Fedor

by Brant Vickers

"You can't throw too much style into a miracle, and you my friend are a miracle," Mark Twain says to Fedor Adrianovitch Jefticheff, also known as Jo-Jo The Dog Faced Boy. Fedor lives, travels, works, and loves among the haunting cast of performers in the Black Tent Sideshow of P.T. Barnum's Circus in the late 1880s.

Fedor not only survived, but also profited by being a memorable and unforgettable human curiosity. Along with being an intelligent and avid reader of Tolstoy, Twain, Alcott, and Melville, he has remarkable interactions with a myriad of other world-renowned characters, one being Nicholas II the Russian Tsarevich. This proves that more than just being a "sideshow," there was a lot of individuality and heart to this "dog-faced boy."

Richly authentic, dramatic, beautifully written, and always thought-provoking, Brant Vickers tells Fedor's story in an epic account of this young man's extraordinary life.

Genres: Historical Fiction

243 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 20, 2021

Reviews

[Glen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book in a goodreads drawing.

A fictionalized biography of JoJo, the Dog Faced Boy. Fedor was a circus freak, which was about the only way he could make a decent living. Well educated for the time, he conversed with the rich and famous of his day, and made his mark in subtle ways, using what resources he had to improve his life, and others.

[TheQueensBooksII · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting read on a subject I'm not too familiar with. I enjoyed understanding life in the circus as it was and how the different circus artists engaged with each other and the world around them. I listened to the Kindle version through the Alexa app, so I may have missed an explanation about how much was true to fact of the actual characters in the story (there is an epilogue which was neat), and what was the author's interpretation, but in any case I thought this was a thoughtful, well-crafted work.

[Reader Views · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Fedor” by Brant Vickers is a historical fiction/biographical novel about the life of a boy named Fedor. His full name is Feodor Adrianovitch Jefticheff; he was a circus performer in the late 19th century. More specifically, Fedor was a performer in the Black Tent, the sideshow of the Barnum & Bailey Circus. The Black Tent hosted the “freaks” of the circus: the bearded lady, the zipper headed boy, the human pincushion, the skeleton man, etc. People exploited for the unique abnormalities they were born with. Fedor, known as Jo-Jo The Dog Faced Boy, was labeled so because of a condition where hair grows all over his body–everywhere except palms and the bottom of his feet! Readers join “Fedor” on his experiences, traveling the world with the “Greatest Show on Earth.”

I’m not sure what I expected going into this story, but–wow–“Fedor” blew my mind. I had never heard of Fedor before and enjoyed his story. He surprised me on all levels: his personality, his motivations, his expectations, his ethics, etc. The only picture that didn’t stick with me while reading was his “condition,” as the author clearly developed and showed the reader the more important aspects of the person. I don’t mean I was not aware of Fedor’s looks, but his other remarkable distinctions took center stage, such as being well-read, personable, caring, determined and accepting, among many other things.

I admire Fedor – many people in that situation might feel sorry for themselves, and many in the circus did, but Fedor, while he didn’t necessarily like his circumstances, he accepted who he was and made an incredible life for himself. The issue of self-acceptance is the same now as it was back then, but Fedor’s maturity level was much higher than an average young person, even at that period in time. I loved how intelligent he was, quoting more Tolstoy than anyone should ever be able to remember off the tip of their tongue–I learned a lot from Fedor!

Being that the circus is a roadshow, you might think the plotline would be repetitive and to a small degree it was, the daily lives and routines didn’t change all that much, but the stories shared about many of the performer’s and their lives as readers visited each new place advances readers forward naturally. Though the book is about a young teenager, I think all ages will like “Fedor” by Brant Vickers. It’s full of history, drama, and excitement, along with some heartbreak and despair, but the story is unforgettable and will stay with you long after you finish the book. It’s one of the most entertaining stories I’ve read this year and one I highly recommend.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Conflicted

I received the Kindle edition of this book through a Goodreads giveaway, and for this, I am grateful to all involved.
I love reading about the circus; it’s spellbinding. I was one of those little girls in the stands, cotton candy in one hand and a glow stick in the other, stars in my eyes as I watched the stunning women adorned with sequins and feathers wave from the back of majestic elephants. I dreamed of being one of those glittering, bejeweled women myself. Years ago, I bought a print of a trick rider with the caption, “Good-bye, she said. I’m off to join the circus”
If only. *wistful sigh*
This book gives some backstage insight to the “freak show” part of the circus. I don’t remember any of those when I was growing up (‘80s) but it was common enough at the county fairs. Fedor disliked being called a freak, understandably. But he recognized this as his lot in life and traveling with the circus was a means to support himself in the relative company of people who shared a similar situation.
The beginning of the book was depressing and sluggish, but once Fedor gets picked up by Barnum & Bailey overall moral improves. It is very repetitive. I suspect there wasn’t enough material to support a book and so this is what the author was able to piece together. The part about Jumbo pulled at my heartstrings so.
It seems to be a very real account but could definitely use some more exciting bits to help it along. Perhaps more elaborate details of the other characters. I kept forgetting who was who.
But I love that the author tried to bring Fedor to life, he gave him a voice, and he gave him a soul. He wasn’t just “the dog faced boy”. He was one of us, more empathetic and scholarly than I could ever aspire to be.

