An irresistible novel that âcharts a harrowing tour through the Civil Warâ (Connecticut Post) and chronicles the life of Tom Thumbâthe tiny man who became, in his time, Americaâs most famous entertainer.
âI was four years old when Barnum discovered me, and soon to turn five when I first appeared on the big stage of his American Museum.â So begins the story of Tom Thumb, who at just twenty-five-inches tall, rises to global fame as Americaâs most beloved entertainer. With his parentsâ blessing, Tom comes of age in Barnumâs five-story gallery of oddities, exploring its mystical artifacts and exotic animals between his performances to sold-out crowds. One day in the museumâs basement menagerie, Tom meets a new performer, Lavinia Warren, who stands three inches shorter than he. Itâs love at first sight, and Barnum quickly arranges the largest wedding reception New York City has ever seen. As cannon fire echoes across Bull Run and Antietam, both North and South are briefly united by their fascination with âGeneralâ Tom Thumb and his beautiful, petite wife.
Despite the Civil War, Tom and Lavinia embark on a honeymoon tour, where they encounter cities and people ravaged by the ongoing conflict. But as the tour winds down, an unexpected danger follows Tom and Lavinia back home.
Witty, lyrical, and with a colorful cast of notable figures of the period, The Remarkable Courtship of General Tom Thumb is an evocative, poignant imagining of one manâs story, from a âmaster of elegant prose and psychological insightâ (Entertainment Weekly).