Peter H. Fogtdal‘s book The Tsar’s Dwarf (Hawthorne Books) is about a Danish dwarf given to Peter the Great as a gift who ends up as a court jester at the Russian court. It’s this author’s first book in English, though he’s had twelve published in Danish.

Here’s more about the book:

Soerine, a deformed female dwarf from Denmark, is given as a gift to Tsar Peter the Great, who is smitten by her freakishness and intellect. Against her will, the Tsar takes Soerine to St. Petersburg, where she becomes a jester in his court. There, she lives a life that both compels and repels her. Soerine eventually gives in to the attentions of Lukas, the Tsar’s favorite dwarf, and carves out an existence for herself amidst the squalor and lice-ridden world of dwarfs in the early 18th century. In this inhospitable milieu, Soerine’s intelligence and detached wit provide her some small measure of protection — until disaster strikes in the shape of a priest who wants to “save” her.

This event will not be at Quimby’s but down the street at Chinaski’s, and Quimby’s will be there selling the book. Chinaski’s is at 1935 N. Damen, just south of Armitage. Starts at 7:30pm.