The Tigers in the Tower

I loved this book. It had a Dickensian feel to it with a mixture of culture, religion and a strong female protagonist.

Sahira Clive, born of an English father and an Indian mother, travelling to London with a pair of Tigers finds herself an orphan after her parents contract a deadly illness. With nowhere to go Sahira finds herself placed in an orphanage and separated from her tigers. The way Sahira is treated due to her mixed raced heritage was powerfully portrayed in this novel and would be a great opportunity to discuss inequalities and prejudices in society.

I adored hearing about Sahira's culture, through her stories of India, the vocabulary used (see glossary at the back of the book) and her amazing assortment of clothing. I loved how there were nods to different religions slipped into the novel too, from the tigers' names - Rama and Sita, to her mother's and father's different religions.

There is also a huge historical pull to the novel and I was fascinated to learn about the Tower Menagerie (The Tower of London), the Zoological Gardens (London Zoo) and society in London at the time. I found myself researching these aspects after I had finished reading, becoming absorbed in London's rich history.

This book definitely appealed to me as an adult and I found it both fascinating and engaging. I really feel this book would be a great class read to share with Year 5/6 as there are so many discussion opportunities and a whole unit of work could be built around this book. For independent readers this book would also provide a rich reading experience as it is beautifully written, is packed with adventure and is character driven.

The Rangoli patterns in the corners of each chapter was a nice touch to the book as too were the glossary and Menagerie poster at the front. I have so much love for this book, highly recommend.