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field_of_books's review
adventurous
hopeful
informative
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is the first historical fiction I’ve read in absolutely forever, and I read it thanks to @chel - it’s definitely not your usual historical fiction!
Set in the English civil war and narrated by Nat Davy, this book is about how it doesn’t matter how you look on the outside, it’s what’s inside that counts. We watch Nat, a man with dwarfism, grow up in the 1600s, maturing into a man as a member of Queen Henrietta Maria’s court. Loosely based on a true story, Nat’s story is anything but small.
The writing style of this book is really easy going, it’s definitely a pleasant read on the brain. I felt like I could read it even when I was super tired/foggy which is always a bonus. I loved the character of Nat, seeing his character development slowly mature. He felt like a very real person, especially when comparing it with the time the book was set - Nat obviously believed in the patriarchy, taking care of women, and felt the need to show off that he was a ‘strong man.’💪🏻 Whilst I wouldn’t be pleased with this in a modern character, it felt right in the historical setting, and in comparison with many men at the time, he was still an utter sweetheart. (Enough of comparing and contrasting feminism, let’s get on with the rest of the review).
There were some other excellent characters, like Jerome and Arabella, who I loved. I pictured Jerome like Anton Ego in ratatouille, and now if you read this book, you will too 🤣 you’re welcome. Arabella also made me think about Athena, the goddess of wisdom, but that might have been something to do with listening to Percy Jackson at the time.
The book follows Nat’s life over a period of decades, so I went in expecting a fairly slow paced book. I’m really fussy about slow pacing but I found this to be nice and medium paced, it was also still quite gripping despite its pacing!
I am sad that this isn’t an OwnVoices book, but from my point of view I don’t think it perpetuated any stigmas or micro aggressions, so I’m gonna be generous and not take off the .5 star that I was originally going to 🤣
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcohol, Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Violence, and War
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