The Tiger’s Wife is set in the former Yugoslavia in the period before and after the Serbo-Croatian War, but it was difficult to tell which “side” was which. That could have been intentional, however it seems a missed opportunity for a history lesson (for those of us in need of one). The main character, Natalia, is a doctor who comes to work at an orphanage. Her grandfather has just died and the main plot comprises why he leaves his home when he is too ill to travel. I was frustrated by having to follow the number of side stories – fables really – but in the end Obrecht managed to tie them together in a satisfying conclusion.
It is an imaginative work by a good writer, but it was a bit slow for me. ( )