Little People

by Jane Sullivan

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'A startling feat of the gothic imagination, made wholly convincing by lucid and controlled storytelling.' AMANDA LOHREY When Mary Ann, an impoverished governess, rescues a child from the Yarra River, she sets in motion a train of events that she could never have foreseen. It is not a child she has saved but General Tom Thumb, star of a celebrated troupe of midgets on their 1870 tour of Australia. From the enchanting Queen of Beauty Lavinia Stratton to the brilliant pianist Franz Richardson, it seems that Mary Ann has fallen in among friends. She soon discovers, however, that relationships within the troupe and its entourage are far from harmonious. Jealousy is rife, and there are secrets aplenty- even Mary Ann has one of her own. Relief gradually turns to fear as he realises that she may be a pawn in a more dangerous game than she imagined . . . This gripping historical novel has all the colour and flair of the circus, complete with sideshows starring the little people themselves. A fantastical tale of intrigue and showtime glamour, Little Peoplewill charm and beguile you. 'I fell in love with this glorious novel from the very first page. Little Peopleis vibrant storytelling at its charismatic best.' TONI JORDAN… (more)

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Jane Sullivan’s LITTLE PEOPLE is built around the real historical fact that General Tom Thumb and his troupe of little people visited Australia for nine months in 1870 as part of a world tour. They caused a sensation wherever they went. Whenever the public came to the show they saw glitz, glamour, laughter and happiness and were envious of this. The fictional heroine, Mary Ann, sees another side, dark under currents, jealousies, rivalries and tantrums. LITTLE PEOPLE is a gothic novel in the traditional sense as there is a female in peril, scary events, hidden schemes and quite a few potential villains to carry out the ultimate betrayal at the end

My major gripe is that I disliked the cutting between points of view without giving me a hint as to whose eyes I was looking through. Many of the characters had more than one name and their point of view could be from any of those names as well as from the present and the past. Despite that I was intrigued by the story and kept going to be rewarded by one of the most edge of the seat conclusions I have read this year. Was terrific. (

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sally906 | Apr 3, 2013 |

In the first few pages of this book you have an illegitimate pregnancy, an near abortion and a woman trying to save a "child" from drowning in the Yarra river. It was a fantastic start and I was drawn in instantly. I really liked how the novel was set out - with chapters from the main narrator, Mary Ann, interspersed with the past and chapters from the performers in the travelling circus. I'd never read a story about a circus or about "Little People" before and those two things kept me interested until the final page. Historical fiction isn't really my favourite genre and I don't think this story will change my feelings on that but this was an entertaining read. (

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kashtastic | Jul 1, 2012 |

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'A startling feat of the gothic imagination, made wholly convincing by lucid and controlled storytelling.' AMANDA LOHREY When Mary Ann, an impoverished governess, rescues a child from the Yarra River, she sets in motion a train of events that she could never have foreseen. It is not a child she has saved but General Tom Thumb, star of a celebrated troupe of midgets on their 1870 tour of Australia. From the enchanting Queen of Beauty Lavinia Stratton to the brilliant pianist Franz Richardson, it seems that Mary Ann has fallen in among friends. She soon discovers, however, that relationships within the troupe and its entourage are far from harmonious. Jealousy is rife, and there are secrets aplenty- even Mary Ann has one of her own. Relief gradually turns to fear as he realises that she may be a pawn in a more dangerous game than she imagined . . . This gripping historical novel has all the colour and flair of the circus, complete with sideshows starring the little people themselves. A fantastical tale of intrigue and showtime glamour, Little Peoplewill charm and beguile you. 'I fell in love with this glorious novel from the very first page. Little Peopleis vibrant storytelling at its charismatic best.' TONI JORDAN

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