Kate DiCamillo, author of Because of Winn-Dixie and The Tale of Despereaux, brings life to a tale of misshapen circumstance in The Tiger Rising.
In The Tiger Rising, Rob Horton, a boy whose mother recently passed, discovers a caged tiger in the woods near his new residence in Lister, Florida. Unable to confide in anyone else around him, he surprisingly speaks to the new girl in town, Sistine Bailey. The two misfits don’t even seem to fit in together, but they open up to one another and reveal secrets from their past and their present.
DiCamillo weaves together a compelling story, intertwined with difficult feelings of loss and entrapment that the two main protagonists share, although in different capacities. It is gripping to read along as Rob and Sistine come to terms with their lives and the cruel reality of how the world works. The Tiger Rising asks the age-old question: what is right and what is wrong? But, is there ever just one right path to take? Ultimately, the readers are left to decide for themselves.
The Tiger Rising is one of those books that tugs at the heart and soul, making us reflect on our own lives and the nature of the world we live in. We all may hold back our emotions and hide from our truths. That’s life. Sometimes it takes a friend to help us along. Sometimes it takes a book.