Those familiar with the story of Peter Pan know he has a tantalizing past. The Disney version starts in media res and never looks back. With Wendy so newly important to Peter, Tiger Lily and Tinkerbell are relegated to secondary character status. In Tiger Lily, Jodi Lynn Anderson (Peaches) gives both Tiger Lily and "Tink" the attention they deserve, and not only broadens the Peter Pan myth, but also creates a fantastic new romance for teens.
Here, Tiger Lily is the adopted daughter of the shaman of an indigenous tribe of Neverland, at a time of uncertainty. Tinkerbell serves as faithful narrator, living her love for Peter vicariously through Tiger Lily. When they meet Peter, he and his Lost Boys represent another way of life, and soon Tiger Lily's time with him grows into a romantic bond. Adult responsibilities as well as outside forces pressure her to make a decision, but she can't seem to settle for one thing or the other.
The parallels between Tiger Lily's woes and that of modern teens will be evident to anyone who's survived a first love and first heartbreak, and especially to teenagers trying to reconcile their competing desires. Anderson also allows other story lines to shine, including a background look at colonization and the consequences of forcing a new way of life on people. The author takes on a number of mature and complex situations and handles them gracefully. Her version retains all the compulsive drama of the original, enhanced with a new compassion and heart. --Stephanie Anderson, readers' advisor at Darien Library and blogger