Tiger Country

Somewhat strangely, the Indira and Tommy mentioned in the blurb feature in only the final 25 pages, set some thirty eight years after the main part of the book. They play the part of generational change, and the massive changes India went through with the partition.

This is a fictional story, but it is clear from reading it that parts of this story were written from a strong position of knowledge. It is not surprising that that large sections of the book read as non-fiction, as the author grew up in India, probably around the time the first part of the book is set, and her father was a Forestry Officer, the same as our main character. The careful descriptions of the way of life, the actual work, and the relationships with the Indian staff all come across as perfectly authentic and realistic. Even the slow transition from the willing hunter to the role of protecting animals (albeit still hunting the man-eaters) reads as realistic, given the changing times.

The story unrolls conventionally, and it is an easy reading novel, but there are some interesting techniques around the transition from part one to part two, where there is nothing really given about the missing 38 years, and the author releases that part of the story in small steps as part of conversations and thoughts.

I have read an autobiographic book by this author Jungle Child, which explains a lot of her early years in India, which I probably enjoyed slightly more than this fiction novel. That was a four stars read, this one is still worth seeking out at 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.