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The Night Tiger: A Novel

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The Night Tiger: A Novel Paperback – January 7, 2020

by Yangsze Choo (Author)

4.3 10,100 ratings

Editors' pick Best Literature & Fiction

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The Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club Pick
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

“A sumptuous garden maze of a novel that immerses readers in a complex, vanished world.” ―Kirkus (starred review)

An utterly transporting novel set in 1930s colonial Malaysia, perfect for fans of Isabel Allende and Min Jin Lee

Quick-witted, ambitious 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 longing for.

Eleven-year-old houseboy Ren is also on a mission, racing to fulfill his former master’s dying wish: that Ren find the man’s 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 relentlessly by, a series of unexplained deaths racks the district, along with whispers of men who turn into tigers. Ji Lin and Ren’s increasingly dangerous paths crisscross through lush plantations, hospital storage rooms, and ghostly dreamscapes.

Yangsze Choo's The Night Tiger pulls us into a world of servants and masters, age-old superstition and modern idealism, sibling rivalry and forbidden love. But anchoring this dazzling, propulsive novel is the intimate coming-of-age of a child and a young woman, each searching for their place in a society that would rather they stay invisible.

"A work of incredible beauty... Astoundingly captivating and striking... A transcendent story of courage and connection." ―Booklist (starred review)

Print length

384 pages
Language

English
Publication date

January 7, 2020
Dimensions

8.1 x 0.8 x 5.1 inches
ISBN-10

1250175461
ISBN-13

978-1250175465
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Get to know this book

What's it about?
Ambitious apprentice dressmaker and young houseboy's paths intertwine in 1930s colonial Malaysia, navigating superstition, forbidden love, and finding their place.
Amazon editors say...
The Night Tiger is supple and powerful, like the predator that stalks the shadows of Choo's ensnaring tale.
Adrian Liang, Amazon Editor
Popular highlight
The worst part about death is forgetting the image of the beloved. It’s the final robbery, the last betrayal.
618 Kindle readers highlighted this
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We were a chocolate-box family, I thought. Brightly wrapped on the outside and oozing sticky darkness within.
526 Kindle readers highlighted this
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But that’s the way people are, I think. We forget all the bad things in favor of what’s normal, what feels safe.
524 Kindle readers highlighted this

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

An Amazon Best Book of February 2019: Some readers will be intrigued by apprentice dressmaker Ji Lin and her strongminded pursuit to achieve more with her life than her old-fashioned family will condone. Others will be hooked on the premise of a young houseboy named Ren trying to find the severed finger of his former master, who might or might not also be a weretiger. Still others will gravitate toward the mythologies, food, traditions, and culture of 1930s colonial Malaysia under British rule. Once Ji Lin comes in possession of the mummified finger that Ren seeks, they are destined to collide, even as a deadly tiger roams the edges of town. Whatever your entry point to The Night Tiger, Yangsze Choo will win you over with her newest historical novel, and you'll find yourself embracing everything she hurls onto the page, including a number of curveballs that contain the perfect amount of surprise. Too often historical novels can feel overstuffed or simply stuffy. The Night Tiger is supple and powerful, like the predator that stalks the shadows of Choo's ensnaring tale. --Adrian Liang, Amazon Book Review

Review

Praise for The Night Tiger

A Most Anticipated Book (Glamour, Real Simple, Parade, Bustle, BookPage, Goodreads, PopSugar, BookRiot, Refinery29, Tor.com, HelloGiggles)
USA Today: Best Books of the Year So Far
Refinery29: A Best Book of the Year (So Far)
Parade: A Best Book of the Year
National Geographic: 13 New Books for Spring Break Trips

“This is the kind of book that when you read it, you really are transported back to that time and place… [Choo has] captured, in a very atmospheric way, the time period and the superstitions [of colonial Malaysia in the 1930s]. It’s a pretty wonderful book.” ―Nancy Pearl, NPR’s Morning Edition

“Richly complex…Gorgeous…Transport[s] us into a colonial world we more often see from the view of the occupier, in this transcendent tale about twins who share no blood, mythology and superstition, sibling rivalry, loyalty, forbidden love and identity.” ―San Francisco Chronicle

“A mesmerizing tale of murder, romance, and superstition….So vividly told, you can practically smell the oleander blossoms outside Acton’s house. This Night Tiger is worth a prowl.” ―USA Today

“A book for fans of Isabel Allende and for those who love a murder mystery with a beautiful backdrop.” ―Glamour

“A lushly detailed novel imbued with folklore, mystery, and romance.” ―National Geographic

“Fans of Isabel Allende will likely soar through Yangsze Choo’s The Night Tiger at a breakneck pace, so you might want to clear your schedule before sitting down to read it.” ―PopSugar

