Tale of the Tigers-Impressions

I dunno if I’ve mentioned this before, but FYI–a great blogger has become a great author.  I just finished ”Tale of The Tigers”.  It’s a tremendous piece of writing.    

Juliette Akinyi Ochieng, who writes great commentary under the nom de blog Baldilocks, recently took the plunge and published her debut novel.  And what an interesting first swing of the bat Ms. Ochieng takes.

“Tale of The Tigers” is a story of two college kids who fall in love.  It’s about race and racism.  It’s a time capsule of the early 90′s.  It looks at the dynamics of family relationships.  It examines sex and sexuality.  It reassess sacred cows of the cult of the politically correct.  It makes important statements about friendship, loyalty and trust.

Like her blog writing, Ms. Ochieng’s novel is chock full of subtleties.  Her characters could’ve turned into cardboard cut-outs.  Instead, the folks that inhabit “Tale” are flesh and blood people, full of admirable traits and painful weaknesses.  The outline of the plot never devolves into a cliché romance.  Thankfully, Baldilocks takes the story in unexpected directions.  “Tale” studiously avoids telegraphing it’s punches, which makes for an exciting read.                     

Beyond these great things, for me the best part of the book is the fact that the story stays with you long after you’ve finished it.  You’ll find yourself replaying sequences from the book in your mind.  Moreover, you’ll catch yourself pondering the book’s themes long after you’ve put it down.                  

In short, “Tale of The Tigers” is a damn fine piece of work from a writer with a powerful voice.  Get in on the ground floor, folks.  Buy the book.  You won’t regret it.

Cross-posted at Baldilocks.

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