Many know P.T. Barnum, but the voices that surrounded him have been lost and his exploitation of others is largely overlooked. Those closest to him, including his two daughters, are given the center stage in We Are All His Creatures. Living in the shadow of P.T. Barnum, this novel centers on his family and his performers who worker closely with him through a collection of stories.
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.
Visit Deborah Noyes website.
Read Publishers Weekly Review for We Are All His Creatures.
Deborah Noyes is also the author of Plague in the Mirror and Red Butterfly.
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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy. Opinions are my own.