Tiger Ann Parker is eleven-years-old and she lives in the small town of Saitter, Louisiana. Tiger lives with her
parents and grandmother, however, both of her parents are considered to be mentally retarted. Tiger depends a great
deal on the strength of her Grandmother, however, when she dies of a heart attack midway through the novel, Tiger must find
her own strength and determine how to grow and make choices on her own.
The voice of Tiger Ann Parker is realistic and simple in its narration. The story progresses with a deliberate
pace, never feeling rushed or dragging too long. With the death of the grandmother, the emphasis of the novel shifts
from the apparent difficulties of having two "slow" parents to Tiger's insistence as pushing beyond what her current self
and Saitter have to offer.
Tiger's aunt Dorie Kay lives in the big city of Baton Rouge and has a fancy job, apartment and lifestyle. When
Dorie Kay invites Tiger to the big city, Tiger has a chance to reinvent herself, much the way her aunt did. Tiger cuts
her hair, decides to go by "Ann," and buys new clothes. But when she returns to Saitter after her brief stay, she realizes
just how much it is her home. Tiger Ann's chance to reinvent herself in Baton Rouge is appealing to any reader who has
ever wished they were someone different from their present selves. Tiger escapes her parents, her embarrassment and
her hurt and anger over the death of her grandmother.
The true growth of the character is revealed when Tiger chooses to stay behind in Saitter with her parents instead of
returning to Baton Rouge to live with her aunt. The lesson of the novel is a tough one and a real one: even if
you reinvent yourself, you can't automatically escape from your past. In Tiger's case, her Grandmother's wise words
came to guide her choice: her parents love may have been different, but it was true and pure. Tiger came to discover
this in her own way, physically returning to her home and to her parents but choosing to return in her heart as well.
Holt's story is seamlessly told, progressing from one page to the next, never becoming too sentimental or too prosaic.
The setting and characters are realistic and well developed. The portrayel of Tiger's parents, Cornia and Lonnie Parker,
gives the reader insight into their own lives and challenges while at the same time presenting a sense of Tiger's frustration
and hurt over her parents. According to Bousquin, "Holt's languid storytelling style is as unhurried as a Louisiana
summer, a soft steady breeze turning the pages. She exercises unusual restraint for a first-time novelist as she eases the
action along with a low-key, unpretentious plot, never resorting to over-dramatization or sentimentality in developing her
uncannily credible characters" (1998).
Holt, Kimberly Willis. My Louisiana Sky. New York: Holt, 1998. ISBN 0805052518.
