The Tiger's Wife
Failed to add items
Sorry, we are unable to add the item because your shopping cart is already at capacity.
Add to basket failed.
Please try again later
Add to Wish List failed.
Please try again later
Remove from Wish List failed.
Please try again later
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Select 1 audiobook a month from our entire collection.
Listen to your selected audiobooks as long as you're a member.
Auto-renews at $8.99/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
The Tiger's Wife
Narrated by:
Antonia Whillans, Paul Slack
Buy Now for $26.99
-
Narrated by:
-
Antonia Whillans
-
Paul Slack
-
By:
-
Téa Obreht
About this listen
'Not since Zadie Smith has a young writer arrived with such power and grace' Time
'A marvel of beauty and imagination' Ann Patchett
A tiger escapes from the local zoo, padding through the ruined streets and onwards, to a ridge above the Balkan village of Galina. His nocturnal visits hold the villagers in a terrified thrall - but for one boy, the tiger is a thing of magic.
Natalia is the granddaughter of that boy. Now a doctor, she is visiting orphanages in the war-torn Balkans when she receives word of her beloved grandfather's death, far from their home, in circumstances shrouded in mystery.
Compelled to unravel the truth, Natalia stumbles upon a clue that will lead her to a tattered copy of The Jungle Book, and then to the most extraordinary story her grandfather never told her - the legend of the tiger's wife.
One of the most
BRILLIANT (Sunday Times)
ASTONISHING (New York Times)
PRODIGIOUS (Guardian)
FORMIDABLE (Financial Times)
EXTRAORDINARY (Vogue)
writers of her generation©2011 Téa Obreht
Critic Reviews
Obreht's novel is that rarity: a debut that arrives fully formed, super smart but wearing its learning lightly. Above all The Tiger's Wife bristles with confidence
The brilliant black comedy and matryoshka-style narrative are among the novel's great joys...Obreht has prodigious talent for storytelling and imagery
Beautifully executed, haunting and lyrical, The Tiger's Wife is an ambitious novel that succeeds on all counts. It's a book you will want to read again and again
Obreht's landscape hovers half in and half out of fable - where villagers who daily risk being hoisted by landmines also fear malign spirits, tigers' brides and men who transform into bears... It's a part of the world that Obreht has made her imagination's own: raucous and strange and gorgeous and rather haunting. This is a pretty formidable first novel. Here be tigers
She is a natural born storyteller and this is a startlingly suggestive novel about the dying out of myths and superstitions and rituals that bind people to place: the retreat of the spirits
This is a distinguished work by almost any standard, and a genuinely exciting debut... Obreht has a vibrant, rangy, full-bodied prose style, which moves expertly between realistic and mythic modes of storytelling, conjuring brilliant images on every page... a delightful work, as enchanting as it is surprising, and Obreht is a compelling new voice
The Tiger's Wife has been touted as one of 2011's outstanding debuts and it deserves its reputation...Weaving together fantastical tales and folklore with realism about coming to terms with loss and grief, it is also a book about the secrets people keep. This layering of stories creates a book rich in textures. Combining a mystery narrative, a family narrative and a book about the worlds of the imagination, Téa Obreht's novel is one that allows the reader to get lost in them
The Tiger's Wife, is assured, eloquent and not easily forgotten...war is just a backdrop, religions barely identified. It is the tiger, the deathless man, and the inquisitive doctor who lead the story through its layers of modern-day reality, magical realism, and folklore...her pacing in the book is delicious - Obreht has the storyteller's gift for suspense, and holds back details until the reader can wait no more...she has lived up to the early hype
Natalia, a young doctor, is on her way to deliver aid to a remote orphanage when she discovers her beloved grandfather is dead. As she tries to reconstruct her grandfather's last journey, she recalls his stories, which combine folklore and mystery with his exquisite humanity. Set in a Balkan country adjusting to life after the war, the book resonates with the aftershocks of conflict, old enmities, fatalism and superstition. Haunting, thoughtful and beautifully atmospheric
Obreht’s use of magical realism is captivating, infusing the story with folklore and myth—like the deathless man and the titular tiger’s wife—that lend an ethereal quality to the characters’ struggles. These elements don’t just enchant; they serve as a lens to explore the region’s cultural and emotional scars, making the fantastical feel integral to the storytelling. The interplay of characters, from Natalia, the young doctor unraveling her grandfather’s past, to the villagers bound by superstition and survival, is deftly handled, their stories intertwining with a dreamlike grace that contrasts sharply with the violence surrounding them.
What stands out most is the novel’s portrayal of humanity amidst hatred and fear. Obreht captures moments of tenderness—such as the grandfather’s quiet fondness for stories and animals—with a warmth that pierces through the pervasive dread of war. This contrast elevates the narrative, highlighting resilience and compassion in a world fractured by endless conflict. The Balkan setting is vividly rendered, its beauty and brutality inseparable, grounding the magical elements in a tangible sense of place.
While the nonlinear structure and layered narratives may occasionally challenge readers, they reward patience, revealing the depth of Obreht’s vision.
The Tiger’s Wife is a haunting, beautifully crafted debut that lingers long after the final page, a testament to the power of stories to find light in the darkest of times.
Rating: 4.5/5 Perfect for readers who love lush, character-driven tales with a touch of the surreal, set against complex historical landscapes.
Review of The Tiger’s Wife by Téa Obreht
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.