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Jenny and Barnum: A Novel of Love
A diva and a showman work together to make history, finding romance along the way
After Queen Victoria, Jenny Lind is the most famous woman in Europe. A Swedish soprano with a voice like an angel’s and a temperament to match, she is in Vienna when she meets the shortest man she has ever seen. General Tom Thumb is a three-foot-tall sensation whom P. T. Barnum has made one of the wealthiest men in the world. Thumb arrives with a message from Barnum offering Lind more money than she has ever dreamed of, to do something she has never done perform in America.
While Lind makes her way across the Atlantic, Barnum, the Great American Showman, whips US audiences into a frenzy. By the time the singer lands in New York, “Lindomania” is in full effect. As Lind and Barnum travel the country, they play for packed houses every night. The public loves Lind, but as the tour wears on, P. T. Barnum will come to love her more.
After Queen Victoria, Jenny Lind is the most famous woman in Europe. A Swedish soprano with a voice like an angel’s and a temperament to match, she is in Vienna when she meets the shortest man she has ever seen. General Tom Thumb is a three-foot-tall sensation whom P. T. Barnum has made one of the wealthiest men in the world. Thumb arrives with a message from Barnum offering Lind more money than she has ever dreamed of, to do something she has never done perform in America.
While Lind makes her way across the Atlantic, Barnum, the Great American Showman, whips US audiences into a frenzy. By the time the singer lands in New York, “Lindomania” is in full effect. As Lind and Barnum travel the country, they play for packed houses every night. The public loves Lind, but as the tour wears on, P. T. Barnum will come to love her more.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
375 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1981
10 people are currently reading
71 people want to read
About the author
Roderick Thorp
28 books71 followersRoderick Mayne Thorp, Jr. was an American novelist specializing mainly in crime novels.
As a young college graduate, Thorp worked at a detective agency owned by his father. He would later teach literature and lecture on creative writing at schools and universities in New Jersey and California, and also wrote articles for newspapers and magazines.
Two of his best known novels were adapted into popular films: his 1966 novel The Detective was made into a 1968 film of the same name, starring Frank Sinatra as Detective Joe Leland, and his 1979 sequel to The Detective, Nothing Lasts Forever, was filmed in 1988 as Die Hard, starring Bruce Willis. Though Die Hard was relatively faithful to Nothing Lasts Forever, it was not made as a sequel to the film version of The Detective. Two other Thorp novels, Rainbow Drive and Devlin, were adapted into TV movies.
Thorp died of a heart attack in Oxnard, California.
As a young college graduate, Thorp worked at a detective agency owned by his father. He would later teach literature and lecture on creative writing at schools and universities in New Jersey and California, and also wrote articles for newspapers and magazines.
Two of his best known novels were adapted into popular films: his 1966 novel The Detective was made into a 1968 film of the same name, starring Frank Sinatra as Detective Joe Leland, and his 1979 sequel to The Detective, Nothing Lasts Forever, was filmed in 1988 as Die Hard, starring Bruce Willis. Though Die Hard was relatively faithful to Nothing Lasts Forever, it was not made as a sequel to the film version of The Detective. Two other Thorp novels, Rainbow Drive and Devlin, were adapted into TV movies.
Thorp died of a heart attack in Oxnard, California.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 15, 2016
THOROUGHLY DELIGHTFUL. HUGELY ENTERTAINING. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
“He [Tom Thumb] wanted to be fair to her, but the colorless, plain, introverted little creature simply did not belong in the limelight…” (Kindle Locations 715-716)
“The audacious flirt, the troubled spinster, and the woman of Christian charity were one and the same.” (Kindle Locations 1629-1630)
The lives and times of Jenny Lind and P. T. Barnum were fabulous and fascinating, beyond measure—beyond ‘larger-than-life,’ almost, even, beyond ‘larger-than-imagination.’ How apt and appropriate that they should be so wonderfully novelized in Roderick Thorp’s hugely entertaining, Jenny and Barnum: A Novel of Love.
The Swedish Nightingale, Jenny Lind, never met a man who didn’t love her. P. T. Barnum, the Mighty Monarch of Merriment, never encountered an investment scheme or a humbug he could resist. I loved them both; along with the novel’s other two main characters, Charles Stratton [General Tom Thumb], the smallest man ever to have lived, and his feisty paramour/Mrs. Tom Thumb, Lavinia Warren.
Recommendation: Reading ‘Jenny and Barnum’ is more fun than a day at the circus. I suspect it will be on my list of ‘the five best reads of 2016,’ and I strongly urge you to look into having it on your’s, too.
Read also: ‘The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb,’ by Melanie Benjamin
“What Jenny had tried to tell him was that he had taught her the underlying importance of being happy…” (Kindle Locations 6884-6885).
“Barnum knew exactly what he had done. He had invented fun.” (Kindle Locations 6887-6888).
