
Author: Eddy Boudel Tan
Published by: Viking on Apr. 25, 2025
Genres: General Fiction
Pages: 336
Format: Paperback
Source: Penguin Random House Canada
Book Rating: 10/10
Casper Han grew up the dutiful son of immigrants who never felt entirely welcome in their remote corner of British Columbia. Now an adult, living in Vancouver with a boyfriend whose privilege he quietly resents, Casper rarely returns to his hometown, the site of a grief his family doesn’t discuss: the loss of his twin, Sam.
Over twenty years have passed since Sam went missing, and a pressing crisis has brought Casper and his siblings back. Their father has vanished, only to be found wandering the vast woods beyond the family home, confused and clutching a pair of scissors, seemingly trapped in the memory of that tragic night. In order to move forward, the Han family, accustomed to fleeing their problems, must stay put and finally confront the past—untangling the mystery of what really happened to Sam.
Combining the atmosphere and intrigue of a cracking good suspense novel with the depth of a rich character study, The Tiger and the Cosmonaut tells the story of a family whose members have long made themselves small and quiet and obedient—and what happens when the cycle is finally broken.
Review:
Poignant, immersive, and affecting!
The Tiger and the Cosmonaut is a raw, vivid, suspenseful tale that takes you into the life of Casper Han, a young, gay man who, after his father suddenly goes missing, decides to return to his hometown to not only help find his father, but to finally discover what really happened to his twin brother on that night more than twenty years ago when he vanished without a trace.
The prose is eloquent and expressive. The characters are sorrowful, secretive, and strong. And the plot is an exceptionally tender tale about life, loss, family, friendship, strength, abuse, loneliness, grief, self-discovery, revelations, heartache, belonging, and love.
Every once in a while you pick up a book that completely moves you and surprises you in all the best ways, and The Tiger and the Cosmonaut is one of those novels. It’s a powerful, pensive, mysterious, beautifully written story by Tan where the space between the words resonates as loudly as the words themselves and is a beautiful reminder that forgiveness in all its forms is always necessary for true healing.
This novel is available now.
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Thank you to Penguin Canada for gifting me a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.