fly_cuttlefish 's review for:

The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb by Melanie Benjamin

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The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb is an interesting look into the life of... well, Mrs. Tom Thumb. This is a pretty rare book in that, normally when the subject of the history of the American Freak Show, the wife of General Tom Thumb isn't brought up in discussion. But the author here really did their homework and delved into the life of a woman who, despite the world around her thinking otherwise, was a very intelligent, proud, and independent woman. Lavinia, our main character, is shown as a person that not everybody isn't going to fall in love with and defend 100% of the time. Her husband is shown as a very naive and impressionable to his surroundings, while Lavinia always likes to stay two steps ahead. When she talks to her family or her husband, you can feel the pity she has for them mixed with love, ESPECIALLY whenever she is talking to or about her little sister Minnie, who was also born as a little person. Surprisingly, it is the relationship between Lavinia and P.T. Barnum that is central to the story. A deep, platonic friendship between two respectful minds; rather than a romantic love between a married couple.

I wouldn't go so far as to say that this could replace actual documentaries or text on the history of the shows, but it's a good starting point to anybody that wanted to look into the subject of the American Freak Show. The author, from what I understand, took a lot of research from Lavinia's actual autobiography so I'd be willing to say that it can be a good read for anybody that wanted to read from the perspective of a little person. All in all, it's a nice light historical read.