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When You Trap a Tiger

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When You Trap a Tiger
By Tae Keller
New York: Random House, 2020. Fiction.

Lily loves her halmoni's stories from Korean folklore - stories about tigers and sky gods and sisters who beat the odds. Lily is happy that she, her mom, and her sister Sam will be moving to the tiny town of Sunrise, WA to spend more time with her grandmother, but Lily soon learns that their move has more to do with Halmoni's health than she originally knew. Things seem to go from bad to worse when a magical tiger, notorious tricksters in Korean mythology, appears to Lily and offers her a deal -- recover the stories that Halmoni stole years ago in exchange for Halmoni's health.

This story expertly weaves Korean folklore into a gloomy small town populated by likable and realistically drawn characters. Lily's fears about living up to a "quiet Asian girl" stereotype and becoming invisible will feel all too familiar for many readers, along with her desperation to heal her grandmother. This beautifully written exploration of grief and despair is imbued with a special magical-realism made all the more unique by its emphasis on Korean folklore and folk tradition.
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