The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb, by Melanie Benjamin, Review and Giveaway!

4 STARS!

ABOUT THE BOOK - This follow-up to Benjamin's Alice I Have Been is loosely based on the life of Lavinia "Vinnie" Warren Bump, who married world-famous "little person" Charles Stratton (aka Gen. Tom Thumb). Benjamin tells Vinnie's story from her upbringing in a modest but proud Massachusetts family to her early forays into show business on a seedy riverboat to her eventual fame and fortune as one of P.T. Barnum's popular attractions. In an essentially arranged marriage, she reserves her emotional intimacy for Barnum and her sister Minnie, with tragic results. VERDICT Vinnie's first-person narration grabs you from the opening pages, providing hints of the absorbing and entertaining story to come. The novel is also a delightful cavalcade of late 19th-century Americana, as you travel with Vinnie up and down the Mississippi, head westward via the expanding railroad, and hobnob with New York's rich and famous. Those interested in "behind the scenes" of show business will be equally entranced.

MY REVIEW -  This was a very very interesting book. Livinia was quite a woman and led quite a life. The beginning of this book was excellent. The end of this book was excellent. It was the middle that was just ok for me. I felt like it was too long at - 448 pages. Most of the middle was a lot of historical stuff, while I really am interested in history, this got a little slow and tedious.
BUT - the rest of the book was really great! It was full of true historical facts and it really seemed like the Author did her research. A bit of a warning, Livinia life was not all glitz and glamor. There were some really sad and heartbreaking parts to this book.
If you enjoyed "Alice I have Been" you would probably enjoy this.

Thank you Librarything early reviewers for sending me this book to review!

GIVEAWAY - I have one ARC of this book that I am giving away!
To enter -
*Please be from either Canada or the US
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*Winner will be chosen by random.org and announced on June26th
*Winner will then have 48 hrs to respond with their mailing address before another winner is chosen

**Please be aware that I do not have any rules on how many of my contests you enter or how many times you win! So good luck everyone!