The Little Doll Girl ( The Wurtherington Diary Book #1)
by Duy Trung, Nour Hassan, Jesse Ty
Release Date: September 15., 2015
About the Book
The Little Doll Girl is the first in a series of illustrated children’s books written by Tammy Wurtherington in 1883. Reynold Jay is the leader of a team dedicated to publishing the fascinating Wurtherington Diary. He has authored a dozen books and co-authored a non-fiction book with Amara, “Eternal Defilement.” Once a special education teacher—now an author and restoration professional, he hopes to inspire readers with this new series meant for young and old alike.
The first book will be released September 15, 2015 and then another book every two weeks up to the sixth book. Books seven and eight will be announced at a later date.
As with many illustrated classic stories, it is a story with unique characters and deals with hope, determination, compassion, and much more.
Mr. Jay felt the Diary was important enough to warrant editions for younger readers. Each book will be available in 8-10, 8-12, and 8 to adult reader editions.
In the opening preface, Robert Landsbury discovers the diary in a shed on a newly purchased estate in River Falls, Ohio and passes it along to his associates. The diary is faithfully preserved for today’s reader.
In it, the reader will discover that a ten-year-old mute girl, Tammy Wurtherington residing in the Wixby estate is the author. She loves to make dolls in a shed out in back of the house. She lives with Lord Wixby and Aunt May in a lavish estate at the edge of town. Aunt May teaches her to use a sewing machine and gives her a small one suited to size as a birthday gift. One day while constructing a toy soldier for her brother, Alfred the Mouse appears and is impressed with her ability to make doll outfits and reluctantly invites her to follow him to Kira if she will bring along the sewing machine.
Tammy keeps a diary of her exploits in Kira which is ruled with an iron-hand by a pair of sorceresses, Catherine and Lucinda. Tammy and Alfred find their way through a fantasy underground transportation system that ends up with the pair mistakenly ending up in a wicker-basket in the middle of the ocean. Tammy finds her voice for the first time and Alfred explains that it is a “talking spell that allows virtually everyone to talk including the pesky (giant) flowers.”
From this point you will discover many wonderful characters like Zeke, the Flying Opossum, and Cedric the Mongoose, who accompany Tammy on her journey to Capira to present a petition to return the kingdom to its former glory. You will meet the pirate, Captain Flynn, who loves to have his guests walk the plank and the loveable Kakuna villagers who’s harvest is soon to be confiscated by the royal soldiers. But please beware of the Oxboar forest, where the evil Hoarggs reside otherwise you may end up in a stew-pot.
Tammy has an adventure in which she learns to love all the strange living creatures she encounters in a magical land. Before she departs, all of Kira will fall in love with The Little Doll Girl who changed them forever and became a legend.
As the series progresses Ms. Wurtherington finds herself becoming a time-traveler in order to nudge the space -time continuum in the proper direction during important events in history. Soon she discovers that she is a fearless fighter against tyrants who would destroy the concept of freedom.
The core titles are:
The Wutherington Diary: The Little Doll Girl
Tammy and the Declaration of Independence
Tammy, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves
Tammy and the California Gold Rush
Tammy Meets William Tell
Buffalo Bill and the Pony Express
Buffalo Bill and the Indians
Robin Hood and the Magna Carta
Other books that were found in Tammy’s shed will be published as they relate very well to the Diary. A pair of lavishly illustrated Victorian ABC books, not seen in over one hundred years, will be made available to readers. A historical dime book, Ned Buntline’s Buffalo Bill, The King of the Border Men will be published as a part of the series. Other books, including story color books for the youngest readers, are also planned.
In that many works of art were found in the diary, various limited collector edtions will be available in print editions available at Amazon. Well over one hundred books are a part of the series. Over three hundred works of art can be viewed and purchased now at Fine Art America ( on the internet) in the Reynold Jay gallery.
On a final note, Reynold Jay brought in an international team of restoration artists to restore the beautiful illustrations that were found in the Diary. In that there was a flood, the Diary and the art were nearly lost forever. Reynold Jay says, “It has been a two year journey and I can only hope that we find readers for it. Whether there is any interest in the private thoughts of a little girl living in 1883 will be of any interest to today’s modern readers is yet to be seen.”
Progress and updated news on the series may be found at the writer’s web site, http://biccomix.com/seedsfromheaven.htm.
To learn more about this book and see our review, go HERE.
About the Author
Reynold Jay is the leader of a team dedicated to publishing the fascinating 1883 Wurtherington Diary. He has authored a dozen books and co-authored a non-fiction book with Amara, “Eternal Defilement.” Once a special education teacher, now an author, publisher, restoration professional, he hopes to inspire readers with this series meant for young and old alike.
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Giveaway Details
One winner will receive a copy of the book. US only.
Entering is simple, just fill out the entry form below. Winners will be announced on this site and in our monthly newsletter (sign up now!) within 30 days after the giveaway ends.
During each giveaway, we ask entrants a question pertaining to the book. Here is the question they’ll be answering in the comments below for extra entries: Where does Tammy meet Alfred the Mouse for the first time? Find out here.
[quote]When she made soldiers as a present and the mouse was among them.
Maybe I’m just slow, but the way this book is described is confusing. *I think* it is a diary of a girl from 1880, but she wrote a fiction story, NOT a personal true account of daily activities. Right or no? It’s a bit like The Young Visitirs by Daisy Ashford. And Tammy used her name for the protaganist.
Hi Dari, This is RJ the author of the novel. Thank you for the first question/discussion ever about the novel. This will make you very special to me. I’m not familiar with the other books you mention so cannot address your question about those.
I can only say that you may be able to answer your questions after reading the entire Diary. I can say that the Diary is a daily accounting of her activities as one would anticipate in most any diary.
Treat it as you would any fiction book and you will do just fine.
I hope that helps a bit.
I will admit that the book plays with your head and you may never entirely be satisfied that you completely understand what is fact and what is fiction.
For others with thoughts, I’ll be responding here several times a week or every day if warranted.
A few reviews have come in at Goodreads this week and I am jubilant with the response thus far.
Here is the very first offered by Diane Kasperski.
“It is a magical tale like Narnia or Alice In Wonderland
Tammy is mute and a very creative little girl. One day when working in her workshop she meets a talking mouse and follows him to Kira; a land where even the animals speak. The inhabitants of Kira are ruled by two evil Sorceresses, Catherine and Lucinda. Tammy listens to the stories of harsh taxes, little food and decides to start a journey to take a petition to the capital city on behalf of the citizens.
On her journey she meets all kinds of inhabitants from the Kakuna to the Hoargg. The whole kingdom is afraid of the Hoargg with rumors that they eat anyone that comes into their forest. Tammy, of course, doesn’t believe they could be that bad and insists on going to meet them. After all, if they are to defeat Catherine and Lucinda all of the villages must be united.
What follows is a story that includes lessons on courage, compassion, not judging
things/people by how they look and more. The lessons are subtle but they are there.
This is a great book for parents to read with their young children. The lessons truly will benefit all and the story is magical.
I received this book free from the author through Library Thing for review purposes.”
When she made soldiers as a present and the mouse was among them
Hi Dari, That is correct. Alfred the mouse simply appeared one day while she was working on her toy soldiers for her brother, Mark.