We Are All His Creatures: Tales of P. T. Barnum, the Greatest Showman

by Deborah Noyes

In a series of interwoven fictionalized stories, Deborah Noyes gives voice to the marginalized women in P. T. Barnum's family -- and the talented entertainers he built his entertainment empire on.

Much has been written about P. T. Barnum -- legendary showman, entrepreneur, marketing genius, and one of the most famous nineteenth-century personalities. For those who lived in Barnum's shadow, however, life was complex. P. T. Barnum's two families -- his family at home, including his two wives and his daughters, and his family at work, including Little People, a giantess, an opera singer, and many sideshow entertainers -- suffered greatly from his cruelty and exploitation. Yet, at the same time, some of his performers, such as General Tom Thumb (Charles Stratton), became wealthy celebrities who were admired and feted by presidents and royalty. In this collection of interlinked stories illustrated with archival photographs, Deborah Noyes digs deep into what is known about the people in Barnum's orbit and imagines their personal lives, putting front and center the complicated joy and pain of what it meant to be one of Barnum's "creatures."

Genres: Historical Fiction, Short Stories, Young Adult, Fiction, Teen, Historical

288 pages, Hardcover

First published March 10, 2020

About the author

Deb writes for adults and children and is also an editor and photographer. She lives in Massachusetts with her family.

Reviews

[Paige · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would describe this book as a boring take on what is often considered an exciting time with a group of interesting characters. The interlinked short stories were directionless. Some I would describe as pointless since I'm not sure what the end goal was.

Sadly, this book might cause teens and young readers to become disinterested in the subject because the stories are not captivating and the characters feel lifeless.

I was excited to read this, but after reading the first few stories I quickly lost that excitement and considered not finishing this many times.

I liked the photographs and quotes that were included before each story. And, though I really did not care for the book overall, I thought the portrayal of P.T. Barnum was refreshing. To see him through others eyes.

1.5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy. Opinions are my own.

[mad mags · Rating 3 out of 5]

This could have been spectacular.

(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review through Netgalley.)

“Never is the joke on you, my boy. Remember that. The power is yours. Count your worth in coins.”

As an afterthought, he added, “Your parents certainly do.”

“We have very few pictures of any of us.” She lifted one of the many cabinet cards of General Tom Thumb. “Papa always liked them better.”

The subtitle of We Are All His Creatures: Tales of P. T. Barnum, the Greatest Showman is a bit misleading, as the eleven loosely connected short stories gathered in these pages are only marginally about PT Barnum. Rather, Noyes concerns herself with the people trapped in Barnum's orbit, and imagines how his actions might have affected them.

Naturally, this is a pretty complicated subject: while Barnum arguably created gainful (and even profitable) means of employment for disabled folks who, in some cases, were considered "burdens" on their families, his exhibits leaned into racist, sexist, and albeist tropes, thus perpetuating the bigotry that drove many of Barnum's performers into his arms. Though he was an outspoken abolitionist later in life, Barnum quite literally built his career on the back of Joice Heth, an elderly African-American slave who Barnum purchased and exhibited as "the 161-year-old nursing mammy of George Washington." He even exploited Heth in death, offering her body up for a public, for-pay autopsy to "prove" her age and authenticity.

Given this, I expected that Noyes would elevate the voices of the performers who both prospered and suffered under Barnum's thumb. Instead, there's a mix of perspectives here: while some stories are told from the POV of performers (or their friends and family), the majority of the narrators - 6/11 - are Barnum's female family members. The stories cross a nearly fifty-year time span and often occur at crucial (and tragic) moments in Barnum's timeline:

The Mermaid (1842)
Caroline, the eldest of the Barnum girls, is itching to see her father's newest acquisition: the Feejee mermaid, being displayed several floors above the family's living quarters in the American Museum. Since daddy has precious little time for her, she's determined to take matters into her own hands.

