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

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."

Author: Deborah Noyes
Publisher: Candlewick Press (MA)
Published: 03/10/2020
Pages: 288
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.95lbs
Size: 8.60h x 5.50w x 1.10d
ISBN: 9780763659813

Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 01/15/2020
School Library Journal 02/01/2020 pg. 74
Publishers Weekly 02/24/2020
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 03/01/2020 - Book Of Special Distinction
Voice of Youth Advocates 06/01/2020 - Reviewed - More Editing Needed

About the Author
Deborah Noyes is the author of numerous books for children and adults, including the young adult short story collection The Ghosts of Kerfol and the young adult novel Plague in the Mirror. She lives in western Massachusetts.