“Tale of the Tigers”, 2011 Review
Kudos to Juliette Akinyi Ochieng for capturing the angst of interracial relations in “Tale of the Tigers”. The historical and cultural snapshot of “black vs. white” catches your attention right away, and then lays the foundation for the “illusion of inclusion.”
Felice LeCroix and Kevin Hart, one Black, the other White, fall in love in small-town America. Or did they? The proverbial plot thickens when Felice questions whether she (or he) evens knows what real love is.
Carter G. Woodson’s “Mis-Education of the Negro” produced a definitive and constructive critique of the educational system, with special reference to its blighting effects on the Negro, so Ochieng does not break new ground in her book. Rather, “Tale of the Tigers” provides a timely backdrop to whom the real enemy is in interpersonal relations, and where the real tragedy lies when stereotypes strike back.
If you read but one book this year on interracial love, make it this one.
