Family

Family connections are prominent in several stories in this collection, and these particular stories explore how familial relationships can be a source of personal direction and groundedness. For example, in the story “Tiger mending,” the central character relationship is between two sisters. Although the sisters have differing lives and interests, they appear to have a close and supportive bond. This bond becomes activated after one sister is hired for a temporary job in Malaysia: “My sister…has a terrible fear of airplanes…The only way she can relax on a flight is if I am there” (28). The narrator gladly takes time off from work to accompany her sister. Moreover, once in Malaysia, she helps her sister to investigate the mysterious cause of the tigers’ peeling skin. This consistent support emphasizes the fact that, although the sisters might have certain discontentment in their lives, they have each...