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The Tigers in the Tower
'A Little Princess – with tigers! O rphan and outcast Sahira Clive is a brave and plucky heroine with a brightly burning heart. I was rooting for her all the way to the end of this thrilling – and thought-provoking – adventure.' Ally Sherrick, award-winning author of Black Powder
Sahira’s family are travelling to England to deliver two majestic Indian tigers to the menagerie in the tower of London.
But tragedy strikes and sickness steals Sahira’s parents from her on the journey. Left alone in London, Sarhira finds herself confined to a miserable and dangerous orphanage. Despite her heartache and the threats she faces, Sahira is determined to carry out her father’s last request – to protect God’s beautiful her tigers. To do so, Sahira must set out on an adventure and use all her powers of persuasion to engage the help of some new friends along the way.
Can the quest to find her tigers a safe home, lead Sahira to find her own place of hope and belonging in this strange and foreign land?
Sahira’s family are travelling to England to deliver two majestic Indian tigers to the menagerie in the tower of London.
But tragedy strikes and sickness steals Sahira’s parents from her on the journey. Left alone in London, Sarhira finds herself confined to a miserable and dangerous orphanage. Despite her heartache and the threats she faces, Sahira is determined to carry out her father’s last request – to protect God’s beautiful her tigers. To do so, Sahira must set out on an adventure and use all her powers of persuasion to engage the help of some new friends along the way.
Can the quest to find her tigers a safe home, lead Sahira to find her own place of hope and belonging in this strange and foreign land?
220 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2020
3 people are currently reading
92 people want to read
About the author
Julia Golding
84 books868 followersMy journey to becoming an author has been a roundabout one, taking in many other careers. I grew up on the edge of Epping Forest and was that dreamy kind of child who was always writing stories. After reading English at Cambridge, I decided to find out as much as I could about the wider world so joined the Foreign Office and served in Poland. My work as a diplomat took me from the high point of town twinning in the Tatra Mountains to the low of inspecting the bottom of a Silesian coal mine.
On leaving Poland, I exchanged diplomacy for academia and took a doctorate in the literature of the English Romantic Period at Oxford. I then joined Oxfam as a lobbyist on conflict issues, campaigning at the UN and with governments to lessen the impact of conflict on civilians living in war zones - a cause about which I still feel very passionate.
Married with three children, I now live in Oxford between two rivers, surrounded by gargoyles, beautiful sandstone buildings and ancient trees.
My first novel, 'The Diamond of Drury Lane', won the Waterstone's Children's Book Prize 2006 and the Nestle Children's Book Prize 2006 (formerly known as the Smarties Prize). I was also chosen by Waterstone's in 2007 as one of their 'Twenty-five authors for the future'. In the US, 'Secret of the Sirens' won the honor book medal of the Green Earth Book Award.
My latest series, which starts with Mel Foster and the Demon Butler, about an intrepid Victorian orphan who lives in a household of monsters, won Bronze in the Primary Teacher awards in 2015. The next part, Mel Foster and the Time Machine, has set the time-dial to arrive in 2016.
On leaving Poland, I exchanged diplomacy for academia and took a doctorate in the literature of the English Romantic Period at Oxford. I then joined Oxfam as a lobbyist on conflict issues, campaigning at the UN and with governments to lessen the impact of conflict on civilians living in war zones - a cause about which I still feel very passionate.
Married with three children, I now live in Oxford between two rivers, surrounded by gargoyles, beautiful sandstone buildings and ancient trees.
My first novel, 'The Diamond of Drury Lane', won the Waterstone's Children's Book Prize 2006 and the Nestle Children's Book Prize 2006 (formerly known as the Smarties Prize). I was also chosen by Waterstone's in 2007 as one of their 'Twenty-five authors for the future'. In the US, 'Secret of the Sirens' won the honor book medal of the Green Earth Book Award.
My latest series, which starts with Mel Foster and the Demon Butler, about an intrepid Victorian orphan who lives in a household of monsters, won Bronze in the Primary Teacher awards in 2015. The next part, Mel Foster and the Time Machine, has set the time-dial to arrive in 2016.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
October 15, 2020
I received an advance reader copy ofthis book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.
This was an emotional read about a young mixed race girl who had become an orphan in the 1820s. The orphanage situation is heart wrenching in places as it must of been awful for children living in them in those days.
The animal parts of this book were amazing. I loved how they were incorporated in with the story and found it fascinating.
The main characters are likeable and the plot is superbly done and will keep children fascinated from page one.
This is a fantastic story for children aged 9-15.
This was an emotional read about a young mixed race girl who had become an orphan in the 1820s. The orphanage situation is heart wrenching in places as it must of been awful for children living in them in those days.
The animal parts of this book were amazing. I loved how they were incorporated in with the story and found it fascinating.
The main characters are likeable and the plot is superbly done and will keep children fascinated from page one.
This is a fantastic story for children aged 9-15.
no-support-at-all
July 2, 2020My desi heart for a second melted at the details of the book cover but then I saw the author is white so NO. NO. NO. I absolutely don't support white authors writing desi or just any BIPOC characters, regardless of demographic, regardless of genre, regardless of themes being dealt in the book.
Read
December 11, 2020@ publishing industry you really love white authors writing brown people's experiences eh
And if this is a proselytizing story please kill it with fire
ETA: apparently it IS Christian middle grade. Keep it. 😑
And if this is a proselytizing story please kill it with fire
ETA: apparently it IS Christian middle grade. Keep it. 😑
September 17, 2020
On her journey from India to 1830 London Sahira becomes an orphan. Being mixed race (daughter of a British Captain and a Persian noble woman) she doesn’t fit in anywhere, and we follow her as she tries to find a home for herself and her tigers.
This is a great story about the prejudices (both regarding race and sex) Sahira faces as a ‘savage’. It is about mourning for the loss of her parents. And it is about fighting for what is right and never giving up on your dreams. It was heartbreaking to read about the life Sahira found herself in the orphanage. It was so unfair. And yet she never gave up, and never gave in to the bullies. She really was an admirable main character to follow.
And then there were the animals. It was sad to see the way they were treated then, but also great to read they were in the process to understand them better, and to try and make them actually happy. I also loved the small role Darwin had to play in the story.
I cannot comment on the cultural accuracy Julia (a white woman) portrayed in this book, but to me she seemed knowledgeable enough. Sahira is raised with both Christian and Muslim customs, and speaks English and Farsi, as well as Hindustani. She gets annoyed when being mistaken for Hindoo, and does speak all three languages throughout the book.
For all the sad and unfair moments that make your heart ache, this book has a very happy ending, which also nicely wraps everything up. I am very happy I read this book, and would like to thank Netgalley to provide me with a copy for review.
This is a great story about the prejudices (both regarding race and sex) Sahira faces as a ‘savage’. It is about mourning for the loss of her parents. And it is about fighting for what is right and never giving up on your dreams. It was heartbreaking to read about the life Sahira found herself in the orphanage. It was so unfair. And yet she never gave up, and never gave in to the bullies. She really was an admirable main character to follow.
And then there were the animals. It was sad to see the way they were treated then, but also great to read they were in the process to understand them better, and to try and make them actually happy. I also loved the small role Darwin had to play in the story.
I cannot comment on the cultural accuracy Julia (a white woman) portrayed in this book, but to me she seemed knowledgeable enough. Sahira is raised with both Christian and Muslim customs, and speaks English and Farsi, as well as Hindustani. She gets annoyed when being mistaken for Hindoo, and does speak all three languages throughout the book.
For all the sad and unfair moments that make your heart ache, this book has a very happy ending, which also nicely wraps everything up. I am very happy I read this book, and would like to thank Netgalley to provide me with a copy for review.
November 29, 2020
When I read about this book, it sounded like an adventure about Sahira and her tigers. Unfortunately, this book just wasn't for me. The Tigers in the Tower turned out to be rather religious (don't get me wrong, nothing is wrong with that), but it just felt like too much out times. On top of quite a few events with racism that doesn't ever seem to get solved, this story felt wrong to me.
I'm normally a pretty fast reader, but the pacing in this book made it feel like it took me forever. For a lot of the book barely anything happens. A lot of times it's Sahira having a hard time and not being treated very well honestly. When I read about this book I expected more of an adventure and maybe some fantasy elements. If I didn't have certain things I needed to get done, I don't know if I would've finished this one.
The only positive point for me was seeing Sahira fight for herself and the tigers. Also, the friends she makes along the way have their moments.
I'm normally a pretty fast reader, but the pacing in this book made it feel like it took me forever. For a lot of the book barely anything happens. A lot of times it's Sahira having a hard time and not being treated very well honestly. When I read about this book I expected more of an adventure and maybe some fantasy elements. If I didn't have certain things I needed to get done, I don't know if I would've finished this one.
The only positive point for me was seeing Sahira fight for herself and the tigers. Also, the friends she makes along the way have their moments.
November 17, 2020
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"A Little Princess" meets "The Jungle Book" in this beautiful tale of a brave girl holding on to hope and fighting for her loved ones.
