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The Tiger's Wife
Paperback, 337 pages, Random House Inc, List Price: $15 | purchase
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NPR Summary
Tea Obreht's debut novel takes place in an unnamed Balkan country similar to the former Yugoslavia. Natalia, a young medical student, is on her way to an orphanage in enemy territory when she learns that her beloved grandfather has died. As his confidante, Natalia was not only aware of his cancer; she was also privy to his many incredible adventures, the two most fantastic being his stories of the Deathless Man and the Tiger's Wife.
Awards and Recognition
29 weeks on NPR Paperback Fiction Bestseller List
25 weeks on NPR Hardcover Fiction Bestseller List
Genres:
This book is about:
- Balkan Peninsula,
- Grandparent and child,
- Orphanages,
- Women physicians,
- Family secrets,
- Fiction
NPR stories about The Tiger's Wife
Best Books Of 2011
Plot Driven: Alan Cheuse's Top 5 Fiction Picks
Tea Obreht's stunning debut novel is set in the Balkans in the aftermath of war. Natalia Stefanovic, the book's narrator, is a young doctor from the city who travels to a remote seaside town to immunize children in need. Her grandfather inspired her to become a physician. His death, while on a mysterious visit to the village of his World War II childhood, inspires young Natalia to gather up the fragments of his life, including the fabulous story of a tiger, which, having escaped an urban zoo... more
New In Paperback
Family Matters: Mozart's Sister, A Colonial Adoption And The Memories Of Old Men
In 2010, Tea Obreht was named one of the 20 best writers under 40 by The New Yorker and one of the five best writers under 35 by the National Book Foundation. Her debut novel, The Tiger's Wife, takes place in an unnamed Balkan country similar to the former Yugoslavia, where... more
What We're Reading
This Week's Reads: Haunted By Folklore, Missing Girls, The Internet and Jay-Z
March 15, 2011 Tea Obreht makes her sparkling debut with the folkloric Tiger's Wife, and another new author, Cara Hoffman, holds her own with the creepy but elegant So Much Pretty. A Jay-Z biography falls short, but Jonathan Coe's humorous novel about Internet loneliness is an acerbic glimpse of modern times.
Book Reviews
Magical Realism Meets Big Cats In 'The Tiger's Wife'
March 8, 2011 Young novelist Tea Obreht may only be 25 years old, but she writes with the maturity and confidence of an industry veteran. Her debut, The Tiger's Wife, is a haunting look into the power of mythology and shared family legends.
Author Interviews
'The Tiger's Wife:' A Young Talent Takes On Folklore
March 6, 2011 In The Tiger's Wife, Natalia reflects on her close relationship with her grandfather, a reasonable man with a penchant for mythical Balkan folktales. Young author Tea Obreht tells Lynn Neary about growing up in the former Yugoslavia and returning to it for inspiration.
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