The Tiger and the Acrobat tells the life of a Siberian tigress from her birth, the loss of her mother, her friendship with a shaman and a boy, up to its death. It is an allegorical story about how the soul, if it wants to be free and live its own life, should undertake a journey where it will encounter difficulties but, with determination, will successfully find its path. The story is filled with love, tenderness, courage and a spirit of overcoming. It is a profound writing but easy to read. However, it is a text to be read slowly because, in this way, one discovers what is hidden behind each story, rediscovers it or perhaps recover what was considered lost. It is written in precise, clear and rich prose. Being a fable, it should not be read or interpreted in a linear way because by doing so one could conclude that the tigress, the boy and the shaman would be the only custodians of innocence and wisdom of the heart, while the adult man would only represent evil.
Susanna Tamaro (Trieste, 1957) is a famous Italian novelist who has also worked as a scientific documentary filmmaker and as an assistant film director.