The Night Tiger Spiral-Bound | 2020-01-07
Yangsze Choo
The Night Tiger
Smart, vivacious Ji Lin is stuck as an apprentice dressmaker, moonlighting as a dancehall girl to help pay off her mother's Mahjong debts. But when one of her dance partners accidentally leaves behind a gruesome souvenir, Ji Lin may finally get the adventure she has been hoping for.
Across town, 11-year-old houseboy Ren is on a mission of his own, racing to fulfill his former master's dying wish: that Ren find the man's severed finger, lost years ago in an accident, and bury it with his body. Ren has 49 days to do so, or his master's soul will wander the earth forever.
As the days tick by, a series of unexplained deaths wreak havoc on the town, along with whispers of men who turn into tigers. Ji Lin and Ren are pulled together in ways they couldn't have imagined, as their increasingly dangerous paths lead them from lush plantations, to hospital storage rooms, to a ghostly dreamscape.
The Night Tiger draws us into a world of servants and masters, ancient superstition and modern ambition, sibling rivalry and forbidden love. But anchoring this dazzlingly ambitious, propulsive novel is the intimate coming of age of a boy and a girl, each searching for their place in a society that would rather they stay invisible.
"Thirteen pages in, I had to throw my to-do list out the window. I couldn't put down this compelling story. Yangsze Choo skillfully mixes genres in this magical story of twins, tigers, tortured love, colonial life, ghosts and myths. I loved this many-layered story. Can't wait for the movie." --Jennifer Kraar, Alphabet City, Pittsburgh, PA
"This brilliantly atmospheric novel set in colonial Malaya brings different realities to the fore--entitled British, sure things would go as they wish as long as they might wish, locals of different classes jousting and struggling to survive, in some cases, aspiring to navigate the empire upon them. What unfolds is rife with tension, intrigue, uncertainty, and larger, animal powers at work. Yes, tigers. Also forces of eventual equanimity, a settling of scores that are a reckoning. Yes for The Night Tiger!" --Rick Simonson, Elliott Bay Book Company, Seattle, WA
"In a word: unputdownable! With the fascinating perspective of multiple characters weaving the mythological and the mysterious, The Night Tiger kept me up late trying to predict the amazing story unfolding before me. I've fallen in love with the characters and their fantastical lives." --Christina Marroquin, BookPeople, Austin, TX
"A young girl and boy, stepsiblings by marriage, are on the verge of adulthood and more. This is a fascinating period piece of the British rule in Asia; the rules of etiquette and polite society at work everywhere. What happens below the surface is what makes for a great story. Add in missing fingers, mounting Mahjong debts, a loyal house-boy, a were-tiger and more and you have a fantastical tale of magical realism in Malaysia in the early 1930s. Such a fun read!" --Anne Holman, The King's English Bookshop, Salt Lake City, UT
"This book is crazy good! The different perspectives are woven together incredibly well so the reader gets hints of what's to come without being able to piece it all together. This is the perfect mix of historical fiction, fantasy, and mystery, and is well paced to keep the reader going. I loved these characters and their story--truly an incredible book." --Abby Fennewald, BookPeople, Austin, TX
"Choo's storytelling is superb in this novel set in Colonial Malaysia. Alternating voices between an eleven-year-old boy and almost adult woman help place you in two different ends of the same story. Where their two worlds meet is expected yet still surprising. Part mystery, part historical fiction, The Night Tiger is atmospheric and full of magic. A delight for the senses." --Jamie Southern, Bookmarks, Winston-Salem, NC
"Captivating novel with great voices--you are immediately drawn into this story turned mystery in 1930s Malaysia. Romantic and interesting all at once, if you are looking for a solid story, this is a great choice." --Kira Wizner, Merritt Bookstore, Millbrook, NY
Praise for The Ghost Bride
"Sumptuous...Unexpected...So full of longing, the pages practically sigh as you turn each one." --Oprah.com (Book of the Week)
"From whodunit to ghost story to coming-of-age to romance, there is enough plot to fill several more novels. But the beguiling tale...makes you hope Choo is the author who writes all of them." --USA Today
"A captivating love triangle with echoes of traditional Asian myths." --Good Housekeeping (August Book Pick)
"Impressive...Takes readers on one of the wildest rides since Alice fell down the rabbit hole." --San Jose Mercury News
"Intriguing and enlightening. A haunting debut." --Kirkus