The Lilliputians

Street-smart Tilly ropes Poesy in to audition for the Lilliputians, a children’s theatre group that is to travel to America. Poesy qualifies, only to discover that the world of acting and singing is rather different from everything she had dreamed it would be. For one, it seems that everyone cannot be friends with everyone else. There is more backbiting than she had ever imagined, and suddenly, she needs to grow up. Nothing is the way it seems on the surface. Being naive is going to get her nowhere.

The reader is sucked into this world of gossip, rumour and drama that is not restricted to the theatre. Through Tilly and Poesy, we learn that even the idea of their childhood seems to be a farce. Tilly pretends to be innocent – because it works. But the thrill of being a Lilliputian comes from much more – from temptation, adoration and secrecy.

The Lilliputians starts slowly, but grips you with its storytelling. Based on a true story, Kirsty Murray’s narrative style rings true page after page. Beginning in Australia, the story quickly takes us through south-east Asia and into British India. Every attitude, every detail adds another layer to the authenticity and power of the story. It’s books like this that make me realise why I’ve grown to love historical fiction so much!