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The Last Tiger
A Tasmanian-set tale about a family of Lithuanian immigrants and the secrets they bring with them to Van Dieman's Land
It's 1910 and 12-year-old Myko and his family have fled the Czarist occupation of their native Lithuania for the freedom of America—only to discover their ship has arrived in Tasmania, the once notorious prison island of the British Empire, known as Van Diemen's Land. Myko wonders what will become of them as he watches his father, Petras, and mother, Daina, become anxious about how they will survive in this new land where tigers roam. Myko has never seen a tiger before, except in his picture books, and is filled with fear as stories of the tigers' vicious attacks upon the island's settlers are retold to him. He wishes his brother Jurgis was with him, but knows his sibling's disappearance is something he should force out of his mind. But when Petras takes work as a tiger trapper and Myko discovers the den of the last tigers, the family are thrust into a fight over the last of these beautiful, wild beasts that will force dark secrets to the surface, and pit son against father.
It's 1910 and 12-year-old Myko and his family have fled the Czarist occupation of their native Lithuania for the freedom of America—only to discover their ship has arrived in Tasmania, the once notorious prison island of the British Empire, known as Van Diemen's Land. Myko wonders what will become of them as he watches his father, Petras, and mother, Daina, become anxious about how they will survive in this new land where tigers roam. Myko has never seen a tiger before, except in his picture books, and is filled with fear as stories of the tigers' vicious attacks upon the island's settlers are retold to him. He wishes his brother Jurgis was with him, but knows his sibling's disappearance is something he should force out of his mind. But when Petras takes work as a tiger trapper and Myko discovers the den of the last tigers, the family are thrust into a fight over the last of these beautiful, wild beasts that will force dark secrets to the surface, and pit son against father.
324 pages, Paperback
First published June 6, 2014
19 people are currently reading
587 people want to read
About the author
Tony Black
77 books115 followersTony Black is the author of more than 20 books, most recently Her Cold Eyes. He has been nominated for eight CWA Daggers and was runner up in The Guardian's Not the Booker prize for The Last Tiger.
He has written three crime series, a number of crime novellas and two collections of short stories. His acclaimed author interviews series was collected under the title, Hard Truths.
His novella, The Ringer, was adapted for the stage and the Ayr Gaiety performance can be found on YouTube.
A former Young Journalist of the Year, he still writes for the press regularly.
For more information, and the latest news visit his website at: www.tonyblack.net or his blog: www.pulppusher.blogspot.com or find him on Facebook, Twitter or Linked-In.
He has written three crime series, a number of crime novellas and two collections of short stories. His acclaimed author interviews series was collected under the title, Hard Truths.
His novella, The Ringer, was adapted for the stage and the Ayr Gaiety performance can be found on YouTube.
A former Young Journalist of the Year, he still writes for the press regularly.
For more information, and the latest news visit his website at: www.tonyblack.net or his blog: www.pulppusher.blogspot.com or find him on Facebook, Twitter or Linked-In.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
July 12, 2014
**4.5 stars**
This is the second time Mr Black has made me cry – the first time with the wonderful family saga “His Fathers Son” and now with “The Last Tiger”. I am going to have to have words…
What an absolutely amazing and fascinating tale this was – beautifully written, absolutely captivating and with an emotional resonance that will stick with me forever, I was completely and utterly caught up in the story of Myko and his family – and the alluring and graceful wild animals that come between them.
With a beautifully realistic sense of place and time, a truly addictive and heartfelt storyline and characters that pop off the page and straight into your heart, this is at times heart stopping, tear inducing and evocative reading. It is very difficult to put into words – but as the rift develops and deepens between Myko and his Father and the truth begins to emerge about his brother, you will not be able to look away. And right at the heart of it is the “Last Tiger” – an animal that Myko is determined to protect but at what cost?
This was one of those novels that leaves you reeling. Another book that reminded me why I read in the first place, Mr Black is an enchanting and spellbinding storyteller – and with his family drama’s very old school in a way that I adore. “The Last Tiger” has just confirmed for me that it doesnt much matter whether what he writes in the future I’m going to be reading it. Absolute wizardry with words. Every time.