The Mysterious Arm (1842)
Young Charlie Stratton, who will eventually come to be known as General Tom Thumb, has just been recruited by PT Barnum. As he stays at the Museum, training for his upcoming European tour, Charlie befriends the Barnum sisters - including baby Frances and her older sister Helen.

Returning a Bloom to Its Bud (1845)
Charity Barnum, long-suffering wife of PT Barnum, pregnant with her fourth child and grieving the loss of her third, reflects on her life as she sets sail for the States after eight months spent touring Europe with her husband and his performers.

Beside Myself (1851)
When young Josephine agreed to tour the county with her childhood friend Jenny Lind, aka the "Swedish Nightingale," she had no idea that it would mean losing herself - or the man that she loves.

We Will Always Be Sisters (1852)
Helen, now a young woman living on her father's estate in Connecticut (Iranistan), is haunted by the ghost of her baby sister Frances - and by her older sister Caroline's upcoming nuptials.

The Fairy Wedding (1863)
Robert Todd Lincoln, son of Abraham Lincoln, inadvertently finds that his visit to the White House is set to coincide with the visit of Charles Stratton and Lavinia Warren Stratton, as part of their three-year "honeymoon" tour, stopping in DC at Mary Todd's request. Angry with his parents' insistence that he not take up arms against the Confederacy, and still grieving the loss of his younger brother Willie, Robert's disgust with the affair forces him to confront his relationship with his parents, as well as his own humanity (or lack thereof).

An Extraordinary Specimen of Magnified Humanity (1865)
It's just another day for Anna Swan, a giantess from Nova Scotia who left her job as a teacher to join Barnum's troupe: brunch with her friend Lavinia Warren Stratton, a lecture or two, and bedtime. And then a fire ravages the American Museum, killing most of Barnum's nonhuman menagerie, nearly trapping Anna in its flames, and displacing them all.

The Bearded Lady’s Son (1868)
Sixteen-year-old Jack is the illegitimate son of a bearded lady who just landed a spot in Barnum's roster. Trouble is, they've got to keep his existence a secret - Barnum can't risk any whiff of impropriety in a show that struggles to avoid the margins. So Jack spends his days sketching the animals in Barnum's menagerie...animals who, once again, are about to stoke the (literal) fire of Barnum's vanity.

It’s Not Humbug If You Believe It (1869)
On the eve of William Mumler's trial for fraud - at which her own father, none other than PT Barnum, is set to testify for the prosecution - Pauline commissions Mumler to take a spirit self-portrait of her. She hides it in a book in her father's library, where it will sit for more than twenty years.

All Elephants Are Tragic (1889)
As the family gathers at the Barnum property in Bridgeport, Connecticut, to witness the demolition of the Waveport cottage to make way for the Marina house - Barnum's gift to his second, much-younger wife Nancy - the newest, arguably most vilified member of the Barnums reflects on her fifteen years with PT Barnum, his daughters, and their children.

What Makes You Think We Want You Here? (1891)
Told from the perspective of Barnie - really named Helen after her mother, and then renamed by Barnum once he became estranged from Helen the elder - the Barnums have gathered at the deathbed of the family's larger-than-life patriarch: to say goodbye, and to reminisce.

While the writing is skilled enough, and some of the stories engaging (the recurring theme of fire is especially compelling), the overall result just fell flat for me. I feel like this is something I should have enjoyed, thoroughly, and yet...and yet. With few exceptions, it's weirdly boring and lacking in emotion.

I was disappointed that Noyes didn't focus exclusively on the performers, even though not all of their narratives proved all that memorable.

Centering the women in Barnum's life might also have worked out well, but mostly it felt like the stories didn't go much of anywhere.

