The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb: A Novel by Melanie Benjamin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I almost passed on The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb. There was a part of me when I first saw the title in my public library enews that felt like I was participating in the objectification of little people. I dare say after listening to Kim Mai’s excellent performance of Melanie Benjamin’s fictional story, that I found myself admiring Mrs. General Tom Thumb, aka Lavinia Mercy Warren Bump Stratton.
Ms. Benjamin creates a deep and strong character in Vinnie, as Mrs. Stratton was commonly known, showing her to be a woman who determined not to let her size limit her life. Indeed, with the help of PT Barnum, the extraordinary promoter of 19th century novelties, Mrs. Stratton used her not quite 32 inches in height to expand her life beyond the opportunities usually available to women of the time.
Vinnie’s marriage to General Tom Thumb, aka Charles Stratton, was the royal wedding of the 1800s, distracting a country at war with a romantic fantasy of two perfectly proportioned people in miniature. The author relates in an end note, however, that her fictional autobiography took life from the relationship between Vinnie and Mr. Barnum, which was a bond between two people looking for intellectual equals.
Ms. Mai brings Vinnie to life with a voice in higher registers that sounds appropriate for a little person, but filled out with a maturity that honors her intellect and strength. Changes in depth, tone, and cadence for other characters seem true and unforced, and at times provide a comic interpretation of incidental characters.
