Alona Kimhi’s Lily La Tigresse takes place in present-day Israel. Lily, the protagonist and narrator, is funny and yet poetic. Early on in the story, the reader finds her on a plane, where she meets an interesting boy named Taro, who introduces her to young love. The two lose touch for a while, but reunite one fateful night, in a hotel room. When Lily flies back to Tel Aviv she finds a crate with a tiger cub inside, sent to her by Taro, who works for a zoo. The tiger, which acts as Taro’s way of returning to Israel with Lily, changes her life. Lily’s friend Ninush, a Russian prostitute who is in a physically abusive relationship, helps take care of the tiger cub. So does their older friend, Michaela, a mother of four who drives a taxi. As Lily gets bored with her daily routine—working as a dental hygienist and failing to find true love as a woman—she goes out and has a sex-filled night. She goes to bars, lures men in, and sleeps with them in the shadiest of public places. This one-night adventure turns into a sexual bender. Maybe she secretly wants Ninush’s life, maybe she pines for Taro. In any case, the chapter of copulation and other unusual scenes make this book a tremendous read, filled with heartache, sweetness, and plenty of laughs. It is a story of a girl trying to find her way. It is a story of three women navigating intense relationships, their careers, and the care of a tiger cub.
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