Including what they hope the book teaches young readers about getting through difficult times, and how we can look to ancestors for inspiration.
What is The Last Tiger about?
The Last Tiger is a YA fantasy novel about the power of love to help us through dark times – inspired by true events from our grandparents' forbidden romance during the Japanese Colonial occupation of Korea.
Set in the Korean-inspired Tiger Colonies, the novel centres on two teens from opposite worlds: Seung, a servant, and Eunji, a noblewoman. Both suffer under the oppressive rule of the Dragon Empire and dream of forging their own path. The two meet by accident and begrudgingly begin working together to change their fates . . . when both their lives are changed forever by stumbling across the last tiger spirit in the Colonies.
Soon, Seung and Eunji find themselves ripped apart by circumstances beyond their control, landing them on opposite sides of a battle over the mysterious creature whose magical powers hold the key not only to their personal freedom but also the liberation of their country.
The book was inspired by your grandparents’ love story. How did you translate history into fiction?
Our grandparents had an incredibly cinematic and beautiful forbidden romance, set against the backdrop of some of the darkest and most turbulent times in Korean history: colonisation, war, poverty, extreme oppression and more. Yet, they managed to survive all of it through their love for each other and their love for life.
After our grandpa passed away, we were moved to write The Last Tiger to honour him and our grandma. Although we’ve wrapped their story in a fantasy world to make it come alive for young people, the pain, grief, hope and dreams of the Korean people from this period of history are all very much real.
Why choose the fantasy genre?
It was important to us to try and get the history right, but we also know that historical fiction can be intimidating for some readers, so we decided to wrap the world in enough magic to make it come alive for everyone.
Fantasy can also be a wonderful way to tell emotional truths in an even more vivid manner than real-life.
In The Last Tiger, magic serves as a fun and accessible way to tell deeper stories about suffering, oppression, love and freedom. It’s a way to mix whimsy with politics, emotion and spirituality, to make entertainment and education two sides of the same coin and to engage young readers with hopes that it stimulates their own opinions and ideas about human nature outside the context of the world as we think we know it.
Additionally, as Korean American authors who belong to a global diaspora, writing in the fantasy genre gives us the liberty to invent places and people who truly resonate with us culturally; room to build worlds that may not yet exist in our reality, where we can mix elements of Korean and American sensibilities. Although our story is rooted in a Korean past, it’s meant to speak to young people like ourselves, growing up in a global yet fragmented world.
What would you like YA readers to take away from The Last Tiger?
We know young people are growing up in a world full of challenges.
Our message is that we’re not alone in facing difficult times – the biggest thing we hope young people can take away from our story is that we can look to our heritage, and remember that our ancestors not only survived some of the darkest times in history, they found the love in their hearts, and the strength to carry them through.
We want young people to feel that if our grandparents could meet their moment, then maybe we can meet ours. Our wish is for The Last Tiger to be a source of hope for young people, and hopefully even to inspire others to learn more about their own ancestors' stories.
It’s been announced that XO, Kitty actor Joshua Hyunho Lee is narrating Lee Seung’s perspective. How exciting! Are you fans of the show?
We're so thrilled to have Josh co-narrating this story, and it's such an honour for Julia to be co-narrating alongside him!
Julia actually first met Josh in college; a few friends of hers were in the Harvard Asian American Dance Troupe (AADT) and she got to witness his legendary dancing skills there . . . and later again when he performed in KPOP on Broadway. It's been so exciting to watch his talents extend from the college stage to Broadway and then to Netflix and beyond!
What’s next for you both?
We are busy working on our next YA novel with Penguin, an existential sci-fi comedy thriller. Stay tuned! Julia's debut middle grade novel, Shim Jung Takes the Dive, will be released next year and Brad is currently at work on a memoir.
The author of This Is Not a Game on what inspired her novel and how a background in production influences her writing.
The debut author of The Eights shares writing advice, insights into the publishing process and which character she enjoyed writing most.
Peter Cattaneo, director of The Penguin Lessons film adaptation, talks about the film, directing and his second-favourite Penguin book.
Plus, learn more about his fun new book, Celeste Express.
From being a step-sibling to her up-close experience with addiction, Morgan’s real life played a role in shaping Favourite Daughter.
Plus, learn about the real-world inspiration behind the darkly funny novel.
Learn how Nadia Majhouri's personal journey and cultural heritage inspired her debut novel, Half Truth.
Discover the inspiration behind Emma Pignatiello's debut novel Last Shot. Learn about her creative process, character development and tips for writers.
Plus, find out his #1 tip for aspiring authors.
We caught up with Margot McGovern to learn more about her new book, This Stays Between Us.
We caught up with Erika Cramer, author of Becoming Magnetic, to learn more about her upcoming book, what it means to be magnetic and her top tip for readers.
Learn what inspired Liam Runnalls to get into puzzle-making and what it was like sticking to one theme while creating Birdle. Plus, find out which bird is his favourite!
