#BlogTour: The Smallest Man by Frances Quinn @franquinn @simonschusterUK @RandomTTours #TheSmallestMan #FrancesQuinn #HistoricalFiction #RandomThingsTours

Book Synopsis:

‘I want you to remember something, Nat. You’re small on the outside. But inside you’re as big as everyone else. You show people that and you won’t go far wrong in life.’
 
A compelling story perfect for fans of The Doll Factory, The Illumination of Ursula Flight and The Familiars.
 
My name is Nat Davy. Perhaps you’ve heard of me? There was a time when people up and down the land knew my name, though they only ever knew half the story.
 
The year of 1625, it was, when a single shilling changed my life. That shilling got me taken off to London, where they hid me in a pie, of all things, so I could be given as a gift to the new queen of England.
 
They called me the queen’s dwarf, but I was more than that. I was her friend, when she had no one else, and later on, when the people of England turned against their king, it was me who saved her life. When they turned the world upside down, I was there, right at the heart of it, and this is my story.
 
Inspired by a true story, and spanning two decades that changed England for ever, The Smallest Man is a heartwarming tale about being different, but not letting it hold you back. About being brave enough to take a chance, even if the odds aren’t good. And about how, when everything else is falling apart, true friendship holds people together.

The Smallest Man is published in hardback and ebook on the 7th January 2021. You can pre-order your copy using the link below or through your local indie bookstore.

My Review:

The Smallest Man is a very absorbing, gripping piece of historical fiction set in a fascinating period of English history.

Firstly Nat Davy, the books narrator, is a wonderful character that I grew very fond of during the story. It was heart warming to see his brave attempts to try and be like the other boys his age, though heartbreaking to see the constant set back he suffers. I often wished I could reach into the book and give him a hug or stand up for him in some way. His bravery and the way he stood up for the queen was wonderful to read about and ensured that I continued thinking about him long after I’d finished reading.

This book is set in a turbulent time in English history which I didn’t know much about before reading this. It was fascinating to learn more about the build up to the Civil war and to see events from an insider point of view. I liked getting a tour of some of the famous buildings whilst the story unfolded and learning more about what it was like living in them.

Overall I really enjoyed this gripping read which I flew through in a few days. The author’s vivid descriptions make it easy to imagine things as they unfold so that I often felt like I was there actually watching everything unfold. This made me feel closer to the characters and helped ensure that I kept reading as I cared about what happened to them. I’ll be recommending this book to everyone and can’t wait to read more from this author in the future.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Jess Barrett from Simon and Schuster for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

Frances Quinn read English at Cambridge, and is a journalist and copy-editor. She completed the Curtis Brown Creative Course in 2015. The Smallest Man is her debut novel.