Open Road Media. Kindle Edition, 6,928 Kindle Locations, 336 pages
“He [Tom Thumb] wanted to be fair to her, but the colorless, plain, introverted little creature simply did not belong in the limelight…” (Kindle Locations 715-716)
“The audacious flirt, the troubled spinster, and the woman of Christian charity were one and the same.” (Kindle Locations 1629-1630)
The lives and times of Jenny Lind and P. T. Barnum were fabulous and fascinating, beyond measure—beyond ‘larger-than-life,’ almost, even, beyond ‘larger-than-imagination.’ How apt and appropriate that they should be so wonderfully novelized in Roderick Thorp’s hugely entertaining, Jenny and Barnum: A Novel of Love.
The Swedish Nightingale, Jenny Lind, never met a man who didn’t love her. P. T. Barnum, the Mighty Monarch of Merriment, never encountered an investment scheme or a humbug he could resist. I loved them both; along with the novel’s other two main characters, Charles Stratton [General Tom Thumb], the smallest man ever to have lived, and his feisty paramour/Mrs. Tom Thumb, Lavinia Warren.
Recommendation: Reading ‘Jenny and Barnum’ is more fun than a day at the circus. I suspect it will be on my list of ‘the five best reads of 2016,’ and I strongly urge you to look into having it on your’s, too.
Read also: ‘The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb,’ by Melanie Benjamin
“What Jenny had tried to tell him was that he had taught her the underlying importance of being happy…” (Kindle Locations 6884-6885).
“Barnum knew exactly what he had done. He had invented fun.” (Kindle Locations 6887-6888).
Open Road Media. Kindle Edition, 6,928 Kindle Locations, 336 pages
April 23, 2018
I found this book while doing a Google search for fanfic about P.T. Barnum and Jenny Lind (which surprisingly, there is very little of). After seeing The Greatest Showman I was intrigued by the attraction (mostly one-sided) between the two characters in the film. Lo and behold, I found this excellent book, which is probably the best historical romance that could be created about this unlikely couple, the "Greatest Showman" and the "Swedish Nightingale".
I know there was no romance in real life between Jenny and Barnum (as far as we know), but the book was so vivid and well-written, it was entirely plausible in the context of this story. Mr. Thorp wrote the characters and described the time period of the 1860s quite accurately, albeit a few liberties were taken (this is fiction, after all). The story is told from three points of view, General Tom Thumb ("The Smallest Man in the World"), Jenny, and Barnum. Although Barnum does not show up until almost halfway through the book, his presence can be felt throughout, which built up great anticipation until the moment the couple meet. The subplots are also interesting, namely the tempestuous relationship between Tom, his girlfriend Lavinia Warren, and Joe Gallagher a.k.a. "Commodore Nutt". We also are treated to descriptions of the other supporting characters that were attractions in Barnum's famous American Museum like the Siamese Twins Chang and Eng and Anna Swan, who come along for the ride.
There are many historical accounts of what Jenny's singing career and tour of America were like. As far as her family background, I am not sure if that was entirely accurate, but I will take the author's word for it. It is true that she was an illegitimate child from a lowly background. I didn't know who Jenny Lind was until I saw the film, but from what I have read so far she led an interesting life. By all accounts she was not the seductress as portrayed in the film, but she was a modest woman in real life that kept her suitors at arm's length. In this book she is a little of both, especially when she meets Barnum and it is a case of "opposites attract". There was instant chemistry from the moment they laid eyes on each other. Even though Barnum was not physically attractive, his immense charisma and charm that he was known for is given in great detail. As their affair progressively heated up I enjoyed reading their banter and flirtation. Although Barnum was married with four kids and his late 40s when they first meet, the marriage is all but over since his work took him away from home for long periods of time. The romance between them was did not seem forced or contrived, it seemed very natural given the unusual situation they were in. When it came to the intimate scenes it was written very tastefully, but it was still erotic.
Because of what I already knew about the couple I knew how it was going to end. After a fist fight between Tom and Joe, Tom was able to eventually reconcile with Lavinia and they married. In the background was Otto Goldschmidt, an unassuming, passive man that Jenny ended up marrying. Despite knowing the truth, I hoped against hope that Jenny and Barnum were able to be together somehow, despite the odds. Although they were able to have this whirlwind courtship throughout the tour, realistically they knew it couldn't work out. The biggest factor was Barnum's marriage to his long-suffering wife Charity. The scene where Jenny goes to Barnum's estate Iranistan to meet with Charity was a difficult one and I felt sad for both women. The second was Barnum's relentless promotion of Jenny, and his questionable business dealings. This was the real reason Jenny decided to part ways from Barnum in real life. The third was that the stigma of divorce in those days would have ended both of their careers since he had promoted her as the pinnacle of Christian virtue. Jenny was known for her generosity to different charities throughout her lifetime, which is also featured in the book. They were both the loves of each others lives, but Jenny had to marry Goldschmidt because it brought her respectability. I don't she ever really loved him to the extent that she loved Barnum.