This is the second time Mr Black has made me cry – the first time with the wonderful family saga “His Fathers Son” and now with “The Last Tiger”. I am going to have to have words…
What an absolutely amazing and fascinating tale this was – beautifully written, absolutely captivating and with an emotional resonance that will stick with me forever, I was completely and utterly caught up in the story of Myko and his family – and the alluring and graceful wild animals that come between them.
With a beautifully realistic sense of place and time, a truly addictive and heartfelt storyline and characters that pop off the page and straight into your heart, this is at times heart stopping, tear inducing and evocative reading. It is very difficult to put into words – but as the rift develops and deepens between Myko and his Father and the truth begins to emerge about his brother, you will not be able to look away. And right at the heart of it is the “Last Tiger” – an animal that Myko is determined to protect but at what cost?
This was one of those novels that leaves you reeling. Another book that reminded me why I read in the first place, Mr Black is an enchanting and spellbinding storyteller – and with his family drama’s very old school in a way that I adore. “The Last Tiger” has just confirmed for me that it doesnt much matter whether what he writes in the future I’m going to be reading it. Absolute wizardry with words. Every time.
May 6, 2014
Myoko's life has been turned upside down. He and his family arrive in Tasmania, a world that's the opposite of the one he's just left. Myoko's father had a farm until Russian authorities took it over. Now his family are scraping a living at a large sheep farm. But Myoko's father quickly discovers a new role - that of tiger hunter. Once common, the tiger has been all but wiped out by farmers - a pest that preyed on livestock and livelihoods, hated by everyone.
But Myoko, after several direct experiences with tigers, vehemently disagrees with his father and, when what is perhaps the last lair is discovered, father and son clash.
This is a story of head vs. heart, the past vs. the present, reality vs. the supernatural. The father, who must provide for his family pitted against Myoko who's desperate to save a stately animal. However, there are also several dark secrets that Black skilfully weaves into the narrative through periodic flashbacks to the family's life on the farm and the reasons for their flight to Tasmania.
The Last Tiger is beautifully told - the nearest a novel could come to poetry without being such. The descriptions are rich and vivid, the reader is entirely immersed in the family's lives and their tribulations. The clash between father and son, the mother's descent into instability and superstition to save her husband with the fate of the tigers enmeshed with them. The sense of place is strong, the characters bright and alive.
A powerful tale of man and the environment.
But Myoko, after several direct experiences with tigers, vehemently disagrees with his father and, when what is perhaps the last lair is discovered, father and son clash.
This is a story of head vs. heart, the past vs. the present, reality vs. the supernatural. The father, who must provide for his family pitted against Myoko who's desperate to save a stately animal. However, there are also several dark secrets that Black skilfully weaves into the narrative through periodic flashbacks to the family's life on the farm and the reasons for their flight to Tasmania.
The Last Tiger is beautifully told - the nearest a novel could come to poetry without being such. The descriptions are rich and vivid, the reader is entirely immersed in the family's lives and their tribulations. The clash between father and son, the mother's descent into instability and superstition to save her husband with the fate of the tigers enmeshed with them. The sense of place is strong, the characters bright and alive.
A powerful tale of man and the environment.
June 24, 2014
Tony Black is an extraordinary storyteller. He gives a spellbinding account of how young Myko was forced to leave the Sakiai in Lithuania with his family, and finds himself in Tasmania, although his family were intending to go to America. It is here that Myko encounters a Thylacine, a Tasmanian tiger, and the story is about the profound effect that this has on him.
The tigers are hunted as pests and as a threat to the settlers' sheep, and Myko's father is appointed by the Van Dieman Company as their tiger bounty hunter. Myko, and his friend Tilly, set out to thwart the hunters.
This is not Tony Black's normal territory. His Gus Dury novels are set in the seamier side of Edinburgh, but there is a commonality of hope in his books, against a background of brutality and violence. The only weapon that Myko has is hope, and the question posed by the novel is simple - is hope enough?
