The last book I read with a tiger in it was The Life of Pi and that went on to become a massive hit and a modern classic in its own right, so will Tea Obreht get the same welcome with her new novel, The Tiger’s Wife?
26 year old author Tea Obreht was born in what was formerly Yugoslavia, so it’s no surprise that the Balkans are the setting for her debut novel.
The Tiger’s Wife centres around two distinct periods of war in the Balkans. The first, World War II with the fall of German bombs releasing a tiger from a zoo; causing havoc on the village of Galina around which it stalks, terrifying the villagers. Except for one boy who sees nothing but the wonder of Shere Khan from the Jungle Book in the tiger’s release. The second, just after the Balkan War, where the granddaughter of the village boy discovers that her grandfather has died far from home on a mysterious search for a mythical man, leaving her to trace the story of the disappearance and find the truth.
The Tiger’s Wife sounds massively interesting, with lots of engaging characters and storyline branches. Released on the 10th March, The Tiger’s Wife could be a big shout to earn Tea Obreht a first novel prize or two.
