The Tiger And The Wren

The four decades from early 1910 to the 1950s were arguably the most turbulent times in modern history, as they included two world wars, the Partition of India (in 1947) plus pandemic outbreaks of deadly diseases like influenza, which killed millions and disrupted the lives of many more. The author, born in 1930 into a British colonial family, was in the middle of this mayhem. His situation was made worse by the untimely death of his mother when he was aged only three, which resulted in him being looked after by native carers and then attending boarding school in the Himalayas. Fergus Wiggin spent his formative years trying to cope with this responsibility. A gifted individual with almost total recall, he tells his amazing, detailed stories of overcoming adversity, bringing dry history alive with touching moments and haunting memories. He met his wife when he was aged just four; endured life threatening extraordinary experiences from an earthquake, a leopard, hyenas, reptiles, a lost cow and a Spitfire plane. In contrast, he had all his worldly goods stolen and had mischievous antics with Mahatma Gandhi, who referred to Fergus as the 'Last Raj Boy of India'. This all makes a fascinating and compelling read.