Tea Obreht - The Tiger's Wife

my agent, Seth Fishman, for taking a chance on me, and for having all the answers, and for being my friend.

my editor, Noah Eaker, whose voice has been the guiding light for the past two years, and who puts up with my belief that just five more minutes will make a difference; Arzu Tahsin, who is amazing; Susan Kamil and Jynne Martin, for making me feel at home at Random House.

Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, Deborah Treisman, Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, and C. Michael Curtis, whose support and kindness continue to overwhelm me; Judy Barringer and everyone at the Constance Salton-stall Foundation for the Arts.

Tricia, who is family, for reading my work since I was ten.

friends and loved ones, from California to New York: Jared, whom I still might grow up to be someday; David, who always knows what I’m talking about, no matter how obscure the reference; Danielle, who bends reality; Colleen, for knowing what to say, every time; Christine, still the most generous person I know; Jay, who is always with me; Yael and the Incredible Zentner Family—Laurie, Zoey and Sabine—who aren’t actually a rock band, though they sound like one here.

None of this would have been possible without you.

TÉA OBREHT was born in Belgrade in the former Yugoslavia in 1985 and has lived in the United States since the age of twelve. Her writing has been published in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Harper’s , and The Guardian , and has been anthologized in The Best American Short Stories and The Best American Nonrequired Reading . She has been named by The New Yorker as one of the twenty best American fiction writers under forty and included in the National Book Foundation’s list of 5 Under 35. She lives in New York.

www.TeaObreht.com

Table of Contents

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Contents

Chapter 1 - The Coast

Chapter 2 - The War

Chapter 3 - The Diggers

Chapter 4 - The Tiger

Chapter 5 - The Orphanage

Chapter 6 - The Fire

Chapter 7 - The Butcher

Chapter 8 - The Heart

Chapter 9 - The Bear

Chapter 10 - The Crossroads

Chapter 11 - The Bombing

Chapter 12 - The Apothecary

Chapter 13 - The River

Acknowledgements

About the Author