Archbishop Trevor Huddleston always used to say that optimism is useless because it does not require you to do anything, but hope is useful because it requires you to take action, even though there is no guarantee of success. That is Myko's choice, and the whole story revolves upon his actions.
The tigers are hunted as pests and as a threat to the settlers' sheep, and Myko's father is appointed by the Van Dieman Company as their tiger bounty hunter. Myko, and his friend Tilly, set out to thwart the hunters.
This is not Tony Black's normal territory. His Gus Dury novels are set in the seamier side of Edinburgh, but there is a commonality of hope in his books, against a background of brutality and violence. The only weapon that Myko has is hope, and the question posed by the novel is simple - is hope enough?
Archbishop Trevor Huddleston always used to say that optimism is useless because it does not require you to do anything, but hope is useful because it requires you to take action, even though there is no guarantee of success. That is Myko's choice, and the whole story revolves upon his actions.
October 11, 2014
I stoped at one third of the book, the main character's over-dramatization of everything made it impossible to continue.
I think what I got from the book so far is "Booohoo people who kill animals should die" but really, characters like the father and Nathaniel are not bad because they kill animals, they're just assholes pure and simple. It's utterly unrealistic to think they'd ask the kid to do the stuff they ask him without even telling him beforehand what it's gonna be about, mock him and shame him just for the sake of it, ask him to do impossible things...
Oh and something else, just because you saw the tiger doesnt make it "your tiger", I swear this kid annoyed me to no end everytime he talked about "his tiger", I felt like it wasnt so much about the shooting of an innocent animal victim and more about somebody taking away his new toy.
Anyway, unbearable, not my usual litterature for sure but i couldnt expect something so annoying.
Still gave it two stars though because it's not badly written, english is my second language and I found it easy to read and even learned a few words, but that's no excuse for the poor content.
I think what I got from the book so far is "Booohoo people who kill animals should die" but really, characters like the father and Nathaniel are not bad because they kill animals, they're just assholes pure and simple. It's utterly unrealistic to think they'd ask the kid to do the stuff they ask him without even telling him beforehand what it's gonna be about, mock him and shame him just for the sake of it, ask him to do impossible things...
Oh and something else, just because you saw the tiger doesnt make it "your tiger", I swear this kid annoyed me to no end everytime he talked about "his tiger", I felt like it wasnt so much about the shooting of an innocent animal victim and more about somebody taking away his new toy.
Anyway, unbearable, not my usual litterature for sure but i couldnt expect something so annoying.
Still gave it two stars though because it's not badly written, english is my second language and I found it easy to read and even learned a few words, but that's no excuse for the poor content.
April 23, 2022
This was a book club book and I am not impressed by the story and the writing style. A feline virus is killing all feline species around the world and only one big cat is left in a national park in the centre of India. By coincidence an American private jet crashes in the national park which carries four civilians including a mafia leader Jon Galina. Simultaneously a group of mercenaries paid by an unknown wealthy source are there to get the cat. This unknown source will be paying a big sum of money to the corrupt Indian government as well if all goes well. This is a thriller with lots of twists and turns. Good read if you want something mindless to entertain you.
July 2, 2018
It sounded interesting but failed to keep my attention.
July 2, 2014
i won this as a Goodreads giveaway, tho Tony Black has been on my radar as someone to read more of as i have previously only read one of his short stories.
as i believe he has mostly been a crime writer, the storytelling here is a new direction for him. it is a vivid tale, maybe more like a fable about a young boy dealing with loss,family upheaval and conflict.
12 yr old Myko has moved to a strange new Island with his parents (his brother did not make the final journey) to start a new life. once he learns about the tigers who roam Tasmania and understands their numbers are dwindling in large part to his father's new job as tiger hunter, he develops a strong need to preserve their existance. this brings about the father and son conflict near the end of the tale as i believe he has made saving the tigers a replacement for his brother that was unable to be saved.
the writing is often more poetry than prose and done very well, the chapters come alive with the author's well imagined descriptions.
the drawback for me is that this is not the type of story i would seek out to read. i am not sure who the audience might be for this story, but perhaps younger readers. i will pass along to my 11 yr old nephew and he may be more engaged by the story of Myko's journey.
as i believe he has mostly been a crime writer, the storytelling here is a new direction for him. it is a vivid tale, maybe more like a fable about a young boy dealing with loss,family upheaval and conflict.