Sahira is the star of the story. She goes through so much in the tale. She faces bullying, racism and nearly loses all the things she holds dear to her heart. At times, I wanted to go into the pages and hug and support her for what she goes through. Yet, she remains strong and fights against all odds. Even the supporting characters like Mr. Pence, Mr. Rummage, Ann, and Emily add nicely to the story.
Moreover, the author writes the story in such a whimsical and charming manner. At times, I felt like I was reading an old children’s classic. Also, the story gets intense as the plot progresses. I loved the scenes where Sahira faces Mr. Cops to save Rama and Sita from Jamrach. The author also does a beautiful job of describing the animals. On a side note, I did not know what a marmoset till I read this story.
However, I would have liked the author to space the cast evenly in the plot. It felt like there were a lot of names thrown in only for specific parts of the story. For instance, characters like John and Bobby show up in the latter half of the tale. Even the ending felt rushed with a sudden twist that I did not expect.
Apart from that, this was a charming tale. I would recommend this story if you like middle-grade adventures or tales set with Indian characters and animals. Overall, I enjoyed reading The Tigers in the Tower.
September 26, 2020
Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for giving me an eARC in exchange for an honest review. This book comes out at November 18th 2020
“I’VE TRAVELLD TO PLACES THEY’VE NEVER BEEN, FACED DOWN THREATS THEY CAN’T IMAGINE. THEY HAVEN’T MET ANYONE LIKE ME BEFORE.’
The tigers in the tower is quick, middle-grade story. The story starts with Sahira, a girl who, at the start of the story, lost her parents while they were on a ship from India to England. The only thing she has left, are her two tigers, but as soon as she ends up in England, a man named mr. Cop takes them. He is another animal collector, just like Sahira’s dad was. It is there where the story picks up, because now with nothing, Sahira gets placed into an orphanage. She meets some new girls there, ones that she sees as her friends. At the same setting, she meets her so called enemies, 2 brothers who wants only her boots at first.
It is also where a lot of characters are introduced that my brain couldn’t remember that well. Normally, I don’t mind big casts but in this case, I felt like most of the background characters weren’t fleshed out enough, so they all got mushed together. Throughout the book, it keeps happening, causing me to in the end forget a lot of them and how important they are. What might had helped that case, is to have a list of names somewhere in the book. Many of the characters are big families, which I guess was normal for that time. Keeping in mind it is middle grade, it could have helped to have a smaller cast.
Sahira, on the other hand, is a strong main character. It is clear she is grieving and she does overcome her obstacles throughout the book. She loves animals, even gives some facts throughout the book about them, and her intelligence is also what shines throughout the book. It is nice to see that she is a strong lead, but I guess that is also why many other characters just felt flat, even for a middle grade. It is tricky when you put such strong main characters with all their emotions and feelings next to people who are clearly there to do one things and that is either be on the side of the main character or be against them. I still liked reading from her point of view, though, mostly because of those emotions that felt so real and fair.
All by all was it nice quick read that I again needed, featuring a strong main character and an very interesting setting, London in the 1930s.
“I’VE TRAVELLD TO PLACES THEY’VE NEVER BEEN, FACED DOWN THREATS THEY CAN’T IMAGINE. THEY HAVEN’T MET ANYONE LIKE ME BEFORE.’
The tigers in the tower is quick, middle-grade story. The story starts with Sahira, a girl who, at the start of the story, lost her parents while they were on a ship from India to England. The only thing she has left, are her two tigers, but as soon as she ends up in England, a man named mr. Cop takes them. He is another animal collector, just like Sahira’s dad was. It is there where the story picks up, because now with nothing, Sahira gets placed into an orphanage. She meets some new girls there, ones that she sees as her friends. At the same setting, she meets her so called enemies, 2 brothers who wants only her boots at first.
It is also where a lot of characters are introduced that my brain couldn’t remember that well. Normally, I don’t mind big casts but in this case, I felt like most of the background characters weren’t fleshed out enough, so they all got mushed together. Throughout the book, it keeps happening, causing me to in the end forget a lot of them and how important they are. What might had helped that case, is to have a list of names somewhere in the book. Many of the characters are big families, which I guess was normal for that time. Keeping in mind it is middle grade, it could have helped to have a smaller cast.
Sahira, on the other hand, is a strong main character. It is clear she is grieving and she does overcome her obstacles throughout the book. She loves animals, even gives some facts throughout the book about them, and her intelligence is also what shines throughout the book. It is nice to see that she is a strong lead, but I guess that is also why many other characters just felt flat, even for a middle grade. It is tricky when you put such strong main characters with all their emotions and feelings next to people who are clearly there to do one things and that is either be on the side of the main character or be against them. I still liked reading from her point of view, though, mostly because of those emotions that felt so real and fair.
All by all was it nice quick read that I again needed, featuring a strong main character and an very interesting setting, London in the 1930s.
September 28, 2020
Free ARC provided by NetGalley, thank you so much.
Sahira’s family are travelling to England to deliver two Indian tigers to the menagerie in the tower of London.
But tragedy strikes and Sahira’s parents die on the journey. Upon arrival in a England Sahira finds herself confined to a miserable and dangerous orphanage as the English side of her family refuse to have anything to do with her all because of her mixed heritage. Sahira is determined to carry out her father’s last request and protect her tigers despite threats she's facing every day.
What a marvelous little story of a young girls love for the animal kingdom. Sahira is facing all sorts of challenges but she stops at nothing to ensure the tigers well being and even though it is absolutely heart breaking to read parts of it you know that all things will end well when someone this passionate and determined has taken upon themselves to protect you
I'm going to get my daughter to read this because I know she's going to love it
Sahira’s family are travelling to England to deliver two Indian tigers to the menagerie in the tower of London.
But tragedy strikes and Sahira’s parents die on the journey. Upon arrival in a England Sahira finds herself confined to a miserable and dangerous orphanage as the English side of her family refuse to have anything to do with her all because of her mixed heritage. Sahira is determined to carry out her father’s last request and protect her tigers despite threats she's facing every day.
What a marvelous little story of a young girls love for the animal kingdom. Sahira is facing all sorts of challenges but she stops at nothing to ensure the tigers well being and even though it is absolutely heart breaking to read parts of it you know that all things will end well when someone this passionate and determined has taken upon themselves to protect you
I'm going to get my daughter to read this because I know she's going to love it
October 10, 2020
Loved this book may have to buy a physical copy when it comes out in November
September 20, 2020
One of my biggest problems with NetGalley is that it doesn’t detail the genres. MG fiction can cover a lot of things. To me, based on the cover and description, this book seemed like an interesting adventure novel in Victorian England. I was even hoping for some magic. I became disappointed because of this. If it had been categorized as historical, I wouldn’t have started it.
So, about the book: Sahira travelled with her parents from India to England to start a new life. Her parents died on the way, leaving only the two tigers left for her, which were bought by the Tower Menagerie. Meanwhile, Sahira is taken to an orphanage.
50% of the book was about Sahira's stories and nothing happens ... He just tells about how she lived, how much everyone hates her, or maybe about India ... For me, that’s not enough for a book. I was bored... In the end, I just started to enjoy it, I started to like its atmosphere. That's why I rated 3 stars in the end.
What I most hate about a book is meaningless bullying and violence. This theme is something that I can't understand and it is simply irritating that people treat each other this way. If it hadn’t been a book from NetGalley, I would have DNF it. This year I already DNFed a book for this reason. It’s just awful to read that someone treats others this way just because they can do it. It is so bad for my mental health, I can't read about it. That’s why I don’t like reading books that take place in high school because it common topic there.
Racism was a topic also, but I don’t think that was the main thing.
Sahira would have been hurt anyway because her character is so strong, so it was weird that the writer was built the book on racism. I was annoyed by Sahira, sometimes acted very childish, and was too stubborn.
This book wasn’t my style, and I’m a little sorry that since I didn’t know exactly its genre, I requested it and now I had to rate it down.
The Hungarian version of the review:
Az egyik legnagyobb gondom a NetGalley-vel, hogy nem részletezi a kategóriákat. Az, hogy MG fikció sok mindent fedhet. Számomra ez a könyv a borító és fülszöveg alapján egy érdekes kalandregénynek tűnt a viktoriánus Angliában (végül kiderült, hogy kicsit korábbi). Reménykedtem még egy mágikus szálban is. Aztán csalódnom kellett. Ha írta volna, hogy sima történelmi könyv, biztos bele sem kezdek.
Szóval a könyvről: Sahira szüleivel elindult Indiából Angliába, hogy új életet kezdjen. Szülei útközben meghaltak, így csak a két tigris marad neki belőlük, amit a Towerben levő állatkertbe vettek meg. Közben Sahira árvaházba kerül.
A könyv 50%-a arról szólt, hogy Sahira mesél. Semmi sem történik... Csak mesél, hogy hogyan élt, mennyire utálja mindenki, mennyire rossz neki, vagy lehet valamilyen indiai dolgot mesélt... Nekem ez nem elég egy könyvhöz. Untam... A végén kezdtem csak élvezni, kezdett megtetszeni a hangulata. Ezért lett 3 csillag a vége.
