Melanie Benjamin: "The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb"
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2011-08-01/melanie-benjamin-autobiography-mrs-tom-thumb
Mercy Lavinia Warren Bump was born on a Massachusetts farm in 1841. Vinnie, as her family called her, weighed in at six pounds and grew normally during her first year of life. Then she stopped growing and remained thirty-two inches tall for the rest of her life. Her height didn’t stop her from excelling at school and even becoming a school teacher. But she sought a bigger stage and at 17 embarked on a career in show business. It led to a partnership with P.T. Barnum, marriage to tiny superstar General Tom Thumb and a grand world tour. A novelist imagines what life was like for Mrs. Tom Thumb.
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Please tell Ms. Benjamin that she has a lovely voice! I could listen to her speak all day. I do hope she narrates her books if they are on audio. Thanks to both of you - great, interesting show!
Does Ms. Benjamin's book make any mention of the house the Thumbs had on Martha's Vineyard? We used to drive by it and think about them using it as an escape from their show business.
Also, the name of Vinnie's sister, "Minnie", was fairly common in New England and might not have referred to her size.
Thanks for a great show, the 2nd one today!
There is no limit to the human spirit and their stories.
Sounds like a fascinating retelling of a very interesting life, done by a very talented story teller.
Excellent interview and show Diane, as usual.
I am going to buy this book today in hopes of learning a little more about my own family history. I have a photograph of a circus celebration dinner for Tom Thumb's wedding in which my great grandmother, Corrine Uzzell, is seated across from Tom and Vinnie. As I understand it, Corrine was a bareback rider and my great grandfather, a musician in the band. In the photograph in which the whole circus is assembled, complete with animals in cages behind, Corrine is holding an even smaller woman on her shoulder. Corrine went on to have a career in silent films but I know very little about Corrine' s time with the circus. I hope this book will fill in some gaps. Thank you!!!!
I heard you say that Mini died in child birth, but you did not mention what happened to the child. Did the child live?