12 yr old Myko has moved to a strange new Island with his parents (his brother did not make the final journey) to start a new life. once he learns about the tigers who roam Tasmania and understands their numbers are dwindling in large part to his father's new job as tiger hunter, he develops a strong need to preserve their existance. this brings about the father and son conflict near the end of the tale as i believe he has made saving the tigers a replacement for his brother that was unable to be saved.
the writing is often more poetry than prose and done very well, the chapters come alive with the author's well imagined descriptions.
the drawback for me is that this is not the type of story i would seek out to read. i am not sure who the audience might be for this story, but perhaps younger readers. i will pass along to my 11 yr old nephew and he may be more engaged by the story of Myko's journey.
September 10, 2014
I've read lots of other books by Tony Black. He generally writes crime thrillers, mostly set in Edinburgh. This is a real departure.
12 year old Myko and his family flee Lithuania to escape the war and pay for carriage to America. Things don't go to plan and they land in Tasmania where life is tough and opportunities are few. Myko's father finds work on a sheep farm and life settles but there are constant stories of the fabled Tasmanian Tiger. This creature is feared and loathed by the farmers for taking their flock and anyone killing a tiger becomes an instant hero.
Myko is fascinated with the tigers and sees them as something beautiful, to be treasured. But when his father shoots one and becomes the official tiger-hunter it causes tension throughout the family.
This is a beautifully written story, told from Myko's viewpoint. The passion that Tony has for this story comes across in waves and I felt really drawn in to Myko's world as he fought to save the tigers. I've recommended this to as many of my friends as I can and the feedback has been universally positive.
12 year old Myko and his family flee Lithuania to escape the war and pay for carriage to America. Things don't go to plan and they land in Tasmania where life is tough and opportunities are few. Myko's father finds work on a sheep farm and life settles but there are constant stories of the fabled Tasmanian Tiger. This creature is feared and loathed by the farmers for taking their flock and anyone killing a tiger becomes an instant hero.
Myko is fascinated with the tigers and sees them as something beautiful, to be treasured. But when his father shoots one and becomes the official tiger-hunter it causes tension throughout the family.
This is a beautifully written story, told from Myko's viewpoint. The passion that Tony has for this story comes across in waves and I felt really drawn in to Myko's world as he fought to save the tigers. I've recommended this to as many of my friends as I can and the feedback has been universally positive.
June 29, 2014
Tony Black is a crime writer.........I think not, he is a talented author who has written several books in that genre. However his previous book Father and Son and now The Last Tiger, demonstrate an insightful understanding of familial relationships (especially father/son dynamics).
Myoko, recently arrived in Tasmania with his family after being forced to leave Lithuania with his family, soon discovers the Tasmanian tiger. An animal that mesmerises Myoko, but places a strain on the relationship between him and his father, recently employed as a tiger hunter.
An emotional page turner that captivates the reader until the very end.
Myoko, recently arrived in Tasmania with his family after being forced to leave Lithuania with his family, soon discovers the Tasmanian tiger. An animal that mesmerises Myoko, but places a strain on the relationship between him and his father, recently employed as a tiger hunter.
An emotional page turner that captivates the reader until the very end.
June 19, 2014
This book starts with a wonderful premise -- a boy and his love for a fascinating endangered creature -- and fulfills it well. The Tasmanian setting is rich and evoked vividly. The family story that underlies the plot is also well drawn (fathers and sons are a big theme for Tony Black). The tale also ventures into a type of magic realism at times.
The only drawback for me was that here and there the writing gets a little florid for my liking.
Still, this book is enjoyable for many ages -- I can see young teens with well-developed reading tastes getting into it.
The only drawback for me was that here and there the writing gets a little florid for my liking.
Still, this book is enjoyable for many ages -- I can see young teens with well-developed reading tastes getting into it.
