ABOUT
THE BOOK

2020 Longlist

In 1761, a tiny, odd-looking girl named Marie is born in a village in Switzerland. After the death of her parents, she is apprenticed to an eccentric wax sculptor and whisked off to the seamy streets of Paris, where they meet a domineering widow and her quiet, pale son. Together, they convert an abandoned monkey house into an exhibition hall for wax heads, and the spectacle becomes a sensation. As word of her artistic talent spreads, Marie is called to Versailles, where she tutors a princess and saves Marie Antoinette in childbirth. But outside the palace walls, Paris is roiling: The revolutionary mob is demanding heads, and . . . at the wax museum, heads are what they do.

About the Author

Edward Carey has written several adaptations for the stage, including Patrick Suskind’s The Pigeon and Robert Coover’s Pinocchio in Venice, and has recently finished a free adaptation of The Pickwick Papers. His own plays include Sulking Thomas and Captain of the Birds. Carey is also a freelance illustrator (some of his artwork appears in Observatory Mansions). He lives in London, England.

Librarian’s Comments

A fictionalized, darkly humorous account of the life of Madame Tussand. Carey pieces together Tussand’s life in a morbidly witty and compelling story, complete with illustrations. Richland Library, USA

A fictional account of the life and times of Madame Tussaud, with many strange illustrations by the author, is a fascinating journey through her life in Paris from 1761 to her last years in London. There is a fast-moving long array of historic and fictional events and characters brought vividly to life in precise and exciting prose. Bergen Offentlige Bibliotek, Norway