Laura Reviews: The Smallest Man by Frances Quinn

The Smallest Man caught my eye a little while ago, firstly by its beautiful cover and then it's intriguing story with it being inspired by a true tale. I of course was excited by the prospect of getting to read it early so jumped at the chance and I'm so glad I did as this may be one of my favourite reads of the year.
Read on for why this story made its way into my heart.

REVIEW

My most favourite stories are the ones where I fall in love with the characters and I instantly fell in love with Nat Davy, the smallest man in England.
The Smallest Man was a truly wonderful and heartwarming tale that I found myself being unable to put down. Inspired by a true story, we follow Nat from when he is just ten years old. Nat is small, really small for his age, but he doesn't seem to be growing. However he's happy living in Oakham living with his family. His Father has other ideas though and Nat very narrowly avoids being sent to live life in a freak show and is instead presented as a gift to the Queen of England. 
I have never wanted to befriend a character as much as I did Nat. Despite the way he is treated because of his never wavering kindness. It's through his kindness that he realises that the Queen is just as lonely as he is and they form an unlikely friendship and an unforgettable journey starts that spans two decades. 
Nat makes this story. He evoked all kinds of  emotions from me, from anger, sadness to happiness and the unfair injustice of how Nat is treated just because he is different, but he is very brave and doesn't let things stop him easily.
I honestly don't think I could have loved this book more, Frances Quinn is a wonderful writer with superlative descriptions and spot on characterisations. Plus by being loosely based on the story of Jeffrey Hudson, court dwarf to Queen Henrietta Maria, the wife of King Charles I, Frances really cleverly fills in the gaps of his story and I found myself googling more about him.
A story full of heart, a wonderful imaginative historical tale, that I kept wanting to get back to.

The Smallest Man is out in January 2021

Post part of The Smallest Man Blog Tour