Amit legjobban utálok egy könyvben az értelmetlen bully-ing. Ez a téma az, amit nem tudok sosem megérteni, és egyszerűen irritál, hogy emberek így bánnak egymással. Ha nem NetGalley-ről kapott könyv lett volna, félbehagytam volna. Idén már hagytam abba ez okból könyvet. Egyszerűen szörnyű olvasnom arról, hogy valaki így bánik másokkal csak mert kedve van hozzá. Ezért sem szeretek olyan könyveket olvasni, amik középiskolában játszódnak, mert ott is mindig megjelenik ez.
Amúgy rasszizmus is téma volt, de szerintem nem ez volt a fő dolog.
Sahirát így is, úgy is bántották volna, mert nem egy meghunyászkodó természet, ezért ez nem valahogy fura volt, hogy erre építkezett az írónő. Engem idegesített Sahira, néha nagyon gyerekesen viselkedett, és túl önfejű volt.
Ez a könyv nem az én stílusom volt, és kicsit sajnálom, hogy mivel nem tudtam pontosan a műfaját, bevállaltam, és most le kellett pontoznom.
So, about the book: Sahira travelled with her parents from India to England to start a new life. Her parents died on the way, leaving only the two tigers left for her, which were bought by the Tower Menagerie. Meanwhile, Sahira is taken to an orphanage.
50% of the book was about Sahira's stories and nothing happens ... He just tells about how she lived, how much everyone hates her, or maybe about India ... For me, that’s not enough for a book. I was bored... In the end, I just started to enjoy it, I started to like its atmosphere. That's why I rated 3 stars in the end.
What I most hate about a book is meaningless bullying and violence. This theme is something that I can't understand and it is simply irritating that people treat each other this way. If it hadn’t been a book from NetGalley, I would have DNF it. This year I already DNFed a book for this reason. It’s just awful to read that someone treats others this way just because they can do it. It is so bad for my mental health, I can't read about it. That’s why I don’t like reading books that take place in high school because it common topic there.
Racism was a topic also, but I don’t think that was the main thing.
Sahira would have been hurt anyway because her character is so strong, so it was weird that the writer was built the book on racism. I was annoyed by Sahira, sometimes acted very childish, and was too stubborn.
This book wasn’t my style, and I’m a little sorry that since I didn’t know exactly its genre, I requested it and now I had to rate it down.
The Hungarian version of the review:
Az egyik legnagyobb gondom a NetGalley-vel, hogy nem részletezi a kategóriákat. Az, hogy MG fikció sok mindent fedhet. Számomra ez a könyv a borító és fülszöveg alapján egy érdekes kalandregénynek tűnt a viktoriánus Angliában (végül kiderült, hogy kicsit korábbi). Reménykedtem még egy mágikus szálban is. Aztán csalódnom kellett. Ha írta volna, hogy sima történelmi könyv, biztos bele sem kezdek.
Szóval a könyvről: Sahira szüleivel elindult Indiából Angliába, hogy új életet kezdjen. Szülei útközben meghaltak, így csak a két tigris marad neki belőlük, amit a Towerben levő állatkertbe vettek meg. Közben Sahira árvaházba kerül.
A könyv 50%-a arról szólt, hogy Sahira mesél. Semmi sem történik... Csak mesél, hogy hogyan élt, mennyire utálja mindenki, mennyire rossz neki, vagy lehet valamilyen indiai dolgot mesélt... Nekem ez nem elég egy könyvhöz. Untam... A végén kezdtem csak élvezni, kezdett megtetszeni a hangulata. Ezért lett 3 csillag a vége.
Amit legjobban utálok egy könyvben az értelmetlen bully-ing. Ez a téma az, amit nem tudok sosem megérteni, és egyszerűen irritál, hogy emberek így bánnak egymással. Ha nem NetGalley-ről kapott könyv lett volna, félbehagytam volna. Idén már hagytam abba ez okból könyvet. Egyszerűen szörnyű olvasnom arról, hogy valaki így bánik másokkal csak mert kedve van hozzá. Ezért sem szeretek olyan könyveket olvasni, amik középiskolában játszódnak, mert ott is mindig megjelenik ez.
Amúgy rasszizmus is téma volt, de szerintem nem ez volt a fő dolog.
Sahirát így is, úgy is bántották volna, mert nem egy meghunyászkodó természet, ezért ez nem valahogy fura volt, hogy erre építkezett az írónő. Engem idegesített Sahira, néha nagyon gyerekesen viselkedett, és túl önfejű volt.
Ez a könyv nem az én stílusom volt, és kicsit sajnálom, hogy mivel nem tudtam pontosan a műfaját, bevállaltam, és most le kellett pontoznom.
April 24, 2023
7/10
This was just like The Little Princess if one included tigers into the story. So wholesome!
This was just like The Little Princess if one included tigers into the story. So wholesome!
November 29, 2020
2.5/5
I...I feel uncomfortable with a White author writing about an Indian child coming to England from the child's perspective. I didn't realize this wasn't own voices until after receiving the ARC.
The pacing was honestly rough. It's not a long book but it felt like it. Honestly, just a lot of this didn't work for me.
I...I feel uncomfortable with a White author writing about an Indian child coming to England from the child's perspective. I didn't realize this wasn't own voices until after receiving the ARC.
The pacing was honestly rough. It's not a long book but it felt like it. Honestly, just a lot of this didn't work for me.
October 22, 2020
The Tigers in the Tower, a retelling of A Little Princess, may have done away with some of its source material’s Victorian racism, but it’s also lost its magic. Where the Burnett original glimmers and gleams like a hidden gem, The Tigers in the Tower is more like dull brass. It just falls flat, from the stilted, dry prose, to the insipid characterization. Somehow, this rendition of the tale keeps most of the unfairness and brutality of its young heroine’s treatment, while losing everything that made her shine despite it. Sara Crewe has her faults - arrogance and a short temper chief among them - and, as any good middle grade story’s protagonist ought, learns and grows past them. Sahira Clive, on the other hand, somehow is essentially faultless and therefore fairly boring (yes, she loses her temper, but it’s always presented as a reasonable reaction - her response to being mistreated or seeing others, usually animals, abused). Captain Crewe has plenty of faults, too, and part of Sara’s growth is in realizing the ways he messed up - but none of Sahira’s plight seems the result of her father’s spoiling of her or of his spendthrift ways, as in the original, so he, dead before the story begins along with Sahira’s mother, is simply a non-entity. Even the villains of the piece have less personality, either good or bad but ultimately just human traits, than Miss Minchin, one of my favorite antagonists in children’s literature. Miss Minchin has very real, human reasons to be jealous and cruel and hateful toward Sara, and her shift from fawning over the little rich girl to abusing her as a drudge is critical to her character and to the story; in comparison, the Pences, who keep the orphanage in which Sahira finds herself, are simply Bad People. It’s just uninteresting.
The story suffers, too, from the decision to start with Sahira already orphaned and essentially penniless, a supposed burden on the English people around her, so that all the contrast to her earlier life has to be made through her own comparisons. A Little Princess is iconically a riches to rags (then back to more deserved riches) story, while The Tigers in the Tower loses that angle and thereby loses a lot of the appeal. It’s all just....flat. A little colorless. Insipid. And considering how fun "A Little Princess, but with tigers" sounds, that's a shame.
Content warnings: parent death, child abuse, corporal punishment, animal neglect, animal death.
Thank you to NetGalley and Lion Fiction for the advance review copy!
The story suffers, too, from the decision to start with Sahira already orphaned and essentially penniless, a supposed burden on the English people around her, so that all the contrast to her earlier life has to be made through her own comparisons. A Little Princess is iconically a riches to rags (then back to more deserved riches) story, while The Tigers in the Tower loses that angle and thereby loses a lot of the appeal. It’s all just....flat. A little colorless. Insipid. And considering how fun "A Little Princess, but with tigers" sounds, that's a shame.
Content warnings: parent death, child abuse, corporal punishment, animal neglect, animal death.
Thank you to NetGalley and Lion Fiction for the advance review copy!
October 28, 2020
Well, this one was not what I was expecting and not in a good way. There were so many issues that I had with this book. Let's start a list
1) There was so much hate throughout the whole entire book. I understand that that was the attitude of the British back (I am NOT supporting it) then but it was completely unnecessary and over the top to have racism on every other page. There was no point in including that much and it added nothing to the story.
2) This is advertised as a Christian middle-grade book and she prays a number of times throughout. Alright, I have no issues with that. However, I did not like what was included after the prayers. It was something along the lines of, "But God didn't answer her prayers, ___ did." Just no.
3) And finally, as I mentioned before, this is advertised as a Christian middle-grade book. Keep that in mind. A random person appeared for a scene of the book by the name of Charles Darwin. Yes, The Charles Darwin and he have a lecture on evolution and Darwinism and the likes of that. Please don't advertise this as a Christian book if the contents are completely against doctrine.
