When You Trap a Tiger

“Really there’s no way I saw a giant tiger appear—and disappear—in the middle of the road.”

On her way to her halmoni’s (grandmother’s) house in Sunbeam, Washington, Lily sees a massive tiger in the road. Her mother and sister Sam do not see it, and the tiger walks away after looking at Lily. The tiger’s appearance marks the inciting incident of the book, this quote demonstrating Lily’s self-doubt in what she thinks she saw. It will also introduce the importance of sharing sightings, stories, with Halmoni—whether real or not.

“But Halmoni was always doing weird things without explaining any of it. She’s full of secrets. This house is full of secrets.”

With this quote, Lily discovers that she and Sam have very different recollections of the years they lived with Halmoni just after their father’s death. Lily remembers those years as magical and comforting; now she sees that Sam’s suspicions and sadness convolute any happy memories she did have. Sam thinking Halmoni’s attention to spirits is “weird” comes as a shock to Lily, who accepts the older woman’s beliefs without question. This quote provides some backstory and characterization for Sam.

“Lily, crazy not a good word. Not a thinking word. You seeing truth because you are a special one, and that not make you crazy, okay?”

Halmoni rejects Lily’s concern that she’s “crazy” for seeing a tiger in the road. She attributes to Lily special qualities that make her a candidate for seeing things beyond what others can. At this point of the book, Lily doesn’t credit herself with this quality; in fact, she doesn’t mention many positive traits in regards to herself at all.