the tower...

i am currently reading the tower, the zoo, and the tortoise by julia stuart which is set in the tower of london. last night i was able to get a glimpse of the tower on my way to our disco boat party down the thames. i think i will wait to actually visit the tower until after i have finished the novel.

it is a story of one of the beefeaters who guards the tower, or nowadays guides tourists around and answers repetitive questions concerning how many have been beheaded in the tower. his wife works at the lost property office of london, receiving the most obscure things from the london underground. they also own a 181-year-old tortoise named mrs. cook (one of my favorite additions to the novel). i am about a third through the book, but the queen has requested that all her animals be transfered to the tower from the london zoo. the beefeater will be overlooking the tower as it transitions into a historical zoo. mrs. cook will have many friends...

stuart did immense research on the tower and created a lovely story within. the novel has been reviewed as charming, quirky, whimsical, and humorous. it is "captivating" according to usa today. although the first half is generally about intertwining many stories in the tower, the second half is said to be quite uplifting and hilarious.