Note: In the physical copy of the book, the font is extremely small -- smaller or on par with adult fiction. I found myself not able to actually read the font and ended up reading an e-copy of the book. Just keep that in mind if you do decide to pick this one up.
That's all I have to say for this review and I will not be reading anything else by the author.
Rating: 1.5/5
Romance: n/a
Language: n/a
Spiritual: MC raised as Christian and Muslim, Darwinism
Violence: Her parents died, racism, bullying
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All thoughts are my own and a positive review was not required.
1) There was so much hate throughout the whole entire book. I understand that that was the attitude of the British back (I am NOT supporting it) then but it was completely unnecessary and over the top to have racism on every other page. There was no point in including that much and it added nothing to the story.
2) This is advertised as a Christian middle-grade book and she prays a number of times throughout. Alright, I have no issues with that. However, I did not like what was included after the prayers. It was something along the lines of, "But God didn't answer her prayers, ___ did." Just no.
3) And finally, as I mentioned before, this is advertised as a Christian middle-grade book. Keep that in mind. A random person appeared for a scene of the book by the name of Charles Darwin. Yes, The Charles Darwin and he have a lecture on evolution and Darwinism and the likes of that. Please don't advertise this as a Christian book if the contents are completely against doctrine.
Note: In the physical copy of the book, the font is extremely small -- smaller or on par with adult fiction. I found myself not able to actually read the font and ended up reading an e-copy of the book. Just keep that in mind if you do decide to pick this one up.
That's all I have to say for this review and I will not be reading anything else by the author.
Rating: 1.5/5
Romance: n/a
Language: n/a
Spiritual: MC raised as Christian and Muslim, Darwinism
Violence: Her parents died, racism, bullying
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All thoughts are my own and a positive review was not required.
July 29, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley for giving me a free copy of this in return for an honest review.
This story begins with Sahira losing both her parents whilst travelling from India to London and her luck doesn't get any better throughout the story. She is faced with many prejudices with a father who was English and an Indian mother. She constantly feels like she belongs to nowhere, her fathers family doesn't acknowledge her as family so she ends up in an awful orphanage.
This was a gut-wrenching story that I couldn't not feel helpless whilst reading. It really shows you how hopeless it would have been for an orphan in 1820.
On a brighter note, the historical accuracy of animal keeping in London in the 19th century was amazing. The animal element of the story was captivating and fascinating.
On the whole, it was a very enjoyable read!
This story begins with Sahira losing both her parents whilst travelling from India to London and her luck doesn't get any better throughout the story. She is faced with many prejudices with a father who was English and an Indian mother. She constantly feels like she belongs to nowhere, her fathers family doesn't acknowledge her as family so she ends up in an awful orphanage.
This was a gut-wrenching story that I couldn't not feel helpless whilst reading. It really shows you how hopeless it would have been for an orphan in 1820.
On a brighter note, the historical accuracy of animal keeping in London in the 19th century was amazing. The animal element of the story was captivating and fascinating.
On the whole, it was a very enjoyable read!
July 8, 2020
trigger warning
As the ship finally reaches London, only Sahira and the two Indian tigers, Rama and Sita, are alive. The people from the East India Trading Company, who not really know what to do with a coloured child, sent a message to her lordly grandfather and put her in an orphanage.
They tell her it would be a very good orphanage, but as it's situated in Whitechapel, it will come to no surprise to you that the children get exploited for cheap labour, are underfed and beaten.
All the while, Sahira misses the tigers, the last link to her past, to her family.
This book made me feel things. Not all of them good.
Let me address the metaphorical element in the room: This included one of my personal trigger topics and I will spend the evening trying to keep myself from doing things because I read this. It's not the first time I've said this, but trigger warnings are important and there is no logic reason why publishers don't give them. You read the books you publish, you edit them, you know what's in them. Of course, it could happen that you overlook a topic, but then at least you would have tried - and if the readers tell you you need to add something, just do it.
It won't cost you anything but would appeal to readers. Not all of them, but the books that do come with warnings can use it to their advantage.
Other things this made me feel were things I was supposed to feel, like anger at the orphanage people, adults who dismiss a child's words because they think they know better, who don't even bother to listen and really have no business being in contact with children.
People who are cruel to animals make me angry. So angry.
I felt with Sahira and her friends and was really hoping we'd get a good solution to all plotpoints. We did.
I like both that we have a character that bothers to analyse an animal's situation to see where the problem might lie, and that, in this case, we have a girl doing that. As much as I like Hagrid, I am sick of only boys in middle grade fiction being well versed in animal knowledge and try to befriend every creature they can.
Further, I liked how the topic of Sahira's cultural heritage was acknowledged. While her late father was a British lord, her mother was a Persian noble woman, and Sahira grew up speaking and reading both English and Farsi, with a sprinkling of Hindustan as she's from India.
The British people she meets usually assume she's a Hindoo princess, which annoys her to no end. She shifts between both worlds and thus has, sadly, problems to find a new home after her parent's death.
Also, this book illustrates how you really need to know people so they can get your chums to work out how it should go.
I have a soft spot for parrots that randomly interrupt conversations to spew rude words.
I recieved a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.
As the ship finally reaches London, only Sahira and the two Indian tigers, Rama and Sita, are alive. The people from the East India Trading Company, who not really know what to do with a coloured child, sent a message to her lordly grandfather and put her in an orphanage.
They tell her it would be a very good orphanage, but as it's situated in Whitechapel, it will come to no surprise to you that the children get exploited for cheap labour, are underfed and beaten.
All the while, Sahira misses the tigers, the last link to her past, to her family.
This book made me feel things. Not all of them good.
Let me address the metaphorical element in the room: This included one of my personal trigger topics and I will spend the evening trying to keep myself from doing things because I read this. It's not the first time I've said this, but trigger warnings are important and there is no logic reason why publishers don't give them. You read the books you publish, you edit them, you know what's in them. Of course, it could happen that you overlook a topic, but then at least you would have tried - and if the readers tell you you need to add something, just do it.
It won't cost you anything but would appeal to readers. Not all of them, but the books that do come with warnings can use it to their advantage.
Other things this made me feel were things I was supposed to feel, like anger at the orphanage people, adults who dismiss a child's words because they think they know better, who don't even bother to listen and really have no business being in contact with children.
People who are cruel to animals make me angry. So angry.
I felt with Sahira and her friends and was really hoping we'd get a good solution to all plotpoints. We did.
I like both that we have a character that bothers to analyse an animal's situation to see where the problem might lie, and that, in this case, we have a girl doing that. As much as I like Hagrid, I am sick of only boys in middle grade fiction being well versed in animal knowledge and try to befriend every creature they can.
Further, I liked how the topic of Sahira's cultural heritage was acknowledged. While her late father was a British lord, her mother was a Persian noble woman, and Sahira grew up speaking and reading both English and Farsi, with a sprinkling of Hindustan as she's from India.
The British people she meets usually assume she's a Hindoo princess, which annoys her to no end. She shifts between both worlds and thus has, sadly, problems to find a new home after her parent's death.
Also, this book illustrates how you really need to know people so they can get your chums to work out how it should go.
I have a soft spot for parrots that randomly interrupt conversations to spew rude words.
I recieved a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.
August 31, 2020
“Sahira knew only too well how they felt. Fitting in with this new London life felt a little like sloughing off her old ways, revealing a new and vulnerable skin.”
Thank you to NetGalley for an early copy of this book for review.
CW: Bullying, physical abuse, child abuse, grief, loss of parents.
Sahira doesn’t have an easy time from the first time she steps foot on the page. Traveling to a new country, she’s already lost her family and she’s about to lose her animals, which she’s come to think of as family, too. Whilst dealing with grief, she’s thrown into a land that doesn’t want to accept her as who she is and is desperate to bend her to their will. It’s not an easy story to read and yet it’s really impactful.
Sahira is a really inspiring character. Not only does she always fight for what she believes in and the people that might be less fortunate than her, but she doesn’t give up. She just brushes herself down and tries again – which is hard. She’s constantly being battered from multiple directions, but she just ties the laces on her blue boots tighter, holds her chin up high and carries on. She kind of defies gender conventions or, maybe more accurately, the need to fit in a gendered box, being as happy to parade around pretending to be a princess as she is to pretend to be a boy. She’s smart and brave and she’s a perfect role model for girls – especially for girls who don’t usually see themselves in books.
Sahira makes a number of different friends once she gets to London. Whilst they’re rarely perfect and aren’t always there for her, it was good to see Sahira have some light in her life. My favourite had to be Ned, with his constant gratefulness for Sahira and his love of a certain striped beast.
Her best and most loyal friends are, of course, the tigers. I loved her relationship and the loyalty she returned to them. I also really appreciated the gentleness and understanding she put into each species. I really hope she got to become an explorer when she became older.
I loved how Sahira’s experiences translated onto her view of the world. Of course it would be easier for her to understand and navigate this huge, scary city if she thinks of it as a familiar jungle.
