WE ARE ALL HIS CREATURES

WE ARE ALL HIS CREATURES by Deborah Noyes is a gorgeous work of biographical fiction inspired by the man behind "The Greatest Show on Earth," the one and only P.T. Barnum.

Thanks to Hugh Jackman's portrayal in the recent blockbuster The Greatest Showman, Barnum's life has very much been something of public interest lately. Known for founding the Barnum & Bailey Circus, he drew huge crowds with his spectacular displays of the wondrous and the strange. Except Barnum isn't the star of this show.

WE ARE ALL HIS CREATURES give us a glimpse of the inner lives of the people in Barnum's orbit: the neglected, the exploited, and the exalted.

As his wife Charity wonders where their marriage went wrong, his daughter Caroline embraces life in the spotlight, traveling the world with her father's performers. Meanwhile, the younger daughter Helen seeks the company of elephants and ghosts.

On the stage, Charles Stratton adopts the role of General Tom Thumb, making him one of the most famous dwarfs of all time; the giantess Anna Swan, eight feet tall and in search of romance, fights her way through a fire; and behind the scenes, the President's son Robert Todd Lincoln observes a political circus unfold amidst the American Civil War.

These are only a few of the men and women who appear in this book, their lives weaving together a tapestry of great fame and greater heartbreak. Elegantly crafted and meticulously researched, with black-and-white photographs throughout, WE ARE ALL HIS CREATURES is an exquisite narrative told through linked, linear short stories that span Barnum's early years to his death in 1891. Together, the stories paint a portrait of a family -- on and off the stage -- fighting for love, for independence, and for the show to go on.
As Deborah Noyes writes:
"Barnum himself doesn't much figure into these stories...In the end, I was more interested in giving voice to the marginalized women in his life and, inasmuch as possible, to the real and talented entertainers (human and animal) the showman built his entertainment empire on. This book is dedicated to them."

With its focus on forgotten figures, WE ARE ALL HIS CREATURES is perfect for fans of Marie Benedict and Paula McLain, as well as for those who love the magical and romantic circus setting of books like Sara Gruen's WATER FOR ELEPHANTS.