Honestly, I think the most eloquent writing manifests in Noyes's narratives surrounding the nonhuman exhibits who suffered and died agonizing deaths in the multiple fires that destroyed Barnum's museums over the years. For example, in "An Extraordinary Specimen of Magnified Humanity" Anna Swan bears witness to the deaths of countless animals - snakes, cats, moneys - even as she fights to overcome her shock-induced paralysis and save herself:

She sailed and swayed over the sea of hats in the street, yet another audience, a uniform mass applauding with joy, it seemed, such joy — as much because some kind soul had released the birds from the aviary upstairs, and almost as one they burst from a corresponding window, a wheeling, feathered blur: parrots, cockatoos, mockingbirds, hummingbirds, vultures, and eagles, even the great, stiff, clumsy condor. The crowd in the street seemed to sway with them as they flapped free, and for the instant Anna floated on air as her rescue crew paused to take in the sight, and for the merest instant she felt it, too, swaying there, the beauty of the moment.

Also heart wrenching is the tale of Jumbo the elephant, purchased from the London Zoo to tour in the Barnum & Bailey Circus, who sacrificed himself in a railway collision to save the life of a young calf. For his heroics, his corpse is dismembered and put on display by Barnum, exploited as a commodity even in death as "the Double Jumbo." (Talk about a callback!) In "All Elephants Are Tragic," second wife and "interloper" Nancy Fish considers her husband's oh so brief mourning period and his shameful treatment of a "friend":

As another of her husband’s British “acquisitions,” Nancy identified with Jumbo. [...]

A year after the loss of Jumbo, the circus’s Winter Quarters in Bridgeport, the biggest animal training ground in the world, was leveled by fire, killing most of the animals. All Nancy remembered of that night was that poor Gracie the elephant had tried to swim to safety ... making it all the way to the lighthouse before she sank under the waves. All elephants were tragic, it seemed to Nancy, captives stolen from their homes and made to perform against their wild natures.

THIS. This is the content I came here for. Immerse me in a chapter written from the perspective of one of Barnum's nonhuman performers, the most long-suffering of them all. The fishes and monkeys forcibly joined to make the Feejee Mermaid (posthumously, obvs) perhaps, or the white whales boiled to death in their tank. Maybe Helen's cranky old cat, banished to the Museum by Charity, never to be seen again.

Give me an act of nonhuman rebellion, or a whisper of feminist solidarity between h. sapiens and the furred and feathered creatures: for we are all their (read: the capitalist patriarchy's) creatures.

http://www.easyvegan.info/2020/04/21/...

[Sarah Jefferson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this ARC courtesy of NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

Pros: The stories were short, and were accompanied by a picture from Barnum's collection that related to the story.

Cons: I could not bring myself to care about any of the characters in the short stories. There didn't seem to be much point to many of the stories, other than to describe a fragment of their day to day life or a fairly insignificant event. Nothing was really fleshed out, most didn't have much backstory, and while several characters appeared in multiple stories, you don't really get to know them. There was no emotional pull. It was unflattering towards Barnum and his family, and even if the writer's assessment of their character is true, it isn't very interesting. There wasn't anything provocative or racy to make you WANT to read about Barnum's failings as a husband, father, and entertainer, and overall it was bland. Maybe I would be more impressed if I hadn't first seen The Greatest Showman. The movie may not be true to character for P.T. Barnum, but at least it was fun.

[Shanna, Clearing the Bookshelf · Rating 2 out of 5]

I grew up visiting the P.T. Barnum museum in Bridgeport, CT multiple times a year, so I have always felt a connection to the circus. The dad got me the stuffed monkey pictured here from the museum when I was 7, and I’ve kept him ever since. My parents would often take me to the circus when it was in town, and I collected the red clown noses. When the Ringling Brothers circus closed down a few years ago I took my parents to a performance on the last weekend. I definitely believe that the circus instilled a love of entertainment in me that has led to a life in the theatre. All that to say, I was primed to love this book.
.
This novel is a collection of short stories that center on the people around Barnum, not necessarily the man himself. However, what I discovered while reading is that this is more or less glorified historical fiction. The author took the names and dates of real people and then fabricated the interactions. For a man that had his own series of faults, and the lack of recognition that those around him get, this felt like a real disservice. It would have been great to read what the circumstances of those he employed was really like. It was also clear from the first chapter that the author lacked some basic knowledge about the Barnum family, getting the ages of his children wrong repeatedly, and made me wonder just how little research she did into the rest of her stories. As an entry way into his life for young readers, this book does a decent job on focusing on those around the man, but it should be clearly categorized as fiction.

