The Tiger Claw

Things have been pretty busy lately and I've not had the time to update this book blog of mine .. I have been reading quite a big though so here's a review of Shauna Baldwin's The Tiger Claw

• Hardcover: 592 pages
• Publisher: Knopf Canada; First Edition edition (January 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-13: 978-0676976205

The tiger claw is based on the life of Indian Muslim spy Noor Inayat Khan, who is of mixed parentage. Being brought up in France by her American mother after the demise of her Indian father, Noor, or Madeleine as her code name goes, has a unique upbringing spanning Muslim laws peppered with western liberal thoughts. 

Acting as a spy for the British government, Noor falls in love with Jewish pianist Armand and this is a story of bravery, courage, espionage and beneath all that, love. The forbidden love between both Armand and Noor is heart breaking and parts of the story is narrated through Noor's letters during her imprisonment, which adds a sense of realism to the story as these are true letters written by Noor herself.

I was enraptured by Shauna Singh Baldwins' captivating prose and narrative skills as she brought back to life the legend of the woman known as Madeleine to her colleagues. The undertones of courage and bravery to fight for a love that could be punishable by death never leave the plot and this is what makes the story so much more different than any other espionage tale out there.  

Suffice to say I could not put down the book and would totally recommend it to anyone with a taste for thrillers, fiction based on true stories and through it all, the power of love.