I picked this book at the library because I had enjoyed her previous work, Alice I Have Been. Mrs. Tom Thumb exceeded my expectations. I couldn't put it down. I was not familiar with PT Barnum nor did I have information about Vinnie. I throughly enjoyed this book and hope that your book club will enjoy it, too.

I liked the book ... at least, I did once Vinnie (Mrs. Tom Thumb) meets P.T. Barnum. Once P.T. Barnum enters Vinnie's life, my interest in the book picked up. I find it fair to say that Barnum steals the show, though he spends most of his time behind the scenes. Vinnie leads an interesting life. The author manages to portray a vibrant "woman in miniature" who surmounts obstacles through sheer force of will and intelligence.

Lavinia Warren was only 32 inches high, but had ambitions that were not limited by her diminutive size. She was a real person, more popularly known as Mrs General Tom Thumb – the wife of P T Barnum’s famous “oddity.” In the midst of Civil War, their wedding was front-page news. They were received by Queen Victoria, Abraham Lincoln, and heads of state around the world. All of this is true, but this book is a work of fiction.


Benjamin does a wonderful job of bringing Vinnie to life. The novel depicts a woman of great intelligence and drive. She is shown to be cunning, witty, talented and strong-willed; also vulnerable, frightened, angry, and cold. Her partnership with Barnum is wonderfully imagined and beautifully told. Benjamin gives us a woman who is defined by her character, not her height. All this is presented against a backdrop of historical events – Civil War, the opening of the West, and life in the Gilded Age. I really liked this book. I was completely mesmerized by Vinnie’s story, and that of the other members of her troupe.

A good book club choice - an interesting story and we enjoyed that it was inspired by real people. Did not know much about P.T. Barnum and the types of acts that were in the show at that time or have insight to the lives of little people prior to reading this. It did feel a little weighty/ slower than it seemed it should but it was a pretty good discussion. Recommend.

The book was entertaining and provided insight to circus life in the 1800's and early 1900's.