[Mandy]

Disclaimer: I received this ARC courtesy of Candlewick Press. I am grateful for the opportunity to review an ARC for my readers, but this will not influence my final rating. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and based solely on the book. 

This was...odd? I really don't know quite what to do with this book. I tried to give this a really good go, but halfway through, I just had to call it quits. 

I feel like the worst part is I could never fully grasp what was going on. I felt like all the logic and things that would make sense was just out of reach and I was on a treadmill running toward it, never able to wrap my arms around it. I still can't fully process what I read. There were things and there were characters and there were actions, but I honestly couldn't put them altogether to complete the picture. I JUST DON'T GET IT - ANY OF IT. 

The writing was also quite...I don't quite know how to explain it. Yes, it was straightforward, but it was almost too atmospheric? I'm not sure that even makes sense. Whenever I think of this book, it just puts me in a really depressed, dark head space? The material wasn't even really that dark, but I just get bad vibes when I think about it. 

I do applaud Noyes for trying to shine a light on the marginalized voices that were in the circus. I had thought this was going to be true short stories, but I certainly didn't use my reading powers for good and actually read the summary properly. However, it painted an interesting and insightful light on the horrible conditions that women and anyone considered different faced back then (and even now). 

Another big issue that I had with the story was the short stories themselves. I didn't really understand the point of them. Usually with a short story, at the end of it, you will have learned a lesson or discovered a moral within it. However, these seemed like just random snippets of every day life that would try to come to culmination that never really resonated for me to anything. I suppose I just wanted a meaning to what I just read - however, I mean, I was just really really confused throughout the read so maybe there was and I just got lost.  

So...I think I'm going to end it here before I get pulled too far down the rabbit hole, and say I was confused one more time. 

rating: Snow White
representation: DNFed, so I don't have an accurate representation of what is in the book
content warnings: emotional abuse - DNFed so I don't have an accurate representation of what is in the book
read this if you: if you want to see more about the women/other diverse voices behind the curtain of one of the most famous circuses 

[Queen Cronut · Rating 2 out of 5]

After watching The Greatest Showman, it's been interesting separating fact from fiction about P.T. Barnum and his larger-than-life circus. We Are All His Creatures is a work of historical fiction- a collection of short stories based on performers and Barnum's family that attempts to shed light on Barnum and his entertainment empire. An interesting concept but this one just wasn't for me. While I sympathized with some of the characters, most of the characters fell flat and I struggled to connect with most of them here and they were easily forgettable (I couldn't keep track nor differ most of the people mentioned). I didn't find the plot of any story particularly compelling and ultimately, did not feel like this added much to understanding Barnum as a person and wasn't interested in anything while reading this book.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Candlewick Press publishers for providing a free ARC

[S.C. Yung · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately, this was slightly dull. It’s historical fiction but seems to draw heavily on research and real quotations besides the matter of the ghost, which trails away into nothing!, which I appreciate, but the sparse character development makes it difficult to focus on—and thus, care about—the cast. It also seems like all of the characters are white.

I also think the subtitle is slightly misleading and will end up contributing to readers' disappointment. First of all, these stories decenter Barnum, and second, it seems like the subtitle will draw fans of the recent movie, which is pretty dissimilar in tone.

[Anastacia · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a rather unflattering collection of stories about PT Barnum and the people involved in his circus. Barnum is portrayed as aloof to his family, always after "wonders." The stories themselves are very short, and I just didn't see the point of them.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

A series of short stories from the people in P.T. Barnum's life. I just didn't find it very compelling.

Thanks to the publisher for an advance reader's copy.

[Zoe L.]

