DigeeBooks

A hopeful, heartwarming story of a girl discovering her family's past and present when she makes a deal with a magical tiger from her grandmother's stories, the Korean version of "Once upon a time . . ." Some stories refuse to stay bottled up... When Lily and her family move in with her sick grandmother, a magical tiger straight out of her halmoni's Korean folktales arrives. The tiger offers Lily a deal: if Lily will open her grandmother's star jars and return what she stole, the tiger will heal her grandmother. But deals with tigers are never what they seem! With the help of her sister and her new friend Ricky, Lily must find her voice . . . and the courage to face a tiger. Tae Keller, the award-winning author of The Science of Breakable Things, shares a sparkling tale about the power of stories and the magic of family. Think Walk Two Moons meets Where the Mountain Meets the Moon!

In the heart-wrenching and inspiring novel "When You Trap a Tiger" by Tae Keller, we are introduced to Lily, a Korean American girl navigating the complexities of her new life in America, while wrestling with her family's past in South Korea. This poignant tale unfolds as Lily tries to understand the legacy left by her 할머니 halmeoni (grandmother) after her mysterious death.

Lily's grandmother, known as 할머니, was a remarkable storyteller who could weave magical tales with her words. However, her life was marked by a deep secret that left her haunted and unable to return to her homeland. As Lily delves deeper into her 할머니's past, she uncovers a story of resilience, sacrifice, and the enduring power of love.

Through flashbacks and poignant memories, we learn about the formidable challenges 할머니 faced during the Korean War. Forced to flee her home, she embarked on a perilous journey to safety, carrying with her the weight of her family's hopes and the trauma of war. The sacrifices she made and the secrets she kept shape Lily's understanding of her family's history and her own identity.

As Lily uncovers the truth about her 할머니's past, she also grapples with the challenges of being a Korean American teenager in a small town. She struggles to find her place in a world that often seems alien and unwelcoming. Yet, through her journey of self-discovery, Lily learns to embrace her heritage and culture, finding strength and comfort in the stories of her ancestors.

"When You Trap a Tiger" is a powerful and moving story about family, identity, and the resilience of the human spirit. It is a poignant exploration of the ways in which our past shapes our present and how the stories we inherit can both burden and empower us. Tae Keller's masterful storytelling and lyrical prose bring this unforgettable tale to life, leaving readers with a profound understanding of the Korean American experience and the enduring legacy of the Korean War.