The Tiger Who Sleeps Under My Chair

The tiger is something that is still even now not talked about too much, that is mental illness.  In the 1880s it was not mentioned and people spent long years in mental asylums, shut away.  This story tells of two generations dealing with this, Emma and her brother James, and in 2023, of Jude whose friend Rosie has psychotic episodes.

Emma has been shut away in the attic of the family home as she has had a fit and is therefore deemed to be fragile, but it is in fact her brother James who breaks down.  Emma and his friend Olivier whisk him away to the family’s country home where it is hoped rest and fresh air will help him to recover.  In 2023 Jude helps Rosie and with friends Amin and Imogen spend time at the country home where Emma and James went, and which Rosie inherits from her grandmother.   While James meets a tragic end, Rosie looks forward to a good life.

Dealing with mental illness in fiction for young people is very tricky but Hannah Foley manages to make it understandable without going into much detail of symptoms.  There is some mention of psychosis and schizophrenia, and some questions are dealt with at the end of the book in an appendix.  Teenagers could easily imagine some symptoms and self-diagnose so Hannah Foley has walked a tightrope.  What comes across in the story is the love and care that is needed, which unfortunately in James’ case is not enough.  But it is different for Rosie, having good support as well as medical intervention. The story ends on an upbeat note looking forward to 2027 with Rosie and Jude facing the future together knowing of her illness, but able to deal with it.  There is a subplot of Emma’s interest and almost obsession with Mary Anning, who has a piece to herself at the end of book and the ammonite Emma keeps close to her appears throughout the book drawn on the pages.