Thank you so much to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster UK for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What an absolutely enchanting book this is. I am kicking myself for not getting to this one sooner.

A wonderfully compelling and enjoyable read from start to finish. The plot, the characters, the setting, everything here was so beautifully described and fully fleshed out, so utterly believable. I was happy to be lost within these pages. Nat Davy has such an extraordinary story; I highly recommend this one to all Historical Fiction lovers. This is unlike anything else you've read, and I promise you'll love it!

5 enchanting stars

I really enjoyed this! Excellent audio quality, great narrator who did voices very well. I really got lost in the story and it worked well as an audiobook.

Sometimes the protagonist was slightly irritating and self-pitying, which was quite full-on in a long book, so that’s why I am going for 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Publishers for this ARC

Unfortunately I did not get to listen to this audiobook as I missed my chance. My apologises

It's impossible to get to know historical figures, but creating compelling, interesting humans and sharing the story of their times is the best way to help bring the times to life. So this isn't just a story of the English civil war, but it's a story of human who lived in it, revealing the history within the throes of their lives.

I loved this book. Nat's voice rang clear through all the pages, changing the lives of everyone around him. With so much determination and clear ideas of what he want - but with his self-consciousness creating a flaw that delayed him getting what he wanted in life - he was an amiable companion, and I enjoyed all the characters.

It's warm, ambitious, hopeful and has a happy ending. I loved this book and really look forward to sharing it with my customers.

Charming, and powerful tale of Nat’s life from youth to his life in court.

The narrator had me captured.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Utterly charming. Nat Davy is a delight.

The Smallest Man follows Nat's life from his home in Oakham then on to court as the Queen's dwarf. The writing is fantastic as we join Nat in his personal struggle with bullies as well as those of being associated with a king that Parliament is trying to overthrow. Frances Quinn's novel is wonderfully uplifting, it shows friendship at it's very best & really brings home that it doesn't matter who you are, where you're from or what you look like but what is inside that really counts.

Alex Wingfield is a brilliant narrator, each character given a distinct voice while still allowing the story to flow easily. This was a pleasure to listen to.

The Smallest Man tells the life story of Nat Davy, who arrived in the court of King Charles I as a gift to his Queen, at the age of just 10, who later became her close companion and confidante. Whilst Nat himself is fictional he was based on the real life Jeffery Hudson, known to many as “Queen’s Dwarf” & “Lord Minimus”. I don’t often dip into historical fiction and when I do I tend to stick to Ancient Greece (being a huge fan of it’s rich mythology) or post regency period. However the gorgeous cover plus the book’s protagonist intrigued me, so despite only knowing a little of Charles I reign and the Civil war it caused, I requested a copy.

From the very first sentence I was completely enamored with Alex Wingfield’s narration, he has a gorgeous voice which perfectly fit Nat. Initially I thought it would take me a while to get through but I wound up listening to the entire audiobook in just four days and if I hadn’t been at work for two of them would have finished sooner. Wingfield captured Nat’s growing maturity as we follow him through adulthood, highlighting his pride, his pain, his happiness and his courage to form a fully fleshed image in my head. Even at the times where Nat’s stubborn pride irked me I found it hard to be annoyed for too long due to the narration (think I have a new voice crush!) He was also great at defining the other characters by voice alone, switching accents with an ease that kept me in the world of the story.

Quinn’s writing is engaging and well researched, I knew the bare bones of the time period enough to know the basic timeline but there were many elements I’d was fascinated to learn. The detailed scenes, in particular Nat & the Queen bonding whilst sitting for Van Dyck, had me googling to learn more after I had finished reading. It was the perfect blend of historical fact of key events and artistic license of the inner life of the court. Nat was a likeable protagonist, pride aside, and the supporting cast of Queen Henrietta, Sam, Jeremiah, Arabella, Henry and even Crofts provided different beats to story, each equally enjoyable.

This is an ideal read for historical fiction fans, and a great listen for anyone who enjoys beautiful narration and character driven narratives.

Posted on my blog here: https://doaudioeditorsdreamofelectricbeats.wordpress.com/2021/01/06/the-smallest-man-frances-quinn/

The story begins with the childhood of Nat when is he 10 years old but he looks as old as two. Inspire of all his mother’s efforts, he doesn’t grow as a normal child would and the family soon realises that he is to remain a midget all his life.

So now, he is a liability which makes his father permanently upset with him to an extent that he can’t wait to get rid of his son. After a failed transaction, money finally changes hands and Nat is sold to the royal court in London through a duke who thought it would impress the queen.

