The Tiger's Wife

A Novel

By: Téa Obreht

Narrated by: Susan Duerden, Robin Sachs

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST • The instant classic debut novel from the author of Inland and The Morningside, hailed as “a thrilling beginning to what will certainly be a great literary career” (Elle)

“Spectacular . . . [Téa Obreht] spins a tale of such marvel and magic in a literary voice so enchanting that the mesmerized reader wants her never to stop.”—Entertainment Weekly

“Not since Zadie Smith has a young writer arrived with such power and grace.”—Time

ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times; Entertainment Weekly; The Christian Science Monitor; The Kansas City Star; Library Journal

In a Balkan country mending from war, Natalia, a young doctor, is compelled to unravel the mysterious circumstances surrounding her beloved grandfather’s recent death. Searching for clues, she turns to his worn copy of The Jungle Book and the stories he told her of his encounters over the years with “the deathless man.” But most extraordinary of all is the story her grandfather never told her—the legend of the tiger’s wife.

Weaving a brilliant latticework of family legend, loss, and love, Téa Obreht, hailed by Colum McCann as “the most thrilling literary discovery in years,” has spun a timeless novel that will establish her as one of the most vibrant, original authors of her generation.

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The Wall Street Journal, O: The Oprah Magazine, The Economist, Vogue, Slate, Chicago Tribune, The Seattle Times, Dayton Daily News, Publishers Weekly, Alan Cheuse, NPR’s All Things Considered

READ the book!

Loved the story---fascinating stories juxtaposing recent & not so recent events. I really liked the characters. Nice contrast of the rational & superstitious ways of seeing the world. It was a hard listen though. While the narration was competent, every word understandable, Duerden did not, to me, seem the voice of the character who was telling the story. Subtle but disturbing. The grandfather's voice was worse--an old man who needed a drink of water.

Hard to follow

This novel was difficult for me to follow. Not only was the story confusing, the narrator was monotone. Not an enjoyable read.

breathtaking

The richness of the intertwining stories build and present a glimpse into a world filled with magic and secrets. The power of culture, tradition, mourning and hope. I will be holding this tale in my heart and searching over it in my mind for some time to come.

masterful writing, but a bit hard to take

Beautiful descriptions, poignant observations, and at times the story was really fascinating, but much of it was gloomy, being set in the midst of the Balkan wars. This was not helped by the narrator's almost constantly urgent tone. Good literature, but I feel I need some fresh air after reading it!

Engrossing tales within tales, but ends flat

I think I voice similar sentiments as other reviewers. This story is amazing and engrossing. Each tale begins so far away from the main story, but manages to end up tying together the story in the present. There are great juxtapositions between science and supernatural, love and war, right and wrong. Because of the beautiful and elaborate descriptions throughout the book, in comparison, the ending seems quick, dry, flat, with a good part of the tale left untold. Sure, the author gives you enough information for you to surmise what happens, but why end so abruptly? It really does feel like the author was forced to hastily finish up the last chapter for a deadline. If you like extremely descriptive stories that make you feel like you in the characters' world, then you will like almost all of this book. The enjoyment of listening to the first 11 hours makes up for the disappointing last 5-10 minutes, but I wish the ending was given the care and time the rest of the story received.