"[A] hilarious love story. . . . This book will steal your heart." --
People "History buffs, animal lovers, and simply the tenderhearted will swoon over this captivating story. . . . Sweet and enchanting." --
Entertainment Weekly,
Grade A
"Feather-light without being feather-brained. Julia Stuart has penned a work that is original and every-page amusing." --
The Denver Post "A marvelous confection of a book." --
The Washington Times "Delightfully zany and touching. . . . With her deft and charming style, Stuart brings this comic story to a satisfying and heartwarming end." --
The Washington Post
"Julia Stuart's sweet
The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise is a blessing, undisguised and undeniable, and apparent from the first sentence. . . . [A] tale at once contemporary and timeless. . . . The Tower, of course, is known as the home of the Crown Jewels, and Stuart's many-faceted little gem adds to its glitter." --
Richmond Times-Dispatch "This is fine writing. . . . For [those] who could use a little whimsy and a rousing good yarn, turtle soup is on." --
The Plain Dealer "Imagine a funny, poignant book, full of delightful and wacky characters, then add a bit of English history, and you've got
The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise.
. . . This is Carl Hiaasen for the Tower of London." --NPR, "Best Books of 2010"
"
The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise unfolds with an airy whimsy. . . . Great fun. . . . For all that [Stuart's] setups are ingenious, she never loses sight of the humanity of her characters. . . . Both original and memorably enjoyable." --
The Denver Post "Stuart's tale is a comedy of realms--her Tower, her England--where people and things are out of place. . . . Sometimes it takes an escaped Komodo dragon for people to begin sorting out their lives." --
BookPage "A charming spoof." --
The Washington Times "Enjoyable and humorous. . . . Has a human genuineness to it that is touching and, at times, heartbreaking." --
The Gainesville Times "[A] treat for Anglophiles." --
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "It's the delicate balance of odd and normal that makes Stuart's book irresistible." --
Sacramento Book Review "Stuart's attempt to combine current reality with the ghostly past is a brilliant premise. . . . Remarkably funny. . . . Stuart is obviously fascinated by the multiple histories that inhabit the tower, and her research flavours the novel well." --
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
"An absolute delight." --
IndieLondon