We Are All His Creatures

January 15, 2020
Noyes (Tooth and Claw, 2019, etc.) explores P.T. Barnum's career from the perspectives of his family members, performers, and acquaintances. Barnum, the "Prince of Humbug," rose to fame by exhibiting--and exploiting--a collection of human and animal "wonders." But here, Jumbo the elephant and the Fejee mermaid aren't the showman's only "creatures." In 11 intertwined, third-person stories spanning from 1842 to 1891, the author imagines the perspectives of those in Barnum's narcissistic shadow--from his belittled, overwhelmed wives and overlooked daughters to such celebrated performers as the little person Charlie Stratton, aka General Tom Thumb, who pays for his fame by losing his identity. The disparate cast is united by similar themes: loneliness; the simultaneously empowering and disempowering nature of performing; and the pressures of living in the public eye. Though the stories create a vivid, dark impression of Barnum's personality, many other characters' development is shallow and disjointed. Further details of characters' lives are scattered among other characters' stories, and keeping track of the crowded cast across a multigenerational time span is an occasionally taxing, ultimately underwhelming exercise. Several characters' fates are rather abruptly summarized, and expository prose and dialogue dull poignant emotions and backstories. A slightly supernatural plot thread is left dangling. Most characters appear to be white. Archival photographs introduce each story. An earnest but unfocused glimpse behind the curtain of Barnum's career. (author's note, image credits) (Historical fiction. 13-18)

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February 1, 2020

Gr 7 Up-This collection of connected short stories is a look into the behind-the-scenes life of P.T. Barnum, focusing on his family and the "living curiosities" who performed for him. The chronologically organized vignettes paint a picture of a profit-driven opportunist who capitalized on the imagination of his inner child and the public's fascination with the eccentric until Barnum's death at age 80. The stories are rich in detail and place the reader in the mid-1800s, when industry regulations were few (Barnum's American Museum burned down more than once) and high society was often unabashedly captivated by other people's misfortunes. The most affecting tales are those that involve Barnum's daughters and how they each adjusted to being the progeny of a famous and unconventional figure. Noyes follows them from childhood through adulthood and deftly ties their narratives together in the final chapter. While Barnum has been criticized for exploiting his performers, that issue is not explored significantly in the stories. As these accounts are fictionalized, readers are left to decide for themselves how much truth each piece holds. VERDICT An entertaining, absorbing look at the prominent figures in Barnum's life that will appeal to his fans and history buffs in general. Recommended.-Melissa Kazan, Horace Mann School, NY

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February 24, 2020
Proceeding chronologically from 1842 to Barnum’s death in 1891, this collection of 11 intertwined stories from Noyes (Tooth & Claw) imagines the inner lives of real people from the Barnum family and business, with the ambitious, exploitative P.T. Barnum serving as a decentered fulcrum. Eight “marginalized women”—miserable wives, neglected daughters, conflicted members of his exhibitions, and a fictitious paid companion to the Swedish Nightingale, Jenny Lind—provide the focus for as many stories, while General Tom Thumb (a little person born Charlie Stratton), President Lincoln’s eldest son Robert, and a fictional teenaged son of a bearded lady comprise the male protagonists. The dramatis personae may be dissimilar, but each story, conveyed in the third-person perspective, emphasizes the central character’s emotional isolation. Rarely does the figure reconcile with their lot in life, lending a bleak tone to the narrative. Though character development is spare, and a puzzling subplot featuring a ghost is left unresolved, these stories vividly engage with their period images (“her knuckles... were the color of new cream”), providing a picture of what life with Barnum might have been like: “We are all his creatures.” B&W photos. Ages 14–up. Agent: Jill Grinberg, Jill Grinberg Literary Management.