Music for Tigers by Michelle Kadarusman

Synopsis:

“Shipped halfway around the world to spend the summer with her mom’s eccentric Australian relatives, middle schooler and passionate violinist Louisa is prepared to be resentful. But life at the family’s remote camp in the Tasmanian rainforest is intriguing, to say the least. There are pig-footed bandicoots, scary spiders, weird noises and odors in the night, and a quirky boy named Colin who cooks the most amazing meals. Not the least strange is her Uncle Ruff, with his unusual pet and veiled hints about something named Convict Rock.

Finally, Louisa learns the truth: Convict Rock is a sanctuary established by her great-grandmother Eleanor—a sanctuary for Tasmanian tigers, Australia’s huge marsupials that were famously hunted into extinction almost a hundred years ago. Or so the world believes. Hidden in the rainforest at Convict Rock, one tiger remains. But now the sanctuary is threatened by a mining operation, and the last Tasmanian tiger must be lured deeper into the forest. The problem is, not since her great-grandmother has a member of the family been able to earn the shy tigers’ trust.

As the summer progresses, Louisa forges unexpected connections with Colin, with the forest, and—through Eleanor’s journal—with her great-grandmother. She begins to suspect the key to saving the tiger is her very own music. But will her plan work? Or will the enigmatic Tasmanian tiger disappear once again, this time forever?

A moving coming-of-age story wrapped up in the moss, leaves, and blue gums of the Tasmanian rainforest where, hidden under giant ferns, crouches its most beloved, and lost, creature.”

Review:

I love when I find author who’s work I truly enjoy. What I love more is when an author can write books that are very different and that I equally love. Both Music for Tigers and Michelle’s previous work, Girl of the Southern Sea are truly great reads and yet so different from each other.

Michelle creates a character in Louisa who for all intents and purposes should despise living in the Tasmanian rainforest. Her sole focus is to practice her violin enough to get into the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra. She’s not a lover of the outdoors like her parents or even her sister. Louisa is sent to live at a camp with her uncle for the summer. And during the visit, she learns not only about her family’s past but also about herself.

The setting of this novel, the Tasmanian rainforest is something I was completely unaware of. But the themes surrounding the setting of construction, growth, and “advancement” are somewhat universal in today’s world. So many people see “empty” space and believe that we need to build something there to make it worth something.

I also loved learning about history of the area through Louisa’s great-grandmother’s journal. What the camp would have looked like years ago and how interesting it was for a woman at the time to be working in the field of conservation and environmental studies.

Louisa also learns about the area from new friend, Colin who is on the Autism Spectrum. His mom has clearly worked with him to teach him how he might see things differently from the people around him and although Louisa at first in not interested in a new friend, she and Colin quickly become close. I liked seeing that Louisa seemed uncomfortable at times and yet was still able to grow and learn from those experiences with Colin. It portrayed a new friendship very realistically.

More Thoughts:

What I loved most about this book was the acknowledgment of the Indigenous people. These tribes lived on this land long before anything in this story happened. I really liked how the characters in the book were working on eco-tourism, but also worked closely with the Elders in the area to protect what land they could.

This acknowledgment of what came before isn’t seen as much in American society. And I wonder if living in Canada made Michelle more aware of including this in her story or if it was already planned. Canada has been acknowledging traditional lands at schools, gatherings, and sporting events. Like the U.S. Canada has had a difficult past with the Indigenous people who lived on this land long before European settlers arrived. It seems they are starting to do something about it at least in some small way.

I think this would make a great read for kids who liked Carl Hiaasen’s books about conservation, like Hoot. Or for kids who liked Me and Marvin Gardens by A.S. King. It’s also great for those kids looking to blend art and science together or love the idea of species like Bigfoot. With wide appeal, this is a story that I could share with a lot of different kids.

Plus, Michelle is just the sweetest person! I got a chance to meet here at ALA Midwinter in January and it was so fun!

Need to Know:

Title: Music for Tigers
Author: Michelle Kadarusman
Publisher: Pajama Press
Publication Date: April 28, 2020
Page Number: 224 pgs.