A new collection of short stories from the bestselling author of Up the Down StaircaseLa Tigresse and Other Short Stories collects Bel Kaufman’s short stories together for the first time—and introduces eight stories never before published. In the title piece, first published in Esquire in 1948, an aging femme fatale finds herself finally understanding what it means to truly love someone when she meets—and has a short affair with—a plain, balding Frenchman who affectionately calls her “la tigresse.” In her story “From a Teacher’s Wastebasket, ”Kaufman reveals the origins of her bestselling novel Up the Down Staircase. In “Varya, ” we enjoy the story of a free-spirited, determinedly optimistic Russian immigrant who wins over anyone who crosses her path. In her deft, perceptive stories, Kaufman embraces the importance of joy and of living life to the fullest.