tearful and fraught journey from London to Willoughby Chase via train. Orphan Sylvia and her frail elderly Aunt Jane work together to sew Sylvia new clothes from the brocade curtain that they’ve used to separate their tiny apartment. Aunt Jane cautions Sylvia on the walk to the train station to avoid strangers, and they share a tearful goodbye. 

On the train, Sylvia is confronted by a seemingly friendly stranger who offers her comfort when she cries. Sylvia avoids speaking to the stranger, but when the train slows due to wolves on the track, and a wolf crashes through the compartment window, the stranger leaps into action, kills the wolf, and helps Sylvia to the neighboring compartment. He introduces himself as Mr. Josiah Grimshaw, and Sylvia tells him that she’s going to stay with her uncle at Willoughby Chase. When they arrive at the station, the train stops short and Mr. Grimshaw is hit in the head by his suitcase. Sylvia implores Bonnie and the staff from Willoughby to help him, and both Sylvia and Grimshaw are taken to Willoughby.

At the Chase, Sylvia is put to bed by Pattern, and Bonnie comes in to keep her company and make her feel safe. The next day, Sylvia meets Bonnie’s parents. The girls check on Grimshaw and see him burning documents. He supposedly has amnesia from his head injury, but something seems suspicious. Bonnie’s parents greet Sylvia warmly, put the care of the property and the girls in Miss Slighcarp’s hands, and leave for their trip abroad. Bonnie and Sylvia go skating to lift their spirits and see Miss Slighcarp meeting with a strange woman. They go too far and have to seek shelter with Bonnie’s friend Simon in the woods. When they get back to the Chase, Pattern is deeply worried, but Miss Slighcarp refused to send anyone out looking for the girls.

The next day, Miss Slighcarp appears in the schoolroom in Lady Green’s gown, sending Bonnie into a fury. Miss Slighcarp locks her in a cupboard, and Sylvia discovers that Miss Slighcarp is dismissing most of the servants, including Pattern, and planning to sell much of the estate’s property. Footman James retains his position, and Pattern hides in the house to try to help the girls. Bonnie and Sylvia find a secret passage and overhear Miss Slighcarp and Grimshaw burning Sir Willoughby’s will and talking over their plans to get rich on the estate. Miss Slighcarp reveals that she made sure the ship Sir Willoughby and Lady Green were to sail on would sink during the voyage, leaving everything in Miss Slighcarp’s control.  

After a couple of weeks of rough treatment, Bonnie tries to write to the doctor to help them, but the letter is intercepted. Miss Slighcarp takes the girls to Mrs. Brisket’s school for orphans, where they are worked beyond their capacity and nearly starved. Bonnie gets in trouble and is reassigned to the chicken yard, where she encounters Simon. Together they create a plan for Simon to help the girls escape the school. Sylvia is overcome by the hard work, bad nutrition, and freezing temperatures, and gets sick. However, Simon comes through with a copy of the coal room key and clothes, and the girls manage to escape the harsh conditions of the school. They go with Simon on a journey to London so he can sell his geese and the girls can appeal to Aunt Jane for help.

The friends spend three days with Simon’s friend Mr. Wilderness, a smith who gives them shelter, food, and friendship. A month and a half’s journey later they arrive in London, and Sylvia and Bonnie spot Mr. Grimshaw going into Sir Willoughby’s lawyer’s office. The three friends hurry to Aunt Jane’s room, but find her unconscious. They discover a doctor, Dr. Field, lives below her, and he helps them get her appropriate nourishment to begin to bring her strength back. Bonnie, Sylvia, and Simon decide to trust the doctor and tell him the whole story. In the middle of the night, Sylvia wakes from a nightmare to the geese sounding an alarm in the hallway. They find Mr. Grimshaw knocked down the stairs by the geese. Dr. Field ties him up and they plan to contact the police in the morning.

The next day they bring Mr. Grimshaw to the police, who then escort all of them to Sir Willoughby’s lawyer, Mr. Gripe. Grimshaw admits to everything, he is arrested, and all but Aunt Jane and Dr. Field leave the following morning on a train to Willoughby Chase to apprehend Miss Slighcarp. When they arrive, they discover Miss Slighcarp and Mrs. Brisket have transformed Willoughby Chase into a school. 

Mr. Gripe and the police move to arrest Miss Slighcarp, who insists she has the authority to do what she’s done. Sir Willoughby and Lady Green then return to the Chase, having survived the shipwreck. Miss Slighcarp and Mrs. Brisket are arrested, the orphans at the school are looked over by Aunt Jane, Simon joins Dr. Field in London to pursue painting as a career, and Bonnie and Sylvia are well-cared for by Bonnie’s parents and the manor staff.