Nat’s journey begins here where he learns the ways of the royal court, rides horses, actively participates in the war and finds love. All along the insult of being a dwarf never leaves him though. And I do think this is the prime plot of the entire book.

However, the story got a lot monotonous. It begins well with him still being a child when he is brought to the court but gets increasingly dull as he befriends the queen. As a crazy historical fiction fan myself, I wanted more of the historical account but the story did not quench my intrigue. The reader is not kept up with the timing in terms of years. An epoch passes but the reader never gets a sense of this. The king’s execution, I felt needed more space in the book even though the book is about Nat, considering the whole plot revolves around the war and civil unrest. The plot got overly single-toned with no stirring of emotions or suspense. The love story was very much cliched. A longing and assumptions accompanying unnecessary misunderstandings and finally a reunion. I was, frankly, hoping for more.

All in all, it’s a good one time read.

This is a historical fiction novel that follows "the smallest man in England" during the run up to the English Civil War. The man becomes close to the queen at court, whom he entertains and also is respected to help in troubled times. The book follows the adventures and the people he meets, all interesting characters in their own right. I thoroughly enjoyed this audio book and the stories of the different characters.

My thanks to Simon & Schuster UK Audio for a review copy, via NetGalley, of the unabridged audiobook edition of ‘The Smallest Man’ by Frances Quinn in exchange for an honest review. It is narrated by Alex Wingfield and has a running time of 9 hours, 59 minutes at 1x speed.

‘I want you to remember something, Nat. You’re small on the outside. But inside you’re as big as everyone else. You show people that and you won’t go far wrong in life.’ - Lucy Davy to her son, ‘The Smallest Man’.

This is a beautifully written novel and an impressive debut. From the start of my immersive read/listen experience, I was totally swept up by the story of Nathaniel Davy, known throughout the country as the Queen’s dwarf.

In 1625 Nat Davy, aged ten, is sold by his father to the Duke of Buckingham, who presents him hidden in a pie to the young Queen Henrietta Maria. As time passes the lonely queen and Nat become friends. Over two decades Nat witnesses the growing unrest within the country and the resulting Civil War that ultimately leads to the execution of Charles I in 1649.

While Nat Davy is fictional, Quinn was inspired by the life of Sir Jeffrey Hudson, also known as Lord Minimus, whose likeness was captured in a famous portrait with Queen Henrietta Maria by Anthony Von Dyke in 1633. Frances Quinn wove aspects of Hudson’s life into her narrative though also exercised creative license. Through Nat’s eyes we experience the day-to-day life of the Stuart Court: the frivolities, the intrigues, and its ultimate downfall.

I found this an excellent work of historical fiction, rich in period detail and full of excitement as the Royalists and Parliamentarians engage in strategic battles across the English counties. The Parliamentarians are especially keen to capture the Queen in order to force the King to agree to their demands.

Quinn has clearly undertaken a great deal of research into the Stuart period and has the skill to weave these into a moving portrait of a man who may have been small in stature but had a huge heart.

In terms of the audiobook, I felt that Alex Wingfield perfectly captured Nat’s voice. Aside from his work in the theatre, Wingfield is an established voice actor, narrating a variety of audiobooks. His crystal clear narration quickly drew me into the story.

Overall, I felt that ‘The Smallest Man’ contained everything I seek in a work of historical fiction. Following this stunning debut I will be eagerly awaiting news of Frances Quinn’s future projects as well as widely recommending this excellent novel.

A wonderful start to 2021!

I would never have read this book had I not stumbled across a review which praised the brilliance of the writing and the narration of this audiobook. I love absorbing stories which breathe life into history. This is absolutely glorious- a rich seam of 17th Century history (English Civil War) uniquely blended with incredible storytelling. This is the story of the life of a small man named Nat Davy living through turbulent times as Charles I and his court become increasingly unpopular. Nat’s size prevents him from being any use to his family so his father sells him to a local Duke who gifts Nat to the Queen. The character of Nat was inspired by a true story but Quinn has made him her own. I listened to this on audiobook. From the first words I was utterly engrossed. Alex Wingfield was the perfect narrator. He utterly embodied the character of Nat Davy so that I felt he was telling his own story, drawing out the comedy, the fear, the humanity as he witnesses unique historical events. Wingfield is also able to conjure up all the other personalities in the novel as he voices foreign accents, regional dialects and brings a whole cast of characters to life. This was an audiobook which kept me completely enraptured. The story of a small man is a big story, a wonderful story. It also fired up my fascination for history. I found myself searching out historical accounts of this period in order to understand the period better. It has greatly increased my fascination for this genre. Quinn’s writing is brilliant, bringing life to this period of history, weaving in descriptions and facts which add historical texture. I loved her choice of writing style - using contemporary terms where appropriate but not overloading the writing. I greatly hope this is the first of many such works from Quinn. Absolutely five stars! This would make a wonderful film. With thanks to Netgalley and Simon and Shuster U.K. Audio for a digital copy of this amazing audiobook .

I'm always searching for stories about Tudor Kings and Tudor queens, I have lots of books because I love this timeframe in history. Unfortunately I have only read a couple of books on the Stuarts, and so I have to say this book was a nice surprise. King Charles is often ignored, and with reason I believe.

At the time of listening to this, I realised I was one who didn't care about his French queen. I thought she was always an outsider, as I knew their marriage had started off like that.

But now I know she loved England and fully embraced England, Scotland and Ireland as much as her own country. I don't think I'll forget the name Henrietta Maria after this or Nat Davy... and I'm sure if you love history you'll be googling a little to find out some more. Because I was listening to this, I found myself wanting to google the story as it was fascinating.

This is the story of Nat Davy and is narrated by him and his role in life as the Queen's dwarf,

The narration is superb and I would look out for this narrator again, I truly felt the pace and the tone was wonderful and forget I was listening to a story and felt like I was listening to a conversation. Simply Brilliant.

This story is based on the true life of Jeffrey Hudson, Frances Quinn creates an interesting tale filled with intrigue, murder, suspense and a touch of romance. She does take a fair bit of creative licence when it comes to Nat's story and I completely loved it.

At least in this fictional world, Nat deserves a happy ending. You need to google ti find out his real ending, not so happy.

Sold by his father for eleven shillings, Nat finds a new home with the young queen who shares a similar fate in her political marriage with King Charles.

Since his size limits his access to complex political scenarios, we don't get to know the king that much. Instead, Quinn focuses on the life of Nat's in the palace and as they travel, the way he swallows the insults directed against him, turning his disadvantage as a means to create a happy story.

From the very beginning we are pulled into this fast paced story growing with Nat, feeling his pain. My only complaint is regarding the abrupt ending which doesn't give information on the restoration.
I've realised that Stuart history is just as interesting as Tudor - I had just forgotten the significance of it all and its fascinating.

Nat was a great character and I felt myself throughout the book imagining how his life must have been in the Royal households and when in hiding against the patriots.

A must listen for anyone wanting to dip their toes into their first Stuart historical fiction.

Thank you in advance for the copy.

I’d like to thank NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for sending me an audio ARC of this book.

I have to say this story was fantastic! Everything about it was perfect from the narration to the characters, the plot and so much more. Alex Wingfield does a fantastic job of narrating the story, giving each of the characters a unique voice and making the listen as smooth as possible. This is probably the fastest that I have ever finished an audiobook.

Frances Quinn has given us an adorable, honest and clever witted character to route for. I loved Nat Davy and everything about his story. Whilst there were times that my heart broke for him I also found his tale to be uplifting. He took the very thing that made him different to everyone else and embraced it. He never let it defeat him and he showed what it truly means to accept and love who you are. I felt for his mother at the beginning of the story but I wished she had stood up to him more, I’d die before I let anyone sell my child.

Nat may not have been switched on when it came to romance and I often found myself smiling at how oblivious he was to Arabella but in my opinion, that made him more relatable and endearing. Their love story was my favourite part of the book and I couldn’t wait for that moment when they both realised their true feelings for each other.

I’ve always loved learning about the history of our Royal family and have a slight obsession with the Tudor period. The weaving of factual and information throughout this tale is done brilliantly, learning about King Charles I and the religious conflicts was fascinating and has only added to my obsession.

This was a brilliant, compassionate and heart warming debut about bravery, friendship and being true to ones self.

The Smallest Man

I received an audiobook copy via NetGalley for honest review.

This was one I wanted to read as I have been getting more into historical fiction with the release of Hamnet and the premise interested me.

The story is fictional but inspired by a real life figure. The story follows Nat Davey who was bought by a wealthy man and given to the Queen of England to be her ‘personal dwarf’. It follows the story of his early years, to life and the palace and beyond in a time of upheaval in the British Monarchy.

It was a time period I knew very little about but the perspective of Nat was an interesting one as he straddled the worlds of royalty and the every day man. I felt like it made me want to read more of that time period.

The story focuses a lot of the nature of power, shifting power and loyalty. I’d say for people who liked the politics of Game of Thrones this would be a good read.

It just wasn’t a five star feel for me, there is nothing I have to complain about it. I liked it and the narrator of the audio did a fantastic job but it probably wouldn’t be one I would go back to.

Would recommend for fans of Hamnet or The Familiars.

This is set in my favourite period of History . I studied Cromwell and the interregnum as part of my A levels and twenty some years later it still intrigues me.

This was a delightful little story that whilst losing a little momentum in the second half, still left me satiated . Based on a real life courtier with dwarfism, Nat is a great fictional creation and life at court and away from it was reproduced with enough detail that the fabrications meshed extremely well .

The narration of this audiobook version was easy to listen to and seemed fitting for the period setting with few modern inflections to transport us out of the period. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

An enchanting tale set in the 1600s about Nat Davy, sold by his father at just 10 years old because, as a dwarf, he’d never be able to work the land. Nat is then given to the queen of England, as a present; together with her dog and monkeys, Nat is at court purely for the queen’s entertainment. Unsurprisingly, as both are far from home and unhappy, the two become friends, and what follows is a wonderful saga set against the tumultuous backdrop of England during the reign of Charles 1, with its religious and political upheavals
Nat’s mother adored her small son, and it is her belief in him, and positive words, that always guide him. Again and again he shows that although small on the outside, he’s as big as everyone else on the outside.
I defy anyone not to like Nat enormously. He faces life’s challenges with a strong moral compass, loyalty and dollops of wit. Although he’s thoroughly stupid when it comes to love (I wanted to smack him several times!), he navigates the turbulent times and his personal obstacles with skill, determination and courage. I loved following his adventures as the years went by. Frances Quinn writes with a strong sense of place and I was easily able to imagine living in 17th century England.
Narrator Alex Wingfield is superb. His wonderfully poetic voice was perfect for this period piece.
This is one of those books that makes me turn to Google the instant I finish it, to find out more about the author and the motivation to write this book. I loved that it was inspired by a real-life historical figure, a dwarf called Jeffrey Hudson.
Well worth a read!

A fascinating story of the world’s smallest man. Even more amazing that it is based on fact. Nat Davy is a wonderful character who I loved right from the first page. Ms Quinn does a great job of portraying life in 17th century England for both the poor and the rich. I’m not usually a fan of historical fiction but this is a book I will remember for a long time, and it promoted me to google the ‘real’ Nat Davy.

The narration by Alex Wingfield was top notch.

This was an unusual read for me, but after seeing a few recommendations I thought I’d give the audiobook a go. And boy I wasn’t let down. The premise might not seem that interesting, but it really was! Nat is a fictional retelling of a real life person (Jeffrey Hudson) and Nat’s story is full of heartbreak, joy, intrigue and injustice. You can see why he befriends fellow outcasts and how he battles bigots and bullies. I love his determination and his loyalty to his friends, and introspection at the end. For such a little person, he does make a big impact. Wingfield does an excellent job as narrator - particularly with the various accents! A really good read.

I cannot praise ethics book highly enough. I absolutely loved it. I listened to this audiobook on my daily commute, the simple yet deep and rich life of Nat Davey, sold by his father to a duke and presented to the queen of England in a pie. Nat’s early life was not unhappy, but like many of us, as he grows older, life presents its ups and downs, some more dramatic than others.
Lacking confidence due to the fact that his father sold him, and often mocked for being small, Nat nonetheless is one of the most believeable and likeable characters I have come across in a long time. He is decent and honest, loyal and a true friend to the queen and those around him.

Living through the English civil war, and as a member of the royal court, things become complicated for Nat and his friends, and the King and Queen. Giving no more detail, I will say: ‘Read this book, or listen to the audiobook, narrated brilliantly by @alexwingdield1
thanks so much to #NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved this book! Nat Davy narrates the tale of how he came to be the Queen's dwarf. The story takes us to various countries though begins in 17th century England. I had no prior knowledge of this period in history and found Quinn's rendering fascinating. Nat is an extremely loveable character and there are some supporting standouts, including Jeremiah and Arabella. Frances Quinn's stunning debut is a triumph of historical fiction, exploring what it means to be different and how those differences can be overcome. It's about friendship, love and courage. I found "The Smallest Man" to be an incredibly heartwarming read and I missed it between reading sessions. It's a book which will retain a place in my heart forever.

The audiobook is brilliantly narrated by Alex Wingfield. As a narrator I found his delivery engaging and particularly enjoyed the ways in which he brought each of the different characters to life, mastering accents and tone beautifully. I hope to hear a great deal more from Wingfield soon. A rare talent!