The Tiger's Wife

I very much enjoyed this novel The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht which looks at the life of a man through the eyes of his granddaughter. The story is set in the Balkans from pre-World War II till after the more recent war in that troubled area. Natalia is a doctor, following in her grandfather's medical footsteps. She is on her way to treat orphans when she learns of her grandfather's death. They had always been close and she had listened to the stories of his childhood and early life and shared his interest in tigers at the local zoo. He told her stories of "the tiger's wife" who looked after a tiger that had escaped the zoo during the bombing in World War II and he had a fascination with his copy of The Jungle Book. He met "the deathless man" and wagered his precious book with him. There are so many interesting and well-rounded characters in this beautifully written book from this first time author (won 2011 Orange Prize). Highly recommended. 5/5