The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise

The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise
By Julia Stuart
Doubleday, 2010. 304 pgs. Fiction

Balthazar Jones and his wife Hebe live in the Tower of London with their 181 year old tortoise, Mrs. Cook. Balthazar is a Member of the Sovereign’s Body Guard of Yeoman Guard Extraordinary, or Beefeater, and is responsible for showing tourists around the national landmark. That is until he is made the Keeper of the Royal Menagerie and asked to care for Her Majesty’s collection of exotic animals. As the Tower is thrown into a period of upheaval, its eccentric residents find their own lives in a state of change as well.

The Great Tower of London is a brilliant setting for a piece of fiction. It is filled with history, intrigue, and tragedy. Unfortunately, the characters Stuart chose to populate her story are, in my opinion, unrelatable and almost completely unlikable. From the Reverend moonlighting as an author of erotica, to Hebe’s coworker who enjoys trying on beards in her down time; it’s just all a bit much. The fascinating bits of Tower history sprinkled through the oddly depressing narrative were by far my favorite parts.

CZ