Jenny and Barnum go their separate ways. She retired shortly after she went back to London, married, and had children. Barnum went through some hard times after losing his museum to fire, but made a comeback with his famous circus. The reunion scene with Jenny and Barnum in their old age was very heartwarming and still showed a love and affection between them. Barnum found love again later on in life after Charity died with his second wife Nancy.
I think some of the best romances are the ones that don't work out because there is some chance for there to be an everlasting feeling of love rather than something that fades away over time if they do get together. It's hard to know whether or not it would've worked out between them, but nevertheless, it was nice to read a story that stayed to true to real life and didn't have a typical "happily ever after" ending, which I appreciated even though it was sad.
Solid read all around, highly recommended if you are interested in Barnum and are a fan of The Greatest Showman.
I know there was no romance in real life between Jenny and Barnum (as far as we know), but the book was so vivid and well-written, it was entirely plausible in the context of this story. Mr. Thorp wrote the characters and described the time period of the 1860s quite accurately, albeit a few liberties were taken (this is fiction, after all). The story is told from three points of view, General Tom Thumb ("The Smallest Man in the World"), Jenny, and Barnum. Although Barnum does not show up until almost halfway through the book, his presence can be felt throughout, which built up great anticipation until the moment the couple meet. The subplots are also interesting, namely the tempestuous relationship between Tom, his girlfriend Lavinia Warren, and Joe Gallagher a.k.a. "Commodore Nutt". We also are treated to descriptions of the other supporting characters that were attractions in Barnum's famous American Museum like the Siamese Twins Chang and Eng and Anna Swan, who come along for the ride.
There are many historical accounts of what Jenny's singing career and tour of America were like. As far as her family background, I am not sure if that was entirely accurate, but I will take the author's word for it. It is true that she was an illegitimate child from a lowly background. I didn't know who Jenny Lind was until I saw the film, but from what I have read so far she led an interesting life. By all accounts she was not the seductress as portrayed in the film, but she was a modest woman in real life that kept her suitors at arm's length. In this book she is a little of both, especially when she meets Barnum and it is a case of "opposites attract". There was instant chemistry from the moment they laid eyes on each other. Even though Barnum was not physically attractive, his immense charisma and charm that he was known for is given in great detail. As their affair progressively heated up I enjoyed reading their banter and flirtation. Although Barnum was married with four kids and his late 40s when they first meet, the marriage is all but over since his work took him away from home for long periods of time. The romance between them was did not seem forced or contrived, it seemed very natural given the unusual situation they were in. When it came to the intimate scenes it was written very tastefully, but it was still erotic.
Because of what I already knew about the couple I knew how it was going to end. After a fist fight between Tom and Joe, Tom was able to eventually reconcile with Lavinia and they married. In the background was Otto Goldschmidt, an unassuming, passive man that Jenny ended up marrying. Despite knowing the truth, I hoped against hope that Jenny and Barnum were able to be together somehow, despite the odds. Although they were able to have this whirlwind courtship throughout the tour, realistically they knew it couldn't work out. The biggest factor was Barnum's marriage to his long-suffering wife Charity. The scene where Jenny goes to Barnum's estate Iranistan to meet with Charity was a difficult one and I felt sad for both women. The second was Barnum's relentless promotion of Jenny, and his questionable business dealings. This was the real reason Jenny decided to part ways from Barnum in real life. The third was that the stigma of divorce in those days would have ended both of their careers since he had promoted her as the pinnacle of Christian virtue. Jenny was known for her generosity to different charities throughout her lifetime, which is also featured in the book. They were both the loves of each others lives, but Jenny had to marry Goldschmidt because it brought her respectability. I don't she ever really loved him to the extent that she loved Barnum.
Jenny and Barnum go their separate ways. She retired shortly after she went back to London, married, and had children. Barnum went through some hard times after losing his museum to fire, but made a comeback with his famous circus. The reunion scene with Jenny and Barnum in their old age was very heartwarming and still showed a love and affection between them. Barnum found love again later on in life after Charity died with his second wife Nancy.
I think some of the best romances are the ones that don't work out because there is some chance for there to be an everlasting feeling of love rather than something that fades away over time if they do get together. It's hard to know whether or not it would've worked out between them, but nevertheless, it was nice to read a story that stayed to true to real life and didn't have a typical "happily ever after" ending, which I appreciated even though it was sad.
Solid read all around, highly recommended if you are interested in Barnum and are a fan of The Greatest Showman.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 4, 2018
This is an interesting, historical fiction, of the relationship between Jenny Lind and P.T. Barnum. It was an interesting to read. I enjoyed the insight into the phenomena of these two people and the time period, just before The Civil War.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews