Little

By: Edward Carey

Narrated by: Bronwen Price

From the gutters of pre-revolutionary France to the luxury of the Palace of Versailles, Little is the unforgettable story of how a ‘bloodstained crumb of a girl’ went on to shape the world in wax....

Born in Alsace in 1761, the unsightly, diminutive Marie Grosholtz is quickly nicknamed ‘Little’. Orphaned at the age of six, she finds employment in Bern, Switzerland, under the charge of reclusive anatomist Dr Curtius. In time the unlikely pair form an unlikely bond, and together they pursue an unusual passion: the fine art of wax modelling. Forced to flee their city, the doctor and his protégée head for the seamy streets of Paris, where they open an exhibition hall for their uncanny creations.

Though revolution approaches, the curious-minded flock to see the wax heads, eager to scrutinise the faces of royalty and reprobates alike. At 'The Cabinet of Doctor Curtius', heads are made, heads are displayed, and a future is built from wax.

©2018 Edward Carey (P)2019 W. F. Howes Ltd

Critic reviews

“Don't miss this eccentric charmer.” (Margaret Atwood)

“This historical novel about the wax-sculptor who would become the world-renowned Madame Tussaud looks uncannily like a real-life classic.” (Washington Post)

“Conveyed with so much sympathy and acute observation that it is hard not to be beguiled." (The Times)