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Tiger

Polly Clark

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Aug 16, 2023 Andrea rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2023, fiction-foreign-locale, around-the-world-2023, personal-challenge-2023

4.5★

That this has been languishing, unread on my Kindle for a few years is absolutely my loss. I was completely captivated by it. The extra half star is for the structure that intrigued me right until the end when it all came together in such a satisfying way.

The atmospheric Prologue plunges us straight into the wild, snowy depths of Siberia, where a Russian hunter is stalking the tiger king. It's so exciting that I read it twice! It gave me exactly what I came for.

Then in Part 1 the perspectiv 4.5★

That this has been languishing, unread on my Kindle for a few years is absolutely my loss. I was completely captivated by it. The extra half star is for the structure that intrigued me right until the end when it all came together in such a satisfying way.

The atmospheric Prologue plunges us straight into the wild, snowy depths of Siberia, where a Russian hunter is stalking the tiger king. It's so exciting that I read it twice! It gave me exactly what I came for.

Then in Part 1 the perspective changes. Dr Frieda Bloom is a primatologist - a Bonobo expert - and also a morphine addict. When she loses her research position, her supervisor secures her a job as a Bonobo-keeper at an obscure private zoo, on the proviso that she arrives and remains clean of her addiction. Soon after she commences, Frieda learns that the zoo is preparing for the arrival of a Siberian tigress, which is quite a big deal. As interesting as this Part was, I was a little disappointed to be in England... with the Bonobos. But I needn't have worried.

For Part 2, we are back in Siberia with Tomas, who works on his father's tiger reserve. Preparing for the arrival of an influential figure who might be able to bring the reserve to the attention of President Putin and the opportunity for additional funding, Tomas is despatched to the far reaches of the forest to obtain footage of The Countess, the alpha tigress. Tomas discovers her tracks and realises she is a few days ahead, and she is tracking a bear. Then he notices some other tracks that really shouldn't be there, and he forges ahead with increasing urgency.

Part 3 keeps us in Siberia and introduces us to the Udeghe people and culture. Edit has grown up in her small village in the forest where her people have the healthiest respect for their tiger neighbours. When a child is born at the wrong end of Edit's marriage, she leaves the village with her father's help and finds herself settling in an abandoned cabin in the remotest, wildest part of the forest. It shouldn't work, but it does, and she keeps her daughter Zina safe for many years, passing on her traditional knowledge and skills.

Then, lo and behold, we get another perspective - the tiger. It's done well; no need to worry about twee anthropomorphism here.

While each part seems disparate, and as you're reading it's tricky to work out the timeline, it all falls into place towards the end like a beautifully crafted jigsaw puzzle. I learned a lot about Siberian tigers and was delighted to be introduced to the Udeghe, but even without that it was a fantastic story with some truly hair-raising or heartstopping moments.

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Jul 07, 2022 Paul rated it liked it

Shelves: books-read-2022

The story in this book has four focal points, Frieda is a primatologist who has an amazing talent with Bonobo’s, but has her entire world shatter along with her head following an attack on the way home. She is fortunate to get another job at a private zoo, and her new charge is a beautiful and wild Siberian Tiger.

This cub came from the wilds of Siberia, and the second story concerns Tomas and his father and the men that work with them monitoring the tigers that wander their vast landscapes. In t ...more

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Dec 24, 2022 Carolin marked it as to-read

Shelves: russia

Aug 17, 2023 Diane marked it as to-read · review of another edition

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