Téa Obreht has written one of the most highly anticipated novels of the year. "The Tiger's Wife" is a mingling of 3 seemingly unrelated threads; a mythic legend about a tiger that escapes from a zoo during a war, a folk legend about a man who cannot die, the "deathless man," and the author's grief over the death of her grandfather.
In this interview Téa Obreht describes how she wrote about each of these 3 elements then constructed a cohesive story by linking together these compelling fragments. The process of writing can be magical and her descriptions of the puzzle-like quality of her craft are revelatory.
When this interview was recorded the book had not even been published. The author's first book tour was yet in the future. Téa Obreht is only 25 years old. She expressed a sense of wonder and innocence that was truly refreshing. The book was published this week and it is already a best-seller.