The orphanage felt like a suitably depressing place. Sahira did better than most to keep her hopes up, but my heart broke for every time they came crashing down. I really despised everyone in that orphanage (bar maybe two) and all I wanted to do was give Sahira a hug.
I’ll be honest, I had a little issue with the pacing. The start was felt quite dense and, when mixed with this overwhelming sense of sadness, it felt a little slow. I thought it really picked up when Sahira started visiting her tigers again and interacting with other children that were interested in the animals’ welfare. I found the end to be really fun and exciting, though, and I liked the high-stakes side of it. It felt like a satisfying happy ending.
Thank you to NetGalley for an early copy of this book for review.
CW: Bullying, physical abuse, child abuse, grief, loss of parents.
Sahira doesn’t have an easy time from the first time she steps foot on the page. Traveling to a new country, she’s already lost her family and she’s about to lose her animals, which she’s come to think of as family, too. Whilst dealing with grief, she’s thrown into a land that doesn’t want to accept her as who she is and is desperate to bend her to their will. It’s not an easy story to read and yet it’s really impactful.
Sahira is a really inspiring character. Not only does she always fight for what she believes in and the people that might be less fortunate than her, but she doesn’t give up. She just brushes herself down and tries again – which is hard. She’s constantly being battered from multiple directions, but she just ties the laces on her blue boots tighter, holds her chin up high and carries on. She kind of defies gender conventions or, maybe more accurately, the need to fit in a gendered box, being as happy to parade around pretending to be a princess as she is to pretend to be a boy. She’s smart and brave and she’s a perfect role model for girls – especially for girls who don’t usually see themselves in books.
Sahira makes a number of different friends once she gets to London. Whilst they’re rarely perfect and aren’t always there for her, it was good to see Sahira have some light in her life. My favourite had to be Ned, with his constant gratefulness for Sahira and his love of a certain striped beast.
Her best and most loyal friends are, of course, the tigers. I loved her relationship and the loyalty she returned to them. I also really appreciated the gentleness and understanding she put into each species. I really hope she got to become an explorer when she became older.
I loved how Sahira’s experiences translated onto her view of the world. Of course it would be easier for her to understand and navigate this huge, scary city if she thinks of it as a familiar jungle.
The orphanage felt like a suitably depressing place. Sahira did better than most to keep her hopes up, but my heart broke for every time they came crashing down. I really despised everyone in that orphanage (bar maybe two) and all I wanted to do was give Sahira a hug.
I’ll be honest, I had a little issue with the pacing. The start was felt quite dense and, when mixed with this overwhelming sense of sadness, it felt a little slow. I thought it really picked up when Sahira started visiting her tigers again and interacting with other children that were interested in the animals’ welfare. I found the end to be really fun and exciting, though, and I liked the high-stakes side of it. It felt like a satisfying happy ending.
September 29, 2020
It was the gorgeous cover that first caught my eye; the girl with the brown skin and swirling red hair, flanked by those tigers, just ooze power and mystery. The Tigers In The Tower tells a beautiful tale about staying true to who you are, and overcoming adversity with the help of friends.
This is an absorbing story full of adventure, adversity, friendship and beautiful animals. Sahira Clive is exactly the type of bright, outspoken heroine to appeal to fair-minded and compassionate young animal-lovers, and she is backed by a wonderful cast of likeable friends and boo-hiss-worthy villains. I loved the fact that it featured a protagonist with an intercultural and interfaith family, and the passages that evoked the beauty of India’s natural world. The gentle humour offsets the hints of darkness in the novel, and a brisk pace with plenty of conflict and setbacks keep the tension building towards a satisfying conclusion.
There were one or two aspects that perhaps could have been thought through a little more. For instance, although I thought Sahira was a wonderful heroine, I found myself wishing she had a name other than 'Clive' as I couldn't help thinking of the troubled history associated with Robert 'Clive of India' (probably not something most children would notice!). I also felt that, while Golding took pains to show the particular influences of both parents on Sahira’s upbringing, the focus on her special relationship with her father somewhat overshadows her relationship with her mother. Richard’s words are often quoted whereas Noor-un-Nissa's are not; she has no voice in Sahira’s memories, and so we get less of a sense of her personality.
None of this takes away, however, from the many positive things in the novel. Golding deftly portrays the different characters' motivations for their actions - even those that aren’t morally right: there were many times I felt indignant for Sahira’s treatment by others, yet I couldn’t help but feel for the dilemmas facing Emily, Anne and even Sahira’s aunt. Sahira makes a positive role-model in being assertive and resilient, but also compassionate and generous. Golding also sensitively examines the attitudes of sections of English society towards mixed-race Anglo-Indian children, which would make a great starting point for conversations with children about racism, prejudice, and British colonialism. I thought the cameo appearance by Charles Darwin was a brilliant touch, and the history of the London Zoo and the Tower of London Menagerie was fascinating. Regarding the latter, I’m in full agreement with one of the characters who declares, ‘His Majesty’s Keeper of the Lions – that sounds like the best job in the world.’
I received my copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
This review also appears on Amazon and my blog www.thebrownbronte.com
This is an absorbing story full of adventure, adversity, friendship and beautiful animals. Sahira Clive is exactly the type of bright, outspoken heroine to appeal to fair-minded and compassionate young animal-lovers, and she is backed by a wonderful cast of likeable friends and boo-hiss-worthy villains. I loved the fact that it featured a protagonist with an intercultural and interfaith family, and the passages that evoked the beauty of India’s natural world. The gentle humour offsets the hints of darkness in the novel, and a brisk pace with plenty of conflict and setbacks keep the tension building towards a satisfying conclusion.
There were one or two aspects that perhaps could have been thought through a little more. For instance, although I thought Sahira was a wonderful heroine, I found myself wishing she had a name other than 'Clive' as I couldn't help thinking of the troubled history associated with Robert 'Clive of India' (probably not something most children would notice!). I also felt that, while Golding took pains to show the particular influences of both parents on Sahira’s upbringing, the focus on her special relationship with her father somewhat overshadows her relationship with her mother. Richard’s words are often quoted whereas Noor-un-Nissa's are not; she has no voice in Sahira’s memories, and so we get less of a sense of her personality.
None of this takes away, however, from the many positive things in the novel. Golding deftly portrays the different characters' motivations for their actions - even those that aren’t morally right: there were many times I felt indignant for Sahira’s treatment by others, yet I couldn’t help but feel for the dilemmas facing Emily, Anne and even Sahira’s aunt. Sahira makes a positive role-model in being assertive and resilient, but also compassionate and generous. Golding also sensitively examines the attitudes of sections of English society towards mixed-race Anglo-Indian children, which would make a great starting point for conversations with children about racism, prejudice, and British colonialism. I thought the cameo appearance by Charles Darwin was a brilliant touch, and the history of the London Zoo and the Tower of London Menagerie was fascinating. Regarding the latter, I’m in full agreement with one of the characters who declares, ‘His Majesty’s Keeper of the Lions – that sounds like the best job in the world.’
I received my copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
This review also appears on Amazon and my blog www.thebrownbronte.com
September 25, 2020
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is an excellent historical fiction middle grade set in 1830s London. Our main character, Sahira, is the daughter of an English lord's son and an Indian noblewoman, who are travelling from India to England to deliver two tigers to the Tower of London. We learn that a tragedy has occurred as Sahira's parents have died on the voyage. Instead of exploring England with her parents and meeting her father's family, Sahira finds herself alone and unwanted and is placed in a grim orphanage. Well alone that is except for her two tigers. As the only link to her parents and her previous life, Sahira is determined to make sure they are taken care of. However, as you might expect, two tigers are not easy to look after and Sahira goes through many adventures, making new friends along the way.
Sahira's wonderful personality shines out of this book and she is just a joy to follow as a main character. Her intelligence, her love for animals, her sense of justice and her determination make for a very compelling character. You really want her to succeed and you feel each unfairness and disappointment along with Sahira. The animals she meets and the friends she makes all add to the charming feel of this story.
For those who like to learn new information while being entertained by the story, the author has clearly done a lot of research and there are many historical details. As well as learning about the history of the Tower's menagerie, the story shows people's attitudes to exotic animals at the time and the ways in which they were treated. The time period is portrayed very well and we glimpses into the power of the government, the establishment of the police force and the methods of transport being used at this time.
The atmosphere created by the author is spot on. Sahira's experiences at the orphanage have an Oliver Twist/Jane Eyre feel to them and the villains are truly Dickensian. When Sahira tells tales of her life in India, she brings wonder and colour to the story and you can picture her running free with her animals.
Throughout the story, the author addresses themes of belonging, understanding and prejudice (against race, sex and religion). Sahira's appearance leads many people to make assumptions about her before they even get to know her. While the setting is historical, the issues covered are still so relevant today.
I would recommend this book to readers aged 8+ who like historical settings or stories with animals. Be aware the book does include parental death, a scene of corporal punishment and other violence to children.
This is an excellent historical fiction middle grade set in 1830s London. Our main character, Sahira, is the daughter of an English lord's son and an Indian noblewoman, who are travelling from India to England to deliver two tigers to the Tower of London. We learn that a tragedy has occurred as Sahira's parents have died on the voyage. Instead of exploring England with her parents and meeting her father's family, Sahira finds herself alone and unwanted and is placed in a grim orphanage. Well alone that is except for her two tigers. As the only link to her parents and her previous life, Sahira is determined to make sure they are taken care of. However, as you might expect, two tigers are not easy to look after and Sahira goes through many adventures, making new friends along the way.
Sahira's wonderful personality shines out of this book and she is just a joy to follow as a main character. Her intelligence, her love for animals, her sense of justice and her determination make for a very compelling character. You really want her to succeed and you feel each unfairness and disappointment along with Sahira. The animals she meets and the friends she makes all add to the charming feel of this story.
For those who like to learn new information while being entertained by the story, the author has clearly done a lot of research and there are many historical details. As well as learning about the history of the Tower's menagerie, the story shows people's attitudes to exotic animals at the time and the ways in which they were treated. The time period is portrayed very well and we glimpses into the power of the government, the establishment of the police force and the methods of transport being used at this time.
The atmosphere created by the author is spot on. Sahira's experiences at the orphanage have an Oliver Twist/Jane Eyre feel to them and the villains are truly Dickensian. When Sahira tells tales of her life in India, she brings wonder and colour to the story and you can picture her running free with her animals.
Throughout the story, the author addresses themes of belonging, understanding and prejudice (against race, sex and religion). Sahira's appearance leads many people to make assumptions about her before they even get to know her. While the setting is historical, the issues covered are still so relevant today.
I would recommend this book to readers aged 8+ who like historical settings or stories with animals. Be aware the book does include parental death, a scene of corporal punishment and other violence to children.
November 17, 2020
Sahira is alone in the world after her parents died on the voyage from India to Englad. They were transporting animals to become part of the King's Menagarie and all had been fine until her parents caught a fever from a sailor, leaving Sahira an orphan. She is quickly scuttled off to an orphanage.
Having a Muslim mother from India, Sahira's ethnic identity is looked down up by her peers as well as the orphanage staff. A spunky, intelligent 12 year old, Sahira wants nothing more than to live with and take care of the tigers with whom she had crossed the ocean. But neither the zookeeper, nor his wife have any interest in taking on a boarder. Sahira's prominent grandfather, wants nothing to do with her-- fearing she may ruin his other granddaughters' social prospects.
There are hints of The Little Princess within the story but with the wonderful addition of Sahira's rich, cultural upbringing in India. While she tries to hold on to her Indian identity, her new guardians are doing all they can to erase not only that but also any inheritance she may be owed.
When the tigers become lethargic and refuse to eat, the zookeeper is forced to request Sahira's help to bring them back to health. This leads to an arrangement with the orphanage to allow Sahira to help the animals daily. When the zookeeper offers money to the orphanage for the use of Sahira, the deal is sealed. Those moments at the zoo help make up for the misery Sahira experiences at the hand of resident bullies.
Sahira is a well-educated young woman and readers will learn a great deal about animals as well as history as she shares stories and educates other characters. Sahira's spunk and determination in spite of incredible obstacles (and determined enemies) will have readers cheering for her from the very first page.
The exciting conclusion reminded me a bit of Little Orphan Annie. I highly recommend this story that packs in lots of adventure, loyal friends, and a thoroughly satisfying conclusion!
Parental Advisory: Charles Darwin is a minor character in the book and he offers some explanation of his theories about adaptations of species. Could provide some opportunities to research and discuss the validity of his theories. There is also some discussion of Sahira's mother's religion.
Disclaimer: I received a digital copy of The Tigers in the Tower from the publisher Lion Hudson, Ltd. through NetGalley for the purpose of review. No other compensation was recieved.
Having a Muslim mother from India, Sahira's ethnic identity is looked down up by her peers as well as the orphanage staff. A spunky, intelligent 12 year old, Sahira wants nothing more than to live with and take care of the tigers with whom she had crossed the ocean. But neither the zookeeper, nor his wife have any interest in taking on a boarder. Sahira's prominent grandfather, wants nothing to do with her-- fearing she may ruin his other granddaughters' social prospects.
There are hints of The Little Princess within the story but with the wonderful addition of Sahira's rich, cultural upbringing in India. While she tries to hold on to her Indian identity, her new guardians are doing all they can to erase not only that but also any inheritance she may be owed.
When the tigers become lethargic and refuse to eat, the zookeeper is forced to request Sahira's help to bring them back to health. This leads to an arrangement with the orphanage to allow Sahira to help the animals daily. When the zookeeper offers money to the orphanage for the use of Sahira, the deal is sealed. Those moments at the zoo help make up for the misery Sahira experiences at the hand of resident bullies.
Sahira is a well-educated young woman and readers will learn a great deal about animals as well as history as she shares stories and educates other characters. Sahira's spunk and determination in spite of incredible obstacles (and determined enemies) will have readers cheering for her from the very first page.
The exciting conclusion reminded me a bit of Little Orphan Annie. I highly recommend this story that packs in lots of adventure, loyal friends, and a thoroughly satisfying conclusion!
Parental Advisory: Charles Darwin is a minor character in the book and he offers some explanation of his theories about adaptations of species. Could provide some opportunities to research and discuss the validity of his theories. There is also some discussion of Sahira's mother's religion.
Disclaimer: I received a digital copy of The Tigers in the Tower from the publisher Lion Hudson, Ltd. through NetGalley for the purpose of review. No other compensation was recieved.
November 20, 2020
Review
Thank you to TBR and Beyond Tours, Lion Fiction, and Julia Golding for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
As soon as I saw the words “A Little Princess” in the blurb I knew I had to read this book. Growing up I adored the movie “A Little Princess” and I even remember crying in elementary school over Sara and her situation at the boarding school. It is a story that has stayed with me all the way to adulthood. What Julia Golding did with this spin on that classic story just amazes me. The stories of Indian folklore that Sara tells during her time in the boarding school come to life in Golding’s The Tigers in the Tower.
I knew that I liked Sahira from the moment we first meet her on the pages of this story. She is resilient, kind, smart, and quick-witted. All of these traits served her so well over the course of her journey. She manages to make friends, fend off bullies, and make her own way in the world, which is not a small feat for an India girl plunged into a world of prejudices against her. Sahira is the definition of someone rising above their circumstances. She took her life into her own hands and decided that no adult was going to make her feel bad about being herself in their world.
The story elements in The Tigers in the Tower were nicely paced and made for a lovely, quick read. I believe that many middle grade-aged children will be able to appreciate the social issues that are tackled in this novel as well as the importance of being kind to any person of any background. The animal facts in this book are also very interesting and fit really well within the plot. These extra little facts didn’t feel random at all and it boosted Sahira’s background in taking care of wild animals.
This book is definitely getting a re-read from me in the near future and this book is something I will be planning on sharing with my future children (I hope they have a love for reading lol).
Thank you to TBR and Beyond Tours, Lion Fiction, and Julia Golding for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
As soon as I saw the words “A Little Princess” in the blurb I knew I had to read this book. Growing up I adored the movie “A Little Princess” and I even remember crying in elementary school over Sara and her situation at the boarding school. It is a story that has stayed with me all the way to adulthood. What Julia Golding did with this spin on that classic story just amazes me. The stories of Indian folklore that Sara tells during her time in the boarding school come to life in Golding’s The Tigers in the Tower.
I knew that I liked Sahira from the moment we first meet her on the pages of this story. She is resilient, kind, smart, and quick-witted. All of these traits served her so well over the course of her journey. She manages to make friends, fend off bullies, and make her own way in the world, which is not a small feat for an India girl plunged into a world of prejudices against her. Sahira is the definition of someone rising above their circumstances. She took her life into her own hands and decided that no adult was going to make her feel bad about being herself in their world.
The story elements in The Tigers in the Tower were nicely paced and made for a lovely, quick read. I believe that many middle grade-aged children will be able to appreciate the social issues that are tackled in this novel as well as the importance of being kind to any person of any background. The animal facts in this book are also very interesting and fit really well within the plot. These extra little facts didn’t feel random at all and it boosted Sahira’s background in taking care of wild animals.
This book is definitely getting a re-read from me in the near future and this book is something I will be planning on sharing with my future children (I hope they have a love for reading lol).
September 17, 2020
I loved this book. It had a Dickensian feel to it with a mixture of culture, religion and a strong female protagonist.
Sahira Clive, born of an English father and an Indian mother, travelling to London with a pair of Tigers finds herself an orphan after her parents contract a deadly illness. With nowhere to go Sahira finds herself placed in an orphanage and separated from her tigers. The way Sahira is treated due to her mixed raced heritage was powerfully portrayed in this novel and would be a great opportunity to discuss inequalities and prejudices in society.
I adored hearing about Sahira's culture, through her stories of India, the vocabulary used (see glossary at the back of the book) and her amazing assortment of clothing. I loved how there were nods to different religions slipped into the novel too, from the tigers' names - Rama and Sita, to her mother's and father's different religions.