"So engrossing you could spend a day reading this lush historical novel without staring at your phone once... A sweeping novel with something for everyone ― and incredible writing." ―Refinery29

"A bravura performance." ―Washington Independent Review of Books

“A sumptuous garden maze of a novel that immerses readers in a complex, vanished world…Choo weaves her research in with a feather-light touch, and readers will be so caught up in the natural and supernatural intrigue that the serious themes here about colonialism and power dynamics, about gender and class, are absorbed with equal delicacy.” ―Kirkus (starred review)

"A work of incredible beauty...Astoundingly captivating and striking in its portrayal of love, betrayal, and death, The Night Tiger is a transcendent story of courage and connection." ―Booklist (starred review)

“Mythical creatures, conversations with the dead, lucky numbers, Confucian virtues, and forbidden love provide the backdrop to Choo’s superb murder mystery. Mining the rich setting of colonial Malaysia, Choo wonderfully combines a Holmes-esque plot with Chinese lore.” ―Publishers Weekly (starred and boxed review)

“[Choo] presents complex characters and multilayered stories in a vivid setting that coalesce into a richly evocative and mesmerizing tale in which myths and folklore intertwine in daily life. For fans of Kate Mosse or Isabel Allende.” ―Library Journal

“Complex, ambitious...a little bit magical.” ―Shelf Awareness

“Yangsze Choo’s lush writing will appeal to all kinds of readers.” ―HelloGiggles

“…A fascinating and compelling story, deftly told. A story that is interesting both culturally and historically, while also being an intensely personal exploration of two very different people struggling to find their way in a difficult world that has very stringent expectations of them with little or no room for failure. The characters are both recognizable and memorable, and the resolution…will keep readers guessing and turning the pages until the very last one.” ―Los Angeles Public Library

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Flatiron Books; Reprint edition (January 7, 2020)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 384 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1250175461
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1250175465
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.1 x 0.8 x 5.1 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #106,709 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #245 in Medieval Historical Fiction (Books)
- #1,550 in Folklore (Books)
- #8,001 in Literary Fiction (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.3 10,100 ratings

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Yangsze Choo

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Yangsze Choo is the New York Times bestselling author of The Ghost Bride (now a Netflix Original series) and The Night Tiger, a Reese’s Book Club Pick, and a Big Jubilee Read selection for Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee. She lives in California with her family and loves to eat and read (often at the same time). Her new book, The Fox Wife, and all previous novels would not have been possible without large quantities of dark chocolate.

Yangsze is happy to visit book clubs via Zoom! You can find her on her website, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5

10,100 global ratings

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Ruth Martin

Really interesting story about Malaysia

Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2024

Verified Purchase

I read Ghost Bride and really enjoyed the setting, so when I saw this author had another book, I decided to give it a read. I love historical fiction and I really love interesting settings. I've been to Malaysia once and i wanted to learn more about the history. This book gave me an excellent feel for what Malaysia was like in the past. I really enjoyed it! And the fantasy elements were cool too.

2 people found this helpful

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bill greene

Weretigers, severed fingers, murder, mystery, and magic!

Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2019

Verified Purchase

Overall: Set in the 1930s in Malaysia, the Night Tiger is a sweeping historical novel about a dance-hall girl and an orphan boy whose fates entangle over a missing finger and an old Chinese superstition about men who turn into tigers. 7/10

The Good:
The story is told from two points of view, a girl named Ji Lin and a boy named Ren. Ji Lin is a quick-witted, ambitious girl with dreams of going into medicine but stuck as an apprentice dressmake and working as a dancehall girl to help pay off her mother’s mahjong debts. Ren is an 11 year old Chinese house boy who is also an orphan. He has made a promise to his former master to return his missing finger to his grave within 49 days or else his master’s soul with wander forever. The novel follows these two characters and we find that their stories are entwined in multiple, mysterious ways.

I really liked both of the main characters as well as many of the other supporting characters. A lot of people mention “magical realism” that I did not exactly understand what that was, but this book is exactly that! It reminded me almost of a Grimm fairy tale, but better. I loved that the entire story was steeped in Chinese and Malaysian mythology and superstition. Malaysia was and still is a society of many different culture and beliefs and you see this to a degree in the book with multiple characters superstitions all playing a role. Two of the major myths the story is based on are weretigers and the Confucian virtues, neither of which I knew much about.
A weretiger is "a beast who, when he chooses, puts on a human skin and comes from the jungle into the village to prey on humans."
We are introduced to this through a series of mysterious and unexplained deaths.
The author does a great job keeping you on the edge of your seat and I found myself guessing pretty much until the end.
This book has something for everyone and once I was about 100 pages in I could not put it down. It is woven together intricately and expertly and I was kept guessing up pretty close to the end.

The Bad: It did take me awhile to get into this, probably about 100 pages. I also did not particularly enjoy the romance and found it unnecessary.

