Description

She was born in 1841 and named Mercy Lavinia Warren Bump, but she became known to 19th century Americans and to the world beyond as Mrs. Tom Thumb. Thirty-two inches tall, “Vinnie” refused to let her stature cost her opportunity. As the United States plunged into a Civil War and then into the rollercoaster change of the antebellum years, Vinnie criss-crossed the country by steamship and locomotive and mule with P.T. Barnum’s travelling show. This is the tale of one woman’s public triumphs and personal tragedies, showcased in a remarkable, soaring portrait of the country she loved –and the countryman’s hearts she conquered.