A noirish page-turner about a mysterious disappearance and a moving portrait of a Chinese Canadian family navigating insecurities, expectations, and simmering anger in their small BC town.

Casper Han grew up the dutiful son of immigrants who never felt entirely welcome in their remote corner of British Columbia. Now an adult, living in Vancouver with a boyfriend whose privilege he quietly resents, Casper rarely returns to his hometown, the site of a grief his family doesn’t discuss: the loss of his twin brother, Sam.

Over twenty years have passed since Sam went missing, and a crisis brings Casper and his siblings back. Their father has vanished, only to be found wandering the vast woods beyond the family home, confused and clutching a pair of scissors, seemingly trapped in the memory of that tragic night. In order to move forward, the Han family must finally confront the past and untangle the mystery of what really happened to Sam.

Combining the atmosphere and intrigue of a cracking good suspense novel with the depth of a rich character study, The Tiger and the Cosmonaut tells the story of a family whose members have long made themselves small and quiet and obedient—and what happens when the cycle is finally broken.

Eddy Boudel Tan writes stories that depict a world much like our own – the heroes are flawed, truth is distorted, and there is as much hope as there is heartbreak. He’s the author of two novels: After Elias, a finalist for the ReLit Awards and the Edmund White Award for Debut Fiction, and The Rebellious Tide (Dundurn Press). In 2021, he was named a Rising Star by the Writers’ Trust of Canada. His short stories can be found in Joyland, Yolk, Gertrude Press and The G&LR, as well as in Queer Little Nightmares: An Anthology of Monstrous Fiction and Poetry (Arsenal Pulp Press). He lives in Vancouver with his husband where he is currently writing his next novel while listening to the language of birds from his balcony.

Eddy Boudel Tan's profile page

“A deftly woven novel about a family mystery, held for decades, that reveals the bottomless sorrow and reserves of strength found in one immigrant family. Eddy Boudel Tan is a savvy and sensitive writer who will, by turn, wow you with the turns in his story and move you to tears.”
—Kevin Chong, author of The Double Life of Benson Yu

“Affords readers a rich, multilayered experience of reading. Every page leaves you breathless, eager to learn more about the family and the community at the story’s centre, and before you know it you’re caught in the middle of a heart-wrenching mystery, through which the author deftly, astutely, and compassionately sheds light on family relationships where each member harbours a secret as a matter of survival, regardless of its cost to one, and even to all. Once I began reading, I couldn’t put it down.”
—Shani Mootoo, author of Polar Vortex

“A novel that masterfully combines mystery, family drama, and the sacrifices that immigrant parents make in the hopes of giving their children a better life. At the heart of the story is a thoughtful and universal exploration of identity—not only in how we see one another, but also how we perceive ourselves. I loved this book and the world that Eddy Boudel Tan has created within its pages.”
—Brian Francis, author of Fruit
“The Tiger and the Cosmonaut is Boudel Tan at his best as a storyteller. This is a propulsive, braided mystery that offers page-turning revelations on immigrant family relationships and how they shape, break, and reinvent us. Boudel Tan offers an incredible gem on the important truths of diasporic and queer identity, the intrusion of past secrets on the present, and the invisibility of Asian model-minorities who long to be seen in western society. He has skillfully woven together a deeply complicated and moving plot with elegant prose that will stay long with the reader. An engrossing and nuanced feat.”
—Lindsay Wong, author of Tell Me Pleasant Things about Immortality
“A raw portrayal of a Chinese Canadian family forced to deal with skeletons in their closet. Eddy Boudel Tan has written a page-turner filled with unexpected twists and turns exposing the violence found in a ‘progressive’ B.C. town.”
—Christina Wong and Daniel Innes, author and illustrator of Denison Avenue
“Reading The Tiger and The Cosmonaut is like tossing lit matches at a gasoline drum. You know it's gonna blow but have no clue when. And Eddy Boudel Tan kept me guessing right up until one hell of an explosive ending!”
—P. J. Vernon, author of Bath Haus