Dozens of people all share the tight space of Warwick’s bookstore in La Jolla. Chairs have been set up, but as there are not nearly enough for everyone, people huddle by the alcoves and compete for space in the back. The coziness of the room warms weary fans from the brisk wind outside on this January night. There’s a small girl sitting by her mother’s feet and an elderly woman being guided to her seat by her son. One woman holds a small dog, another rocks a baby, but under the arms of nearly everyone is the book “The Tiger’s Wife.” A podium stands empty at the base of the swelling crowd, and after much anticipation the author, Téa Obreht, soon stands before it.
Overwhelmed at the audience’s turn out, her undeniable youth at only 29 years of age shows on her face. It seems it has yet to sink in of her ongoing success, including being the youngest winner of the Orange Prize as well as making the New York Times Best Sellers list.
Told through the eyes of a young doctor by the name of Natalia, Obreht’s acclaimed novel “The Tiger’s Wife” follows this character as she journeys to assist a poor Balkan country, and deals with the secrets that gather around her. Meanwhile, Natalia struggles to solve the more personal puzzle of her beloved Grandfather’s recent and mysterious death. It leads her to look back to the stories he told her as a child, and it is within them that she begins to decipher his shadowy past while learning more about people as a whole.
Obreht begins to read from the prologue. Her voice is soft as she speaks into the microphone, but the audience is so quiet that she is easily heard. The furniture around seems to meld into the setting of a zoo, and the words wrap around everyone like some kind of blanket sheltering them from the cold. We all are standing beside seven-year-old Natalia and her grandfather, as they witness the prowling tiger in its exhibit bite down on a worker’s arm.
Obreht’s glasses slip down slightly from the bridge of her nose, and when she finishes the passage, she pushes them back up and looks at the audience. Their hands have already shot up for the proceeding Q&A.
Born in Belgrade, Yugoslavia in 1985, she moved back and forth between Cyrpus and Egypt at the early age of seven, on account of the brewing war in her home country. Five years later, she came to the United States where she later received her MFA in creative writing from Cornell University in 2009. Upon moving to Ithaca thereafter, where she now resides, the beginnings of what would become “The Tiger’s Wife” were created.
It started as a short story, inspired by a documentary on tigers that she saw during her first snowstorm in New York. “I was so proud of it,” Obreht says. “And then, after so much work, I took it to my night writing class and was basically told time and time again that it sucked.” Now looking back, she can’t help but agree, though the disheartening comments caused her to stop creative writing for some time. However, years after the rejection, she made the decision to use these characters she’d grown so close to and create something entirely new. Originally, it was intended to be just another short story, but it wasn’t long before it transformed into a progressing book.
“Is there any pressure or difficulty for you,” I ask as she calls on me, “because you are such a young, published author.”
After repeating my question through the microphone, she answers, “There definitely is truth in that I have to prove myself more.” Seeing as she may not have “as much experience as someone older” than her, it is “definitely one of the many factors of pressure.” She paused for a moment before adding, “But, in the end, I think I put the most stress on myself to write something that will represent me and my skills positively.” If anything, her age gives her “more drive” to do that.
The compelling characters and twisting plot line are only a select number of reasons as to why “The Tiger’s Wife” is so continuously successful. However, overall, it’s the themes brought out in it that make it so memorable. “Everyone, everyone in this room even,” Obreht says, “has a story. And when someone tells you one, it’s like they are trusting you with this small gift.” There aren’t many things that are “greater in power than a great story,” and she explains that being able to “accomplish” successfully telling one makes her “eternally satisfied.”
Book signings are not only an exceptional way to a signature from a favorite author, but also cool opportunities to actually meet the brilliant mind behind a book. Warwick’s in La Jolla at 7812 Girard Avenue is a great place to go for an array of writers. Or, should you be more interested in sci-fi or fantasy, Mystic Galaxy bookstore in 7051 Clairemont Mesa Boulevard is another terrific, nearby location. But when it comes down to it, no matter where you go or whom you go to see, the pure experience is something no one should pass up.