Mercy Lavinia “Vinnie” Bump stood at just two feet and eight inches tall, however she was a woman with a large personality. Never would I allow my size to define me. Instead, I would define it. As a young child, Vinnie was sheltered and her family wanted her close at home. Vinnie had other bold thoughts when a man desired her to perform upon his river boat. Vinnie was shown as a ‘freak’ show alongside a giant woman, sword swallowing man, and other unique individuals. She realized that she didn’t want to lower her standards and be taken advantage of, so Vinnie wrote letters to the famous P. T. Barnum asking to be in his show. When P. T. Barnum and Vinnie met it was as though they were old friends who soon became successful business partners together. Vinnie married the famous Charles Stratton, better known as Tom Thumb who also performed for P. T. Barnum. The wedding was a national sensation and all the elite individuals attended with 2,000 guests. Throughout Vinnie’s life she traveled the world, met royalty and presidents, visited the White House, encountered first hand experiences during the Civil War, and always held her head high and acted like a lady. Along the journey, P. T. Barnum often asked Vinnie to perform actions that she wasn’t happy about, such as pretending she had a baby to please the public. Numerous foster babies were used until P. T. Barnum announced that the baby ‘died’. Between chapters there are intermissions that provide short newspaper and magazine clippings about current events during that time period, such as Civil War issues, the first telegraph, electricity, and scandalous gossip. The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb was written from Vinnie’s strong voice, but it’s not an actual autobiography. The author used references that Vinnie herself wrote. I thought this book was an enjoyable read with humorous and painful moments about a larger than life woman.

http://passion2read.wordpress.com/2011/11/20/book-review-the-autobiography-of-mrs-tom-thumb/

I think this book did a great job providing emotion while also giving facts and details. The book constantly referred to the horrific circumstances similar to those on the Titanic, since it wasn’t just the iceberg that killed the people. The authors discussed in detail about building codes that changed when building the Twin Towers and the inside struggles the individuals encountered, such as stairways blocked, doors locked, and elevators not working. The authors used first hand information from interviews, phone calls, emails, radio communication, and emergency contacts. Individuals had only 102 minutes from the time the first tower was hit to when both towers collapsed. Exact times were given throughout the book. There also were diagrams of the Twin Towers showing exactly where each plane hit, stairways blocked, and exit paths. The book provided emotion, such as details about individuals who risked their life to help others and people working together to survive. I highly recommend this book for a deeply moving experience about the events on September 11th. I finished the book in two days.

http://passion2read.wordpress.com/2011/09/14/book-review-102-minutes-to-survive-the-twin-towers/

Thunder Dog is a book about a blind man’s relationship with his guide dog, Roselle, and how they escaped together from the Twin Towers. Michael Hingson was born blind and throughout the entire book you learn how this never stopped him , but pushed him forward. Forward is also the first command that a guide dog learns. Hingson calmly travels down the hundreds of stairs with his faithful dog at all times. Thunder Dog provides descriptions from events on September 11th, but I wouldn’t say it’s the only focus. The book goes back and forth from Hingson growing up in a sighted world to the long journey down the stairs. He discusses the relationship with his guide dogs, discrimination he encountered, resources that helped him, and his constant determination. If you’re searching for a book that’s only focused on 9/11 with detailed descriptions then this is the wrong book. (Previous review: 102 Minutes is a better choice.) However, if you’re looking for a book with heart that focuses on one individual during a moment of hope then this is your book.

http://passion2read.wordpress.com/2011/09/17/book-review-thunder-dog/