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| The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb |
In her national bestseller Alice I Have Been, Melanie Benjamin imagined the life of the woman who inspired Alice in Wonderland. Now, in this jubilant new novel, Benjamin shines a dazzling spotlight on another fascinating female figure whose story has never fully been told: a woman who became a nineteenth century icon and inspiration—and whose most daunting limitation became her greatest strength.
“Never would I allow my size to define me. Instead, I would define it.”
She was only two-foot eight-inches tall, but her legend reaches out to us more than a century later. As a child, Mercy Lavinia “Vinnie” Bump was encouraged to live a life hidden away from the public. Instead, she reached out to the immortal impresario P. T. Barnum, married the tiny superstar General Tom Thumb in the wedding of the century, and transformed into the world’s most unexpected celebrity.
Here, in Vinnie’s singular and spirited voice, is her amazing adventure—from a showboat “freak” revue where she endured jeering mobs to her fateful meeting with the two men who would change her life: P. T. Barnum and Charles Stratton, AKA Tom Thumb. Their wedding would captivate the nation, preempt coverage of the Civil War, and usher them into the White House and the company of presidents and queens. But Vinnie’s fame would also endanger the person she prized most: her similarly-sized sister, Minnie, a gentle soul unable to escape the glare of Vinnie’s spotlight.
A barnstorming novel of the Gilded Age, and of a woman’s public triumphs and personal tragedies, The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb is the irresistible epic of a heroine who conquered the country with a heart as big as her dreams—and whose story will surely win over yours.
Check out the fascinating timeline of history during Vinnie's lifetime.
Jackie says:
"This is the story of 32 inch tall Mercy Lavinia Warren Bump Stratton Magri. A little lady who lived a very, very large life. Most folks know her as Mrs. Tom Thumb. She was a school teacher, world traveler, seasoned performer, the darling of many a royal court and American presidents, a sharp business woman, and a very unhappy soul. Her's is a fascinating story told with compassion by Benjamin, who throws in tidbits of history throughout the book that help the reader to understand the amazingly changing world that 'The Little Queen of Beauty' ruled over. This book transports you to a time and a place so vivid that, sometimes, when glancing up from the page, you are surprised to see modern things around you. I cannot urge you strongly enough to come dive into Vinnie's world--it's one heck of a ride!"
Benjamin will be reading from and signing her new book at 7:30 pm tomorrow night, August 3, at our Colfax Avenue store.
“Never would I allow my size to define me. Instead, I would define it.”
She was only two-foot eight-inches tall, but her legend reaches out to us more than a century later. As a child, Mercy Lavinia “Vinnie” Bump was encouraged to live a life hidden away from the public. Instead, she reached out to the immortal impresario P. T. Barnum, married the tiny superstar General Tom Thumb in the wedding of the century, and transformed into the world’s most unexpected celebrity.
Here, in Vinnie’s singular and spirited voice, is her amazing adventure—from a showboat “freak” revue where she endured jeering mobs to her fateful meeting with the two men who would change her life: P. T. Barnum and Charles Stratton, AKA Tom Thumb. Their wedding would captivate the nation, preempt coverage of the Civil War, and usher them into the White House and the company of presidents and queens. But Vinnie’s fame would also endanger the person she prized most: her similarly-sized sister, Minnie, a gentle soul unable to escape the glare of Vinnie’s spotlight.
A barnstorming novel of the Gilded Age, and of a woman’s public triumphs and personal tragedies, The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb is the irresistible epic of a heroine who conquered the country with a heart as big as her dreams—and whose story will surely win over yours.
Check out the fascinating timeline of history during Vinnie's lifetime.
Jackie says:
"This is the story of 32 inch tall Mercy Lavinia Warren Bump Stratton Magri. A little lady who lived a very, very large life. Most folks know her as Mrs. Tom Thumb. She was a school teacher, world traveler, seasoned performer, the darling of many a royal court and American presidents, a sharp business woman, and a very unhappy soul. Her's is a fascinating story told with compassion by Benjamin, who throws in tidbits of history throughout the book that help the reader to understand the amazingly changing world that 'The Little Queen of Beauty' ruled over. This book transports you to a time and a place so vivid that, sometimes, when glancing up from the page, you are surprised to see modern things around you. I cannot urge you strongly enough to come dive into Vinnie's world--it's one heck of a ride!"
Benjamin will be reading from and signing her new book at 7:30 pm tomorrow night, August 3, at our Colfax Avenue store.
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