Tiger's Mouth: A Novel
Nov 2026 · Sold by Ballantine Books
Ebook
320
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infoThis book will become available on November 17, 2026. You will not be charged until it is released.
About this ebook
“A stunning story of friendship and family, love and belonging . . . I absolutely adored it.”—Chris Whitaker, New York Times bestselling author of All the Colors of the Dark
When two young men meet during a tech internship, it sparks an intense friendship—and even more intense competition—in this sweeping novel of privilege, identity, and ambition from the acclaimed author of What We Were Promised.
Jack Chen, the oldest son of caterers from Queens, is an expert at studying the rich from afar. When he finagles his way into a prestigious internship at tech giant K.O. Systems, he’s prepared to fake everything: his credentials, his confidence, even his past. What he isn’t prepared for is his officemate, Jack Owens, the depressed son of the company’s billionaire founder, who’s only there for a summer reprieve from his father’s scrutiny at the family vacation house.
Their connection is immediate, built on mutual admiration. Chen sees in Owens the advantages he’s been denied; Owens sees in Chen someone free of the pain he’s been taught to hide. Owens, Chen, and Chen’s girlfriend quickly become close friends, but by summer's end the three can no longer outrun the lies they’ve told themselves and each other. As pressures build throughout the next few years, the two Jacks circle each other like opponents in their favorite board game, Go, each chasing the life the other was born into, from career to family to lovers. But the path to success and matters of the heart can test even the closest of friendships—and not all of them survive.
Nostalgic, heart-wrenching, and propulsive, Tiger’s Mouth is a nuanced portrait of complex friendship, family dynamics, and love in its most unexpected forms.
When two young men meet during a tech internship, it sparks an intense friendship—and even more intense competition—in this sweeping novel of privilege, identity, and ambition from the acclaimed author of What We Were Promised.
Jack Chen, the oldest son of caterers from Queens, is an expert at studying the rich from afar. When he finagles his way into a prestigious internship at tech giant K.O. Systems, he’s prepared to fake everything: his credentials, his confidence, even his past. What he isn’t prepared for is his officemate, Jack Owens, the depressed son of the company’s billionaire founder, who’s only there for a summer reprieve from his father’s scrutiny at the family vacation house.
Their connection is immediate, built on mutual admiration. Chen sees in Owens the advantages he’s been denied; Owens sees in Chen someone free of the pain he’s been taught to hide. Owens, Chen, and Chen’s girlfriend quickly become close friends, but by summer's end the three can no longer outrun the lies they’ve told themselves and each other. As pressures build throughout the next few years, the two Jacks circle each other like opponents in their favorite board game, Go, each chasing the life the other was born into, from career to family to lovers. But the path to success and matters of the heart can test even the closest of friendships—and not all of them survive.
Nostalgic, heart-wrenching, and propulsive, Tiger’s Mouth is a nuanced portrait of complex friendship, family dynamics, and love in its most unexpected forms.
“A stunning story of friendship and family, love and belonging . . . I absolutely adored it.”—Chris Whitaker, New York Times bestselling author of All the Colors of the Dark
When two young men meet during a tech internship, it sparks an intense friendship—and even more intense competition—in thi...
About the author
Lucy Tan is the author of What We Were Promised, which was a Barnes and Noble Discover Pick, longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, and named a best book of the year by The Washington Post. Tan holds an MFA in creative writing from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she was winner of the August Derleth Prize. A recipient of support from Kundiman and the Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing, Tan has published in journals such as American Short Fiction, McSweeney's, and Ploughshares. She currently lives and writes in Seattle, where she is also a bookseller at Secret Garden Books.
Lucy Tan is the author of What We Were Promised, which was a Barnes and Noble Discover Pick, longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, and named a best book of the year by The Washington Post. Tan holds an MFA in creative writing from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she ...
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