Tiger, tiger: a memoir

A devastating memoir of stolen childhood, Tiger, Tiger has sold in 19 countries and is poised to be an international sensation.One summer day, Margaux Fragoso swam up to Peter Curran at a public swimming pool and asked him to play.

She was seven; he was fifty-one. When Curran invited her and her mom to see his house, the little girl found a child's dream world, full of odd pets and books and music and magical toys.

Margaux's mother was devoted, but, beset by mental illness and frightened of her abusive husband, she was only too ready to take advantage of an escape for the daughter she felt incapable of taking care of on her own.

Soon Margaux was spending all her time with Peter, and any suspected signs of child abuse were overlooked.In time, Peter insidiously took on the role of Margaux's playmate, father, lover and captor.

Charming and repulsive, warm and violent, loving and manipulative, Peter burrowed into every aspect of Margaux's life and transformed her from a girl fizzing with imagination and affection into a deadened, young/old woman, suffering from serious post-traumatic stress and on the brink of suicide.