Title
The Remarkable Courtship of General Tom Thumb: A Novel
Role
Nicholas Rinaldi is the author and professor emeritus at Fairfield University.
Files
Document Type
Book
Description/Summary
An irresistible novel set against the backdrop of the American Civil War and based on the real life of Tom Thumb, a young man only twenty-five inches tall, who became America’s first internationally recognized entertainer. By a writer whose previous work has been called “sprawling and elegant” (The New York Times Book Review), this novel weaves together a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at life during the Civil War and a moving tale of one misfit’s odyssey to find his place in the world. Discovered at age four by P.T. Barnum, Tom Thumb soon finds himself traveling internationally, sitting on the laps of the queens of Europe, and entertaining the masses. He meets Czar Nicholas and the King of Saxony, and is invited to the Tuilleries by Louis Philippe. After marrying Lavinia Warren, Tom and wife are hosted at the White House by President Lincoln. With the country at war, Tom and Lavinia set out on their honeymoon tour and witness firsthand the fracture between the states, the heroism of young soldiers, and the unbreakable spirit of the American people. Written in a voice that is both witty and lyrical, and with a colorful secondary cast including Abraham Lincoln, Walt Whitman, P.T. Barnum, and notable figures of the period, this is an evocative, poignant imagining of one man’s story at a unique moment in American history. - Publisher description.
ISBN
9781476727325
Publication Date
2014
Publication Information
Rinaldi, Nicholas. (2014). The Remarkable Courtship of General Tom Thumb: A Novel. New York : Scribner.
Recommended Citation
Rinaldi, Nicholas, "The Remarkable Courtship of General Tom Thumb: A Novel" (2014). English Faculty Book Gallery. 48.
https://digitalcommons.fairfield.edu/english-books/48
Comments
Copyright 2014 Scribner