March 30, 2016
Well I never realised that the Tasmanian tiger was such an unusual animal and now it's extinct I'm not likely to see it in the flesh. Tony Black would suggest that it was a noble beast; no low-down fox, wolf or coyote. He also suggests that the early Tasmanian settlers were a superstitious, heathen bunch who had no truck with this poacher of their sheep. Tony Black has lived up to his name and given us a bleak book gratuitous misery somewhat redeemed by vivid descriptions of the Tasmanian countryside.
July 7, 2014
I won this and when I first looked at this book I don't know what I was expected, but I surely not except that! I love tiger so the cover attracted me and when I looked at the story I was like : hmm yeah that sound good but... In final the story was amazing, Myoko was just WOW! I normally don't read that kind of book but this one was a very good exception and it's wasn't a deception!
*My English is not the best, so i'm very sorry about that :$
*My English is not the best, so i'm very sorry about that :$
maybe
August 25, 2014Not the Booker prize shortlist: a long look at The Last Tiger by Tony Black
Our survey of the finalists continues with the story of a young immigrant to Australia who encounters the predatory creatures that were once the country's largest and most efficient killers.
December 4, 2014
Very beautifully written descriptions of Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) and vivid characters, with tragedy in their back-stories.
Father-son dynamics of a family forced to flee from the Sakiai in Lithuania and start a new life as sheep-farmers.
The father becomes a hunter of the now extinct marsupial known as the Tasmanian Tiger and this course drives him head-against his own son.
Passionately written and moving.
Father-son dynamics of a family forced to flee from the Sakiai in Lithuania and start a new life as sheep-farmers.
The father becomes a hunter of the now extinct marsupial known as the Tasmanian Tiger and this course drives him head-against his own son.
Passionately written and moving.
August 21, 2014
This is not a bad book, but I did not feel 'linked' to it. The story is beautiful, but there is something about the style that makes it difficult to connect to the characters. They seemed as distant to me as they are to each other, not understanding each other and not even trying to.
It is not maybe a fault, but I found it quite hard to get through the novel because of that.
It is not maybe a fault, but I found it quite hard to get through the novel because of that.
August 28, 2014
It's not that the book was bad I just never really connected with it or "got into it" I suppose. I didn't particularly enjoy reading it, but I normally read more fantasy style books so the realism of this book probably didn't suit me. Fantastic descriptive language and visuals of the Tasmanian outback created though!
March 31, 2015
A subtle and deeply affecting novel that wears its historical research lightly, but builds a compelling world. It's effectively plotted, a late revelation hits you like gut punch, compelling, and humane.
November 1, 2014
Seemed to me to be aimed at 10 year olds but I hadn't appreciated this when I bought it. Very simple storytelling and mediocre writing. Unbelievable characters and plot. Boring. Thought it might get better but it didn't...
November 10, 2014
Another change of direction from one of my favourite authors.
Whatever he writes never fails to impress.
Another 5 stars from this member of Goodreads :)
Whatever he writes never fails to impress.
Another 5 stars from this member of Goodreads :)
October 20, 2014
i received this book for free through goodread first reads.
this story left me a little like a place after a hurricane.
this story left me a little like a place after a hurricane.
September 2, 2014
Superbly written, and very moving. A unique and excellent story. Brilliant.
August 30, 2014
Both the Lithuanian back story and the plot involving the family's new life in Tasmania were engrossing and made this a really enjoyable read.
November 15, 2014
It dragged, very difficult to continue with as it felt like a chore. Would not recommend. The writing was beautiful, but the story was slow, hollow.
November 19, 2014
Didn't really like this book. It was slow and plodding. The narrative often felt contradictory and didn't flow smoothly.
April 1, 2017
This story revolves around a son's obsession with Tasmanian Tigers; an obsession whose roots began when he could not save his little brother and when he blames his father for their circumstances. Flashbacks to their life in Lithuania, before and after the Russians, compare their bleak and not much improved life in Tasmania, when times were hard and primitive. The writing is beautiful and creates the boy's desperate mood to save his tiger, but, as with all obsessions, I found it hard to continue to feel sympathy for him. My sympathy went to the poor mother and finally, even the father.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews