September 2025 FBR - Main Buddy Read: The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo

[Ashley, The Tipsy Challenger]

Welcome to the September "Main" Buddy Read!
starts 1-Sep-2025, ends 30-Sep-2025

As we enter September, let’s lift our gaze skyward with Mid-Autumn Festival. This month, we celebrate heritage and transformation beneath the glow of the full moon. Stories of reunion, longing, and renewal shine across time and cultures, reminding us that even in distance, we remain bound by shared traditions and enduring love. Whether told through legends of moon goddesses, lantern-lit nights, or gatherings with family and friends, these narratives honor the cycles of change and the luminous ties that connect us.

The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo

[bookcover:The Night Tiger|39863482}

A sweeping historical novel about a dancehall girl and an orphan boy whose fates entangle over an old Chinese superstition about men who turn into tigers.

When 11-year-old Ren's master dies, he makes one last request of his Chinese houseboy: that Ren find his severed finger, lost years ago in an accident, and reunite it with his body. Ren has 49 days, or else his master's soul will roam the earth, unable to rest in peace.

Ji Lin always wanted to be a doctor, but as a girl in 1930s Malaysia, apprentice dressmaker is a more suitable occupation. Secretly, though, Ji Lin also moonlights as a dancehall girl to help pay off her beloved mother's Mahjong debts. One night, Ji Lin's dance partner leaves her with a gruesome souvenir: a severed finger. Convinced the finger is bad luck, Ji Lin enlists the help of her erstwhile stepbrother to return it to its rightful owner.

As the 49 days tick down, and a prowling tiger wreaks havoc on the town, Ji Lin and Ren's lives intertwine in ways they could never have imagined. Propulsive and lushly written, The Night Tiger explores colonialism and independence, ancient superstition and modern ambition, sibling rivalry and first love. Braided through with Chinese folklore and a tantalizing mystery, this novel is a page-turner of the highest order.

When using this Buddy Read to get Bonus Points for a Challenge, please check with the mod running the Challenge for any posting requirements not listed below!

🚀 2025 (Impossible) Solar System Challenge: While there's no specific post count requirement, your participation should go beyond simple statements like "I liked the book." Quality of contribution matters more than quantity, so focus on crafting well-considered responses that add value to the discussion.

[Catherine]

Got my copy, yay!

[Angie ☯]

I've already read this one. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Happy reading!

[Catherine]

ooh good to know.