Tiny Little Thing by Beatriz Williams

Published June 23, 2015 by G.P. Putnam’s Son

In the summer of 1966, Christina Hardcastle—“Tiny” to her illustrious family—stands on the brink of a breathtaking future. Of the three Schuyler sisters, she’s the one raised to marry a man destined for leadership, and with her elegance and impeccable style, she presents a perfect camera-ready image in the dawning age of television politics. Together she and her husband, Frank, make the ultimate power couple: intelligent, rich, and impossibly attractive. It seems nothing can stop Frank from rising to national office, and he’s got his sights set on a senate seat in November.

But as the season gets underway at the family estate on Cape Cod, three unwelcome visitors appear in Tiny’s perfect life: her volatile sister Pepper, an envelope containing incriminating photograph, and the intimidating figure of Frank’s cousin Vietnam-war hero Caspian, who knows more about Tiny’s rich inner life than anyone else. As she struggles to maintain the glossy façade on which the Hardcastle family’s ambitions are built, Tiny begins to suspect that Frank is hiding a reckless entanglement of his own…one that may unravel both her own ordered life and her husband’s promising career. 

My Thoughts…

This is a peek into the lives of the rich and political.     I really believe that Frank’s dad, more than Frank the son, wants Frank to be a successful politician.   To do that Frank’s secret must be kept hidden.   Sometimes the easiest way to hide something is in plain sight.   That is why Frank and Tiny get married.    She is the perfect ruse to what Frank truly is.     It works… to a point.     I had no clue what Frank’s secret was.   I thought I knew, I had guesses, but I was wrong until the end and it was spelled out for me.    

I enjoyed watching Tiny come into her own.     Instead of being the timid mousy lady of the house she became someone to be dealt with.    The family could not just pacify her and pat her on the head expecting her to behave and do what is expected of her.   Cap, Frank’s cousin, is a huge part of her becoming strong.    He believes in her, sees in her what he wishes she could see for herself.     Their relationship was one that I was cheering for.   They needed each other more than anything else.

The historical items in this book fit perfectly into the story.    Beatriz Williams wove them into the story perfectly.     Yet, this did not feel too historical, where I was reading a history book.     The characters were realistic, with true feelings, and real reactions to what was going on around them.    I could relate to the characters, some of which I loved, some I wanted to smack.    

Tiny Little Things is a book for many people.   It is historical fictions, women’s fiction, and an all around great read.   I recommend checking it out.   

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