Quotes:

“In Cantonese, two was a good number because it made a pair. Three was also good because it was a homophone for sang, or life. Four, of course, was bad because it sounded like death. Five was good again because it made a complete set, not just of the Confucian Virtues, but also for the elements of wood, fire, water, metal, and earth.”

"When people talked about being lucky, perhaps they simply wanted to feel powerful, as though they could manipulate fate."

“The Ji in my name wasn’t commonly used for girls. It was the character for zhi, or knowledge, one of the five Confucian Virtues. The others were benevolence, righteousness, order, and integrity”

8 people found this helpful

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BooksAreWings

Incredible book, one of my favorites of the past three years

Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2021

Verified Purchase

How to describe this book? Part hero’s journey, part mystery, part suspense, a good part romance, and a tiny part werewolf- well, were-SOMETHING - story - all set in 1930’s Malaya among colonial mansions, cane fields and forests, hospitals and cabinets of curiosities. Multiple characters with individual and compelling storylines, brought together by something stronger than fate. Love, loyalty, family, and the lush backdrop of Malaya. This all sounds so serious, but there’s humor here, and poetry - it’s a beautiful balance.
If I had to choose a genre, I guess this is magical realism, but the time and setting are so fascinating, and the core characters, Ren and Ji Lin - a preteen child and a young woman - are so beautifully drawn that you relate to them immediately across cultures and nearly a century of time.
I read more than a hundred books a year and this one surprised me so much from the very start with the quality of story and writing that I put it aside to read at leisure and savor it. It is in my top five fiction recommendations of the last three years.

6 people found this helpful

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Frances Biedenharn

why is everyone into this book?

Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2024

Verified Purchase

The concept is so strong from the start and the interactions between characters are touching and real, but I feel like ive been beaten over the head with the plot and that the concept was never fully realized.

One person found this helpful

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Blake Bagnell

Fantastical Mystery

Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2022

Verified Purchase

Story get a 4 star for me. Overall I enjoyed reading this book especially after getting into the heart of the book. I liked how the story focused on Asian lore/myth with the night tiger and Dr. McFarlane along with adding the Confucian virtues as characters you meet throughout the book. Ji Lin and Ren are the two main characters and are my favorite characters. Ji, Shin, Ren, Yi, and Li and their stories are intertwined throughout nicely. It is a book of weretigers with moral grey characters like Li and Yi. And I liked how the story/characters were revealed to you through backstory and mystery. I felt like the story kept me guessing for a good deal as to who was good/bad. Overall I think the book was nicely written and kept me wanting to figure out the mystery and get to know the characters more.

5 people found this helpful

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Patto

“Don’t talk to the dead”

Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2024

Verified Purchase

An elderly cook tells a young Malaysian houseboy, “Don’t talk to the dead.” But that’s just what he and others do in their dreams.

The dreams are as real as waking life in this book, and full of danger. And there’s danger in the waking world too. A weretiger is wandering close to human habitations, killing pet dogs and young women. A weretiger in Malayan folk lore is a dead person who can’t rest and turns into a hungry tiger.

The narrative is rich in folk lore and superstitions, including Chinese lucky and unlucky numbers, the power of names, and the medicinal power of certain human body parts.

A lot of people die, or almost die. And amidst the horrors, a forbidden love blossoms. And a sinister love is exposed.

Another great story from Yangsze Choo!

2 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

A Tale Well Told

Reviewed in the United States on March 26, 2024

Verified Purchase

I very much enjoyed reading this book. The faraway places and culture were really brought to life. I love how the traditions and supernatural elements of the past are intertwined and mixed together in the characters. I can imagine them continuing on with their journey at the end of this story.

2 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

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dragonworks

VERY, VERY GOOD

Reviewed in Canada on March 16, 2024

Verified Purchase

It is rare to encounter a book that is so well written. Captivating plot, flawless writing. Can't say enough good things about this author and her efforts. A joy.

dmm

Entretenido

Reviewed in Mexico on July 3, 2021

Verified Purchase

Una historia narrada por dos personajes. Llena de fantasía, tradiciones y superstición. Un misterio por resolver con un buen final.

One person found this helpful

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Julian Marshall

Charming and beguiling

Reviewed in France on January 25, 2024

Verified Purchase

Well worth reading, this is a captivating little tale.

Mandy in Spain

Enchanting is the only word for this book

Reviewed in Spain on June 26, 2022

Verified Purchase

An absolutely magical gem!

Watchman

What a great book

Reviewed in Germany on September 25, 2019

Verified Purchase

I absolutely enjoyed reading this gem of a book. The plot was interesting and well thought. I loved the language and how the storys of all the characters were intertwined. It took me a long time to read but it was never boring and I can highly recommend this read when you are into historic fiction with a touch of mistery.

One person found this helpful

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