Julia Stuart
Hardcover | Pages: 304 pages Rating: 3.58 | 9045 Users | 1753 Reviews
Present Books In Pursuance Of The Tower, The Zoo, and The Tortoise
| Original Title: | The Tower, The Zoo, and The Tortoise |
| ISBN: | 0385533284 (ISBN13: 9780385533287) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Characters: | Balthazar Jones, Hebe Jones, Reverand Septimus Drew |
| Setting: | London, England(United Kingdom) |
Explanation Supposing Books The Tower, The Zoo, and The Tortoise
Brimming with charm and whimsy, this exquisite novel set in the Tower of London has the transportive qualities and delightful magic of the contemporary classics Chocolat and Amélie.Balthazar Jones has lived in the Tower of London with his loving wife, Hebe, and his 120-year-old pet tortoise for the past eight years. That’s right, he is a Beefeater (they really do live there). It’s no easy job living and working in the tourist attraction in present-day London.
Among the eccentric characters who call the Tower’s maze of ancient buildings and spiral staircases home are the Tower’s Rack & Ruin barmaid, Ruby Dore, who just found out she’s pregnant; portly Valerie Jennings, who is falling for ticket inspector Arthur Catnip; the lifelong bachelor Reverend Septimus Drew, who secretly pens a series of principled erotica; and the philandering Ravenmaster, aiming to avenge the death of one of his insufferable ravens.
When Balthazar is tasked with setting up an elaborate menagerie within the Tower walls to house the many exotic animals gifted to the Queen, life at the Tower gets all the more interesting. Penguins escape, giraffes are stolen, and the Komodo dragon sends innocent people running for their lives. Balthazar is in charge and things are not exactly running smoothly. Then Hebe decides to leave him and his beloved tortoise “runs” away.
Filled with the humor and heart that calls to mind the delightful novels of Alexander McCall Smith, and the charm and beauty of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise is a magical, wholly original novel whose irresistible characters will stay with you long after you turn the stunning last page.
Published in the UK in August 2010 as Balthazar Jones and the Tower of London Zoo.
Point About Books The Tower, The Zoo, and The Tortoise
| Title | : | The Tower, The Zoo, and The Tortoise |
| Author | : | Julia Stuart |
| Book Format | : | Hardcover |
| Book Edition | : | Anniversary Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 304 pages |
| Published | : | August 10th 2010 by Doubleday |
| Categories | : | Fiction. Humor. Historical. Historical Fiction. Animals. European Literature. British Literature |
Rating About Books The Tower, The Zoo, and The Tortoise
Ratings: 3.58 From 9045 Users | 1753 ReviewsPiece About Books The Tower, The Zoo, and The Tortoise
3 ½ stars rounded up to 4. Years ago my Canadian niece landed a summer job (how'd she do that - some places will hire anybody) as a tour guide at the Tower. To this day get a few cocktails in her and shell regale you (much to the annoyance of her husband) with stories of hanging out with Beefeaters. She adored them - so when I saw this I just HAD to read it. It backs her up - Beefeaters do have their own private pub where they pursue their favorite pastimes hard drinking, tourist bashing andThe title of this novel could have been so much longer. Author, Julia Stuart, could have entitled it: The Tower, The Zoo, The Tortoise, The Beefeater, The Quirky, The Son, The Loved, The Lost, The Found, The Reverend, The Ravenmaster, The Hopeful and The Grieving. Yes, that title would have been way too long. So, I understand Ms. Stuarts shortened version. Rather than giving the reader all that information in the title she instead unfolds this material to the reader slowly and gently, using
The Tower, The Zoo, and The Tortoise is about Balthazar Jones who is a Beefeater he lives and works at the Tower of London. Balthazar and his wife Hebe are trying to go on with life after the death of their only child. She works at the London Undergrounds Lost Property Office where she tries to reunite lost objects with the owners and Balthazar leads tours at the Tower. One day, it is announced that the Queens menagerie (gifts of animals from other countries) will be housed at the Tower and
Simply put, delightful. The Tower, The Zoo, and The Tortoise has a lot to offer; history, love, humor, quirky characters and an 181 year-old tortoise named Mrs. Cook. Balthazar Jones, a Beefeater, lives in the Tower of London with his wife Hebe and the Mrs. Cook. Hebe works for the London Underground's Lost Property Office, a story in itself. After the death of their son Milo, they have not been able to rekindle the spark that once flamed their beautiful relationship. Their marriage is faltering
A Beefeater at the Tower of London with an obsessive interest in collecting rain specimens in Egyptian glass bottles is now called upon to look after a new royal menagerie. Foreign dignitaries have at times made presents of exotic animals found in their countries to the Queen of England. They're usually kept at the London Zoo, but following the death of one gift, leading to an offended Ambassador, the Queen decided that it might be better to have these specially gifted animals under closer care,
The Queen has decided to relocate the gift animals she has received from the London Zoo to the Tower of London, thus reinstituting, after a fashion, the Tower Menagerie. The Queen also has decided that Beefeater Balthazar Jones should be the Keeper of the Menagerie, under the theory that he must know something about the care of exotic animals since his family has the care and feeding of a 180+ year old tortoise. And thus starts one of the most charming, funny, delightful stories I have had the
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