Shannon's Library

LET’S GET EXCITED ABOUT THIS BOOK!

Balthazar Jones lives in the Tower of London with his wife, Hebe, and his one-hundred-eighty-one-year-old pet tortoise, Mrs. Cook. That’s right; Balthazar is a Beefeater. It’s no easy job navigating the trials and tribulations that come with living and working in the largest tourist attraction in present-day London. First, he has to deal with the host of eccentric characters who call the Tower’s maze of ancient buildings and spiral staircases home. Second, the once white-hot flame of Balthazar and Hebe’s love has dwindled since the loss of their son and their marriage is teetering on the brink. And lastly, Balthazar is tasked with opening an elaborate menagerie within the Tower walls to house the unusual animal gifts the queen is given by foreign dignitaries. Amidst all this chaos… What’s a Beefeater to do?

Shannon’s Rating — PG-13

---

LET’S TALK ABOUT THIS BOOK!

A few of my friends have recently returned from or are planning a trip to London, England. Each of them has asked me to recommend my favorite British-themed book. Well, my friends, this is it! “The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise,” by Julia Stuart is one of my all-time favorite books and is most definitely one of my favorite books which takes place in London. Specifically, the Tower of London!

How about a quick, little history lesson? Yes?

The Tower of London was originally built in the 1070’s by William the Conqueror. Over the centuries, various monarchs transformed the Tower into England’s largest “concentric” castle, with one ring of defenses inside another. In 1240 Henry III had the Tower’s great keep painted white, making it the White Tower. For 500 years, English monarchs used the Tower as a surprisingly luxurious palace. But it was also a symbol of awe and fear. Kings and queens imprisoned their rivals and enemies within its walls. The stories of prisoners, rich and poor, still haunt the Tower. Henry VI was murdered in the Tower in 1471. The children of Edward IV (now known as the Princes in the Tower) vanished within its walls in 1483. In 1674, two skeletons were unearthed at the Tower. The bones were re-examined in 1933 and proved to be those of two boys aged about 12 and 10, exactly the same ages as the princes when they disappeared. Henry VI was murdered while praying in the King’s Private Chapel in the Tower. Anne Boleyn married Henry VIII in 1533 and had a spectacular celebratory feast at the Tower. Three years later she was back at the Tower accused of adultery and treason. She was held in the same luxurious rooms where her feast had taken place before being executed by the sword in the Tower yards. The moral of the story is; If you were a member of the British royalty during those tumultuous 800 years or so in English history, avoid the Tower at all costs. Don’t come for dinners, festivals, or to see the famous menagerie filled with exotic animals from around the world. Nope. Just stay away. Once within its walls, you might never leave!

Today, the Tower of London attracts over three million visitors a year. The Yeomen Warders, known as Beefeaters, still guard the Tower and also act as its tour guides. These men were originally part of the monarch’s personal bodyguard and travelled with him. It was Henry VIII who decreed that some of these men would stay and guard the Tower permanently. The nickname “Beefeaters” originated because these guards were permitted to eat as much beef as they wanted from the King’s table. (Makes sense to me. If I was the king, I’d want my bodyguards all beefed up with extra protein!)

Most surprising of all, when the gates are locked and all the visitors have gone, the Tower of London has a thriving, vibrant community within its walls. The Tower is still home to the Yeomen Warders and their families, the Resident Governor, and a garrison of soldiers. They have a doctor, a chaplain and even a really cool pub!

This intimate and unique community is the setting for Balthazar Jones in “The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise.” I’m a sucker for colorful characters and this novel is certainly full of them! I love all the various, quirky relationships we, as readers, witness within the walls of the Tower and the pages of this delightful book. It takes a lot for a book to make it onto my “favorites shelf” in my library and this one is sitting there very proudly!

On the inside flap of “The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise,” it says that Julia Stuart’s novel is absolutely “exquisite” and is “brimming with charm, whimsy and wonder.” I couldn’t agree more! So even if you haven’t recently returned from a trip to London or aren’t currently planning a trip to London – I still suggest you give this book a read. After all, who doesn’t want a little more charm, whimsy and wonder in their life?