Eddy Boudel Tan’s latest novel, The Tiger and the Cosmonaut, is a deeply personal story that examines family, memory, love, and loss. At its core, it is a reflection on what it means to return home and face the past.
The novel follows Casper Han, a man traveling back to his fictional hometown of Wilhem, B.C., to investigate the strange, temporary disappearance of his father. This incident stirs up memories of an even greater loss — the unexplained disappearance of his twin brother, Sam, more than a decade earlier.
As Casper searches for answers, he also faces the challenge of reconnecting with his ex, his family, and the small-town community he left behind. Wilhem itself becomes more than just a backdrop; it acts as a character, holding both warmth and tension in its streets and landscapes.
The story explores themes of belonging and distance. Casper often feels disconnected due to his race, sexuality, age, education, and social standing. These layers of identity shape how he sees the world and how the world sees him.
The journey is not only emotional but also physical. Readers follow Casper on ferries, through winding roads, and across lesser-known towns and islands along the West Coast of B.C. Tan weaves in historical details about the struggles of early Chinese Canadians in these regions, adding depth and context to Casper’s personal story.
Tan’s writing style is vivid and cinematic. His descriptions of the forests, towns, and coastlines are rich in detail, allowing readers to picture every scene. At times, characters disappear into the wilderness, returning changed in ways that mirror their inner transformations.
Through flashbacks and present-day encounters, Tan paints a portrait of small-town life — where privacy is scarce, and everyone knows each other’s history. Casper recalls how the local jail cells were the same size as his childhood bedroom, a metaphor for the limitations and confinement he felt growing up.
The novel builds toward a powerful ending, where a new truth about Casper’s identity comes to light. This revelation forces him, and the reader, to reconsider the nature of self and the ways we define who we are.
Tan’s storytelling highlights the complexity of returning to one’s roots. Coming back as an adult often means confronting old myths and letting go of idealized memories. For Casper, it becomes a process of reconciling with his family, accepting his desires, and acknowledging the flaws in both himself and his parents.
One of the most poignant moments comes when Casper reflects on his father’s struggle with dementia. He notes, “time is a cruel thief, a bastard that takes back all that’s been given. We have nothing but this hour, this minute, this second.” While the thought is painful, it also carries a message of hope — the possibility of reinvention at any moment.
By the novel’s conclusion, Casper experiences a form of rebirth. The mystery of his father’s disappearance leads him not only to answers about the past but also to a clearer sense of self. In accepting both the pain and love that shaped him, he finds the freedom to move forward.
The Tiger and the Cosmonaut is more than a family drama. It is a meditation on memory, identity, and the ties that bind us to the places we come from — even when those ties are strained. Through Casper’s journey, Tan invites readers to consider their own histories, the truths they hold on to, and the possibility of finding peace in the present.