There is also a huge historical pull to the novel and I was fascinated to learn about the Tower Menagerie (The Tower of London), the Zoological Gardens (London Zoo) and society in London at the time. I found myself researching these aspects after I had finished reading, becoming absorbed in London's rich history.
This book definitely appealed to me as an adult and I found it both fascinating and engaging. I really feel this book would be a great class read to share with Year 5/6 as there are so many discussion opportunities and a whole unit of work could be built around this book. For independent readers this book would also provide a rich reading experience as it is beautifully written, is packed with adventure and is character driven.
The Rangoli patterns in the corners of each chapter was a nice touch to the book as too were the glossary and Menagerie poster at the front. I have so much love for this book, highly recommend.
Sahira Clive, born of an English father and an Indian mother, travelling to London with a pair of Tigers finds herself an orphan after her parents contract a deadly illness. With nowhere to go Sahira finds herself placed in an orphanage and separated from her tigers. The way Sahira is treated due to her mixed raced heritage was powerfully portrayed in this novel and would be a great opportunity to discuss inequalities and prejudices in society.
I adored hearing about Sahira's culture, through her stories of India, the vocabulary used (see glossary at the back of the book) and her amazing assortment of clothing. I loved how there were nods to different religions slipped into the novel too, from the tigers' names - Rama and Sita, to her mother's and father's different religions.
There is also a huge historical pull to the novel and I was fascinated to learn about the Tower Menagerie (The Tower of London), the Zoological Gardens (London Zoo) and society in London at the time. I found myself researching these aspects after I had finished reading, becoming absorbed in London's rich history.
This book definitely appealed to me as an adult and I found it both fascinating and engaging. I really feel this book would be a great class read to share with Year 5/6 as there are so many discussion opportunities and a whole unit of work could be built around this book. For independent readers this book would also provide a rich reading experience as it is beautifully written, is packed with adventure and is character driven.
The Rangoli patterns in the corners of each chapter was a nice touch to the book as too were the glossary and Menagerie poster at the front. I have so much love for this book, highly recommend.
August 19, 2020
Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for giving me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Firstly, I'd like to say that this book made me sad, cry, angry, happy, laugh out loud, groan in annoyance, roll my eyes, curl my hands up into fists and simultaneously make me want to stop reading completely and never put it down.
Sahira arrives in London after a long voyage across the sea, where her parents died due to illness. She is the protector of two Tigers, both of whom find her presence a comfort even within the cage they are on.
As much as I would like to say everything got better from there - it didn't. Be ready for the stream of 'oh it'll get better!' to dashed or set back, because this is an emotional roller coaster - but one that is worth seeing through to the end.
The animals in this book, and the fact that we finally have a female who cares and understands for them is amazing. Love the name drops for those who would have actually been in London at this time, like Wellington and Darwin.
The racism Sahira faces makes me so sad. I wish I could have wrapped her up and helped her - especially when adults thought they knew better simply because they were older. We all know that isn't always the case! There are so many adults in this book I would have happily carted off for hurting Sahira.
Not the usual type of book I'd read, and even though I felt emotional while reading this book - it was worth reading. Enjoy the ride!
Note; there should have been trigger warnings for this book. I wish the publishers would think about using them more!
Firstly, I'd like to say that this book made me sad, cry, angry, happy, laugh out loud, groan in annoyance, roll my eyes, curl my hands up into fists and simultaneously make me want to stop reading completely and never put it down.
Sahira arrives in London after a long voyage across the sea, where her parents died due to illness. She is the protector of two Tigers, both of whom find her presence a comfort even within the cage they are on.
As much as I would like to say everything got better from there - it didn't. Be ready for the stream of 'oh it'll get better!' to dashed or set back, because this is an emotional roller coaster - but one that is worth seeing through to the end.
The animals in this book, and the fact that we finally have a female who cares and understands for them is amazing. Love the name drops for those who would have actually been in London at this time, like Wellington and Darwin.
The racism Sahira faces makes me so sad. I wish I could have wrapped her up and helped her - especially when adults thought they knew better simply because they were older. We all know that isn't always the case! There are so many adults in this book I would have happily carted off for hurting Sahira.
Not the usual type of book I'd read, and even though I felt emotional while reading this book - it was worth reading. Enjoy the ride!
Note; there should have been trigger warnings for this book. I wish the publishers would think about using them more!
January 13, 2021
The Tigers in the Tower is a quick read geared toward middle grade readers. The story centers around Sahira, who is grieving the loss of her parents, and her determination to fulfill her father’s wishes to protect the tigers. Sahira’s journey is an emotional one with her facing many challenges, prejudice, and conflict. She is painted as a vivid character and her emotions and passion shine through in the writing. There are a lot of characters introduced along the way - some middle grade readers may need to take notes as a strategy to remember all of their roles. I enjoyed the incorporation of the animals in this story, as well.
Some of my favorite quotes from this novel:
“Don’t worry. Like Sinbad, I’ve travelled to places they’ve never been, faced down threats they can’t imagine. They haven’t met anyone like me before.”
“Did Sahira care? Not a whit. In fact, she was pleased they didn’t like it.”
“See: you do understand London.” Only when thinking of it like a jungle, Sahira decided. The beasts at the top – the lions like Wellington – did not want to give any territory to other creatures, defending the pride of the privileged. Hyenas like the Newtons liked it most when the jungle was lawless and the lion sleeping in his den. Having the lion employ – Sahira tried to think of a suitable comparison to policemen – elephants to drive off the hyenas from the grazing population was doubtless an unwelcome shock to the scavengers.”
I received a copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley. This did not affect the content of my review and all opinions are my own.
Some of my favorite quotes from this novel:
“Don’t worry. Like Sinbad, I’ve travelled to places they’ve never been, faced down threats they can’t imagine. They haven’t met anyone like me before.”
“Did Sahira care? Not a whit. In fact, she was pleased they didn’t like it.”
“See: you do understand London.” Only when thinking of it like a jungle, Sahira decided. The beasts at the top – the lions like Wellington – did not want to give any territory to other creatures, defending the pride of the privileged. Hyenas like the Newtons liked it most when the jungle was lawless and the lion sleeping in his den. Having the lion employ – Sahira tried to think of a suitable comparison to policemen – elephants to drive off the hyenas from the grazing population was doubtless an unwelcome shock to the scavengers.”
I received a copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley. This did not affect the content of my review and all opinions are my own.
October 5, 2020
Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher Lion Fiction for this ARC in exchange for a true honest review.
I have to say that this was my first book by Julia Golding and after reading this beautiful book and story, she is now one of my favorite writers that I'm going to follow.
This is one of the best stories I've read this year, it made me cry, resent the human beings, then smile and feeling hopeful.
What an amazing story. My heart broke for this little girl facing all these insufferable situations with all those horrible people. She faced death, discrimination in all its high colors and violence. A little girl of two different cultures one Indian Muslim and the other British Christian, facing the loss of her parents in their travel to England with a cargo of two tigers to deliver to the menagerie in the tower of London. Sahira Clive discover the ugly truth about how people see her because of her complexion and not as just the daughter of Captain Clive. She is seen and judged as a savage unwanted orphan and thrown into a horrible orphanage where she will learn how to face bullies and injustice the bad way. But she made good friends that will help her in her little odyssey to get back to her true home and family. You can not not get attached to this little girl and feel for her. She is amazing, smart, kind, beautiful and emotionlly spiritual. I loved everything about her.
I loved Sahira's story and character, it reminded me of all these books: "Anne and the Green Gables" with "Little Princess" and "The book of the Jungle". It was a page turner that I could not stop reading when I got the time to start it.
I have to say that this was my first book by Julia Golding and after reading this beautiful book and story, she is now one of my favorite writers that I'm going to follow.
This is one of the best stories I've read this year, it made me cry, resent the human beings, then smile and feeling hopeful.
What an amazing story. My heart broke for this little girl facing all these insufferable situations with all those horrible people. She faced death, discrimination in all its high colors and violence. A little girl of two different cultures one Indian Muslim and the other British Christian, facing the loss of her parents in their travel to England with a cargo of two tigers to deliver to the menagerie in the tower of London. Sahira Clive discover the ugly truth about how people see her because of her complexion and not as just the daughter of Captain Clive. She is seen and judged as a savage unwanted orphan and thrown into a horrible orphanage where she will learn how to face bullies and injustice the bad way. But she made good friends that will help her in her little odyssey to get back to her true home and family. You can not not get attached to this little girl and feel for her. She is amazing, smart, kind, beautiful and emotionlly spiritual. I loved everything about her.
I loved Sahira's story and character, it reminded me of all these books: "Anne and the Green Gables" with "Little Princess" and "The book of the Jungle". It was a page turner that I could not stop reading when I got the time to start it.
December 14, 2020
The Tigers in the Tower by Julia Golding is one of the best books I read this year.
The novel is set in London in the 1830s. Sahira is on a ship to England to get a better education. Unfortunately, her parents die on the journey, on the sea. Sahira is shunned both in India and in England. Her mother is a Muslim and her father is a Britisher which is unconventional both in India and England.
