LITTLE PEOPLE

When a governess, Mary Ann, rescues what she thinks is a child from the Yarra River, she sets in motion a train of events that she could not foresee. It transpires she has saved none other than General Tom Thumb, the star of a celebrated travelling troupe of midgets. Mary Ann joins them on their 1870 tour of Australia, becoming a backstage observer to the lives of the little people and the cast of extraordinary characters that make up their entourage. From the tiny ‘Queen of Beauty' Lavinia Stratton to the frustrated musician Franz Richardson, it seems Mary Ann has fallen in amongst friends.

As time progresses, however, it becomes apparent that all is not well between both the miniature and full-sized members of the group. Everybody has a secret, including Mary Ann. When the little people take an interest in hers, relief gradually turns to fear as she realises that she may be a pawn in a larger game than she imagined.

Based on real events, the novel was inspired by the famous troupe of little people assembled by P.T. Barnum, who toured Australia in the nineteenth century. Fans of Sara Gruen's bestselling "Water for Elephants" will love this tale of intrigue and showtime glamour, which is also reminiscent of the fantastical, fabulist work of Angela Carter and early Peter Carey.

Jane Sullivan was the winner of the inaugural Australian Human Rights Award for journalism. At present she writes a Saturday column, "Turning Pages", and features about books and writing for "The Age". Her first novel was "The White Star". Her second novel, LITTLE PEOPLE, was shortlisted in the CAL Scribe Fiction Prize.