Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson 292 pages 9780062003256

This is my favorite book of 2013, so far. I have seen all the screen versions of Peter Pan starting with Mary Martin's definitive black and white version to Return to Neverland starring Johnny Depp as Peter Pan's playwright, James M. Barrie. This is a retelling for teens, rather teen girls from the point of view of the Native American teen, Tiger Lily's fairy companion, Tinker Bell. Before Wendy dropped in on Neverland there was a romance brewing between T. L. and Peter, much to Tinker Bell's dismay. In past versions, I found T. L. to be rather bland, but Anderson has brought to life a full blooded character living a complicated life. Her father figure is Tik Tok, the shaman, who has a passion for women's apparel. She is doomed to marry Giant, an oafish, brutal savage. In the background is Pine Sap who loves her from afar and spends his free time building her the perfect cabin. Tiger Lily is drawn to Peter, caretaker of The Lost Boys. He is charismatic, tender and quick to make promises. Neverland also has two other groups, the ancients and the pirates. The ancients aren't very interesting. Hook and Smee are the most colorful of the pirates. Hook wants to reclaim the lost boys; Smee just wants Tiger Lily. One day an Englishman stumbles into the Indian village. Change is inevitable.