Sahira lands in London with her pets, two tigers. Sahira is taken to an orphanage with a cruel and greedy caretaker. Her only hope in her life is her two tigers which were taken to a menagerie. Sahira manages to get a job at the menagerie to take care of the tigers but the owner wants to sell them. Will Sahira be able to save her tigers and keep them under her care?
I loved the ‘Indian Princess’ character reference of Sahira and glimpses of her life in India with her parents. Sahira is shown as a brave and smart girl, who fights for the things that matter. She faces bullies at the orphanage, makes new friends, and seeks help at unexpected places to save her tigers. The situations that Sahira landed in almost broke my heart. As I approached the end, I almost prayed that Sahira’s life should turn over for the better.
The Tigers in the Tower is a modern classic that is worth reading. Thank you @netgalley and @lionhudson for the ARC.
The novel is set in London in the 1830s. Sahira is on a ship to England to get a better education. Unfortunately, her parents die on the journey, on the sea. Sahira is shunned both in India and in England. Her mother is a Muslim and her father is a Britisher which is unconventional both in India and England.
Sahira lands in London with her pets, two tigers. Sahira is taken to an orphanage with a cruel and greedy caretaker. Her only hope in her life is her two tigers which were taken to a menagerie. Sahira manages to get a job at the menagerie to take care of the tigers but the owner wants to sell them. Will Sahira be able to save her tigers and keep them under her care?
I loved the ‘Indian Princess’ character reference of Sahira and glimpses of her life in India with her parents. Sahira is shown as a brave and smart girl, who fights for the things that matter. She faces bullies at the orphanage, makes new friends, and seeks help at unexpected places to save her tigers. The situations that Sahira landed in almost broke my heart. As I approached the end, I almost prayed that Sahira’s life should turn over for the better.
The Tigers in the Tower is a modern classic that is worth reading. Thank you @netgalley and @lionhudson for the ARC.
June 20, 2020
I wasn't sure what to think of this as historical fiction is not usually my thing but I read Tiger Heart at the start of the year which is set around the same time and also involved tigers and loved it so wanted to give this a go (also the blurb is so intriguing!)
I was not disappointed! This book includes so many different aspects of the time but in a way that is super interesting and exciting to read. Once I got started I didn't want to stop!
Sahira is left orphaned when, during a voyage from India to England to deliver tigers to the tower menagerie, both parents become ill and die. As a foregin child no one wants to take her in and so she is left at a horrible orphanage which soon also becomes dangerous for her. Undeterred Sahira is determined to follow her dads wishes and care for the tigers, the only friends she feels she has left. This proves challenging though and we follow Sahira as she uses skills she has learnt in the jungle to try and ensure both her and the tigers survive in London.
The book raises so many questions and would be amazing to use as a book study in upper primary as you could discuss social norms, keeping animals, how Sahira is treated due to her heritage etc etc
I was not disappointed! This book includes so many different aspects of the time but in a way that is super interesting and exciting to read. Once I got started I didn't want to stop!
Sahira is left orphaned when, during a voyage from India to England to deliver tigers to the tower menagerie, both parents become ill and die. As a foregin child no one wants to take her in and so she is left at a horrible orphanage which soon also becomes dangerous for her. Undeterred Sahira is determined to follow her dads wishes and care for the tigers, the only friends she feels she has left. This proves challenging though and we follow Sahira as she uses skills she has learnt in the jungle to try and ensure both her and the tigers survive in London.
The book raises so many questions and would be amazing to use as a book study in upper primary as you could discuss social norms, keeping animals, how Sahira is treated due to her heritage etc etc
September 6, 2020
Sahira lost her parents to fever on board the ship which was taking them to London by The East India Company representatives who her father worked for.
Along side her are two tigers that were being delivered to the menagerie in the Tower of London but before her father died he asked her to keep a promise to protect them. Arriving at London she had no where to go as no one would take care of her because of her native background, the only place would be an orphanage. This is her journey to find a way to get back to them and fulfil her promise.
I truly loved this story. It was so heartwarming and played with all my emotions. Sahira is a intelligent 12year old girl who would not be accepted because of her ethnicity. This quote just sums up her struggles that no one cares for her and that the tigers is all she has left to feel close to her parents.
“But one look at that unfortunate complexion and they will know” sniffed Mrs Bingham. “There’s no whitewashing her scandalous birth.”
The detailing in this story is perfection and I could imagine every scene in my mind like it was a movie.
I was kindly given the opportunity to read this in advance, thanks to Lion Hudson Ltd through NetGalley for an exchange for an honest review.
Along side her are two tigers that were being delivered to the menagerie in the Tower of London but before her father died he asked her to keep a promise to protect them. Arriving at London she had no where to go as no one would take care of her because of her native background, the only place would be an orphanage. This is her journey to find a way to get back to them and fulfil her promise.
I truly loved this story. It was so heartwarming and played with all my emotions. Sahira is a intelligent 12year old girl who would not be accepted because of her ethnicity. This quote just sums up her struggles that no one cares for her and that the tigers is all she has left to feel close to her parents.
“But one look at that unfortunate complexion and they will know” sniffed Mrs Bingham. “There’s no whitewashing her scandalous birth.”
The detailing in this story is perfection and I could imagine every scene in my mind like it was a movie.
I was kindly given the opportunity to read this in advance, thanks to Lion Hudson Ltd through NetGalley for an exchange for an honest review.
November 10, 2020
***ARC Review***
The Tigers in the Tower is a truly beautiful book interwoven with history and culture. Sahira is an amazingly clever and strong character and I loved reading about her journey and her schemes with her friends. With well-developed characters, a dark backstory, and plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, this book is an absolute joy to read. Julia Golding’s stunning writing pulls you from your world and drops you in the middle of 17th-18th century London and then takes you back to India through Sahira’s storytelling in this gorgeously atmospheric tale. This feminist historical fiction novel explores social issues from the time period as well as problems that still exist to this day. I always love learning something new from a good book and this one definitely taught me a bit of Indian history and culture as well! The plot of The Tigers in the Tower is intricate and darkly sophisticated. Sahira faces many obstacles that no child should ever have to and yet she perseveres. I must admit that the book did get a bit slow at some points but it is 100% worth pushing through that. The orphanage trope does seem a little bit overdone but in this context still managed to be mostly unique. Outside of those things, though, The Tigers in the Tower is a wonderfully elaborate and immersive story perfect for history nerds, fans of The Jungle Book (the original, there are no talking bears in this one), or anyone looking for something beautiful and unique.
The Tigers in the Tower is a truly beautiful book interwoven with history and culture. Sahira is an amazingly clever and strong character and I loved reading about her journey and her schemes with her friends. With well-developed characters, a dark backstory, and plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, this book is an absolute joy to read. Julia Golding’s stunning writing pulls you from your world and drops you in the middle of 17th-18th century London and then takes you back to India through Sahira’s storytelling in this gorgeously atmospheric tale. This feminist historical fiction novel explores social issues from the time period as well as problems that still exist to this day. I always love learning something new from a good book and this one definitely taught me a bit of Indian history and culture as well! The plot of The Tigers in the Tower is intricate and darkly sophisticated. Sahira faces many obstacles that no child should ever have to and yet she perseveres. I must admit that the book did get a bit slow at some points but it is 100% worth pushing through that. The orphanage trope does seem a little bit overdone but in this context still managed to be mostly unique. Outside of those things, though, The Tigers in the Tower is a wonderfully elaborate and immersive story perfect for history nerds, fans of The Jungle Book (the original, there are no talking bears in this one), or anyone looking for something beautiful and unique.
April 17, 2020
I was invited to read an advance copy of Julia Golding's The Tigers in the Tower by Lion Hudson and to write an early review. It's been an absolute pleasure. Immediately from reading the blurb I was struck by how interesting story hook and concept was and the book itself didn't disappoint.
Sahira is a plucky and yet compassionate main character who's circumstances lead to a fascinating story with twists and turns. The many animal metaphors and images peppered through the story are wonderful and I found myself really interested by the exotic corner of London's history that Golding brings so vividly to life. The cast of characters are interesting with many likeable (and unlikeable) appearances. Among my favourites were the cruel Mr Pence, Ned (and Nebuchadnezzar) and the charming character we meet at the very end of the book (I won't spoil it).
It was a pleasure to read and I'd recommend to animal lovers of all ages. It would work for middle-graders and teens very well, but no less enjoyable for adults.
Sahira is a plucky and yet compassionate main character who's circumstances lead to a fascinating story with twists and turns. The many animal metaphors and images peppered through the story are wonderful and I found myself really interested by the exotic corner of London's history that Golding brings so vividly to life. The cast of characters are interesting with many likeable (and unlikeable) appearances. Among my favourites were the cruel Mr Pence, Ned (and Nebuchadnezzar) and the charming character we meet at the very end of the book (I won't spoil it).
It was a pleasure to read and I'd recommend to animal lovers of all ages. It would work for middle-graders and teens very well, but no less enjoyable for adults.
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