⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars
”The Night Tiger”, is a multilayered story, about a girl, Ji Lin, who dreams of one day being a doctor, but in 1930 Malaysia that is unheard of, so instead she works as a dressmaker and secretly as a dancehall girl to help pay off her mother’s debts. Ren, an eleven year old houseboy, whose master is very sick and dying, tells Ren to find his severed finger, which he lost in an accident several years ago and to bury it with his body or he won’t be able to Rest In Peace. Around the same time, Ji Lin is given a gift by a dance partner, a gruesome souvenir: a severed finger. So begins a story where these two characters entangle and a Chinese superstition about men who turn into tigers ensue.
Yangsze Choo is a very gifted writer. She has such a great talent with words. There were so many moments throughout that I found myself stopping just to let the beautiful image sink in. I absolutely loved the Chinese folklore and the dreamscapes in this novel! They really were some of the most imaginative scenes I’ve ever encountered!
I didn’t know much going into this story except for the superstition of men turning into tigers. I love anything having to do with magical realism or folklore and when you mix that with historical fiction more times than not I’m going to enjoy the reading experience! I was shocked by how much of a mystery this story was and fully believe that because of this element it made for a wonderful page turner!
I also found the theme of death to be very intriguing and the Chinese beliefs on what happens after you die. I’m not one that believes in reincarnation, but Choo’s imagery and especially in the dreamscapes (if you read this book you will understand), is fascinating and a beautiful way to write about a very sad and dark topic. It’s those scenes that will stick with me long after I’ve finished.
The one thing that bugged me and made me mark off a star rating was the “forbidden love” part. I didn’t think it was necessary and unfortunately it was a pretty major part of the story.
However, I can’t deny the incredibly beautiful story here. If you love historical fiction and folklore please pick up a copy of, “The Night Tiger”, when it hits stores on February 12th! Thanks to Flatiron Books for sending me an advanced copy!
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