Oh how I love the circus! It has always called to me and I have ALWAYS wanted to join a troupe! But, it is in my blood! Long time ago relatives of mine were actually seal trainers for Ringling Bros. So, I of course JUMPED, no actually, LEAPED at the chance to read this set of short stories early!

Let me just start out by giving a big thank you to making Barnum more human. Too often I find that he is overly fantasized and romanticized, when in all actuality he was just like you and me. Sure he created something splendid and marvelous, but that doesn’t make him the most amazing human on earth. He was just a person. A genius, but still a person.

These stories are instantly easy to get into and I could see them as a great read aloud with older children, and really just anyone who is in love with the circus. They are short stories so they quickly delve into the plot line. Therefore there isn’t a ton of character development, but I still really enjoyed Noyes’ ability to add in some more of the historical aspect of the Greatest Showman and his troupe while also still creating interesting and wondrous plots.

While we see the less magical side that Barnum would scoff at someone looking into, it makes everything he created that much more miraculous in a sense. I also love the deeper dive into his personal and family life. His family was his troupe, which means that oftentimes his family at home was left forgotten. Something that I think many may find hard to swallow.

You can view my full review on my blog! I post a wide range of reviews!

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[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A series of linked stories about the world around Taylor (P. T.) Barnum, his family, and his many “creatures.” The story describing how General Tom Thumb came  to join his act and was trained in Barnum’s home while playing with Barnum’s young daughters gave some insight into what life in Barnum’s family might have been like. The Jenny Lind story illustrates how an adored act might grow weary of the crowds and the routine. Through these tales, his daughters grow up, his museum and home burn down multiple times, and he remarries after the death of his first wife. At the end of the book, Barnum still remains an enigma. Was he really a better parent to his performers than to his own family? Was he the greatest showman or the greatest huckster? Those interested in Barnum and his curiosities will enjoy this book. The drawings and photographs at the top of each story are not to be missed. For middle grade readers and up.

[Mrs. Kenyon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many people know the story of P. T. Barnum and his famous shows, but little is known about his family. Some could argue that he had two families. He had his two wives and his daughters, as well as the people that worked for him. All of the women in his life were exploited in one way or another. It didn’t matter if she was a Little Person, a giantess or his daughter, they all had to overcome life living in his shadow and surviving under his rules. We Are All His Creatures is a fictional account of many of these women all woven together to bring the memory of these people to life. The multiple narrators in this audiobook give diversity and authenticity to the many voices represented. Noyes has crafted a book that is a nice quick escape and should be treated as such. It is not meant to be a true account of these varied lives.

[Stephanie Tournas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eleven linked stories, from 1842 to 1891, illustrate the relationships that Barnum had with family, friends, and performers. Although fiction, the stories are grounded in substantial historical research, and are accompanied by photographs. Barnum’s avaricious, mercurial personality comes through, as well as his cruelty to his family and the advantages taken with performers, especially those with disabilities. It really gives a flavor of what live entertainment was like at the end of the 19th century.

These stories are unrelentingly depressing, with little humor or affection for the people in Barnum’s life. I found it unpleasant to read, because I came to see that each story was a riff on the same themes: cruelty, alienation and neglect.

[Jessica Duffield · Rating 3 out of 5]

Author Deborah Noyes wrote short stories about the people that were a part of Barnum’s world. Noyes writes in such vivid detail about what each person went through, and also takes creative liberties with what she thinks happened to each character. There are actual pictures throughout of what “his creatures” looked like and it gives the book a historical feel. If you’re a huge fan of The Greatest Showman with Hugh Jackman, then this book is definitely for you. I’m glad I read this because it gave me an insight into a different time period and what the circus life was like behind the scenes. Noyes did a great job with weaving a tale about the different people who were impacted by the one and only P.T. Barnum.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. I went into it with no expectations except that I would be immersed in the world of Barnum and I was. Barnum himself was absent most of the time but this book flitted in and out of the lives of those who orbited him and I understood the title. For Barnum they were all his creatures. He was like a child who played with them when it suited him. Some of the structure was confusing and I wished the stories painted a clearer picture but I understand what Noyes was trying to do. I think the unfinished edges made you realize how much Barnum himself missed in the lives of these people he supposedly loved.

