Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume

Submitted by Missy

“It is the morning of the funeral and I’m tearing my room apart, trying to find the right shoes to wear.” With these words, Judy Blume takes us into the world of Davis “Davy” Wexler, a fifteen-year-old girl struggling with the recent murder of her father. 

Unable to articulate her intense grief, Davy internalizes her sorrow and passes out several times at school.  On doctor’s advice, her mother takes the entire Wexler clan, including Davy’s seven-year-old brother Jason and her cat Minka, on a journey from Atlantic City to Los Almos, New Mexico.  What begins as a summer trip drags on; soon Davy and Jason are being parented by their fearful Aunt Bitsy and strident Uncle Walter,  their mother having wilted under the weight of her panic and sorrow.

Trying to escape her own numbness, Davy takes an impulsive bike ride to the nearby canyons, where she meets a young man calling himself simply “Wolf.”  They strike up a friendship that provides them both with joy they can’t find elsewhere.  Davy dreams of marrying Wolf; he fondly nicknames her “Tiger Eyes”.  Thanks to this chance meeting, Davy begins to show an interest in the outside world again; she takes up old hobbies, develops an interest in astronomy and tries to help her friend Jane, who has reacted to intense parental pressure by turning to alcohol.  But then Wolf disappears, and Davy is left to wonder if he really will come back “when the lizards run”.

Blume is, as always, an engaging writer.  She peels back the layers of Davy’s grief expertly while juggling several major social issues in a voice that avoids moralization.  Characterization is beautifully done; Ms. Blume has populated this book with average folks struggling beneath the weight of prejudice, sorrow and fear.  Be forewarned that Tiger Eyes includes the forthrightness that marks of her YA writing – Davy’s father’s death is portrayed in all of its blood-splattered horror, there are segments dealing with sexuality and alcohol consumption, and there is mature language.  Also, as with most Blume novels, the moral is ‘things will get better’, not ‘everything will be all right forever’. 

I’m a longtime Judy Blume fan and was surprised to find out she’s currently the most-banned author on the ALA’s list, with five books named (the most often challenged is Forever).  The sad irony of this is that adolescents barred from reading books like Tiger Eyes are the ones who most need a frank author like Blume in their lives.  This book teaches its readers not to fear the future; to embrace the unexpected while questioning the choices of their elders; that grieving is a natural process and it’s different for everyone.  Most importantly, it teaches that there’s a reason to go on when someone you love dies.  If you know a child who needs those life lessons – or if you’re in need of a refresher course for yourself –Tiger Eyes is worth a read.