[Cheryl Palen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brant Vickers’ Fedor is a magnificent fictional biography. It tries to stay true to the details of Jefticheff’s life, and Vickers’ creative license makes it blossom so that you read about Jo-Jo not as a human curiosity but as a human being with hopes and dreams of his own. And with prominent non-fictional characters appearing in the story, their distinct personalities are well presented by the way Vickers makes them speak. Jo-Jo’s conversations with society’s A-listers give you a front-seat idea of how he manages to do well for himself as you come to understand the level of his intelligence. One of the touching highlights of this story is his encounter with Krao Farini, a Siam-born woman suffering from the same medical condition who is equally intelligent as Jo-Jo. Fedor is an involving and beautiful story—one that will appeal strongly to your intellect and emotions. It makes you feel secure in your own skin, yet at the same time reminds you that what is between your ears is far more important than what you physically present.

[Literary Reviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fedor, by Brant Vickers is a young adult novel following our protagonist Fedor Adrianovitch Jefticheff most commonly known as Fedor or as his circus name Jo-Jo The Dog-Faced Boy as he sets out on a mission to truly find himself and his life purpose. Fedor is a young circus performer in the late 19th century, due to a condition where hair grows all over his body except the palms of his hands and the bottom of his feet. He travels the world with the “Greatest Show on Earth” and has the chance of meeting so many wonderful people and historic figures such as Nicholas II of Russia, Jesse James, Mark Twain, and more.

Vickers writes in an effortlessly beautiful tone with vivid imagery and creates details that lead the reader on a phenomenal visual journey. As we, the readers, travel throughout the pages of this book it almost feels like we are right there with the characters experiencing everything Fedor is experiencing. Vickers manages to keep his narrative straightforward and simultaneously descriptive and refined in a way that touches and lures the readers in and leaves us wanting more.

As a reader who is interested in character work and development, I am pleased with Vickers’s approach to writing. Fedor has such great development of each character, however, the most incredible one is of the main character himself. The way that he is introduced as someone who has been mistreated for most of his life and has grown into a young man filled with empathy, understanding, acceptance, determination, and love. Not to mention his knowledge and the way he is always quoting the great Tolstoy as a tribute to his deceased mother who used to read to him and gave him his love for literature and knowledge.

Yet another plus to Fedor is the length of chapters. Vickers keeps his chapters concise and quite short. He brings each one to a fitting end that urges the reader on to the next for more. This is a riveting coming of age story that is a quick read and difficult to put down.

As surprising as it may sound the characters and plot development in this young adult novel will appeal to readers from all age groups and all genres. Fedor is easily one of the most engaging books in the young adult genre I have encountered and I look forward to reading more of Vickers’s work.

[Frances Fischer · Rating 5 out of 5]

"It is amazing how complete the delusion that beauty is goodness." Tolstoy makes this observation in his War and Peace and Fedor Adrianovich Jefticheff, one of his most avid readers, knows just what he means.
As the Wild Boy, traveling with the circus in his native Russia, to his further career as Jo-Jo the Dog-Faced Boy with Barnum and Bailey's Greatest Show on Earth, Fedor has seen and not least felt the startled disdain of visitors to the sideshow, who often connect stupidity as well as ugliness to his furry face and body. But Fedor also experiences the love and friendship of his fellows in the Black Tent Freak Show, a true family, with extra room for a mistreated teenager who runs away to join the circus. Later Fedor is befriended by authors - initially Mark Twain, who calls him a miracle and provides him with trunks of books to satisfy his intelligence, curiosity and fluency in three languages. Others find their way to the Black Tent, among them Herman Melville, whose latest novel of life on a whaling ship - Moby Dick - is not selling well.
Brant Vickers follows Fedor on his life's journey in this well-researched, insightful and always moving portrait of the deeply human people the rest of us call "freaks".

Frances Fischer, author of My Northeast Passage

[Kirk Weikart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fedor is a sideshow performer. A freak. However, due to his late mother's influence, he loves to read. He quotes Tolstoy to summarize every situation. He eventually goes with PT Barnum and tours with Tee Greatest Show on Earth, where h meets and converses with many authors and celebrities.

The plot seems to be mainly the people he meets. After hyper-focusing on a short period of Fedor's life, the end of the book drifts over a longer period of time. In the end, there is a disconnect with the other characters. I am not sure of the purpose of the book. Is it simple historical fiction following his life? If so, it was barely enough to keep my interest.

[LisaMarie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book. Tugs at your heart. It really is an emotional read. Makes you think how you look at others.