[Alicia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought it was nonfiction, not historical fiction so I was already a little sad about diving in, but I can recognize what Noyes wanted to do in fleshing out the females in Barnum's life because we know so little.

The chapters are loosely connected stories so the execution of the storytelling worked, but I needed more teeth to the story or an actual nonfiction story itself. Information was there including Tom Thumb and Jumbo, but just not enough "real".

[Rachael · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting concept - giving voice to those who Barnum created, assembled, and curated in his audience-obsessed and self-centered life. This historical fiction takes a stab at their possible perspectives and experiences in this connected collection of short first-person narratives.

Because of my prior circus/19th century/Barnum knowledge, I didn’t find this remarkable or novel, but others less familiar (read: obsessed) might find it interesting.

[Pam Devine · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an odd book with several different short stories told from varying perspectives. It lacked a great deal of the pizzazz and showmanship that the recent movie brought to the story. Unfortunately the stories were rather dull and drab and the book a bit of a chore to finish. Other than to cash in on the recent film I'm not sure of the purpose of the book.

[flowers6 · Rating 3 out of 5]

A series of short stories based on P.T Barnum's family and performers. I really liked how there were photos from Barnum's collection to accommodate each story. However, I wish more of the characters backstory were explored.

[Erin]

Pandemic Casualty

[JL Salty]

Too niche / long for jh / Hs but keep to read later.

[Rebekah A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice, quick, and interesting read that delves into the lives of those who were part of Barnum's show museums.

[Sandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately this did not hold my interest despite the interesting sounding premise.

[Leona · Rating 5 out of 5]

A enjoyable read. Well written unlike Barnum's autobiography. Short stories that like wedges into the Barnum life.

[Sophia Barsuhn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm on the fourth story and I'm honestly just bored. I wanted to like this, I really did. But I think I understand why the average rating is 2.75.

[Elisha Jachetti · Rating 3 out of 5]

WE ARE ALL HIS CREATURES by Deborah Noyes is a series of eleven short stories about the beloved showman, P.T. Barnum, his family, and performers in his show. Though fictionalized, we get a deeper look into the lives of his daughters, General Tom Thumb, Jenny Lind, the Bearded Lady, and many more. Each story offers a new perspective and different time in Barnum’s life, painting him as a more nuanced man than the one in the most recent movie, starring Hugh Jackman. Still, those who are fans of the movie will find this book to be a special treat.

My favorite stories in this novel are the ones about his daughters. Though the movie paints Barnum as quite the family man, Noyes’ stories suggest it wasn’t always easy to be his children. In fact, instead of a childhood steeped in magic and mystery, in Noyes’ version, the girls are kept away from the museum and left with their despondent mother. The only way they get to see the museum is by sneaking into it. Later on, the eldest travels with the show, but even then, she’s just a decoy for Jenny Lind.

I also wasn’t aware that Barnum’s third daughter died at such a young age, or that he had fires at both his home and museum. He had even bigger troubles than I originally realized and it’s amazing that he found the strength to keep rebuilding. In this vein, I love how Noyes painted the relationship between the third daughter and General Tom Thumb, and how when she passed due to illness, we feel the loss through Thumb.

Overall, WE ARE ALL HIS CREATURES gives us snapshots of what P.T. Barnum’s life and show could have looked like. We get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of what it would be like to run off and join the circus and what it would be like to work with such a visionary and supreme entertainer. The book echoes many similar themes to the movie, such as fitting in when you feel and appear to be different, attempting to make a mark on the world, resilience, the public’s attraction to the unusual, and losing oneself in the pursuit of success. Beyond that, the book’s cover is beautiful and vibrant, just like Barnum himself.

Review originally posted on YA Books Central: https://www.yabookscentral.com/yafict...