It's an unusual name for a book, that's for sure. But T. TEMBAROM by Frances Hodgson Burnett was a really interesting read for me as a writer studying characters. The book is about a street-smart New York newspaper boy, T. Tembarom, who is just minding his own business and living his best life when unexpectedly inherits an English estate and title. Despite his rough childhood and lack of aristocratic manners, he easily navigates British high society with his charm and determination. Throughout his adventure, he wins over skeptics, fends off intrigue, and remains loyal to the girls he loves. The story is a pleasant blend of rags-to-riches, romance, and social commentary.
What made this book stand out for me was how the author crafted T. Tembarom; not just through description, but through his actions. Strikingly, there were times when this masculine character veered sharply away from the cliche "male" main character. This caught my attention. I think today that as authors, we are often afraid to give our straight MMC even the smallest feminine attribute. But why is this? After all, a good author is supposed to hate cliches, isn't she? So why do we refuse to dabble in the fact that many men have generous amounts of tenderness outside of romance and fatherhood?
In the book, this trait is demonstrated by T. Tembarom's close friendship with a distant relation to him, Ms. Alice Temple Barolm. She is old, shy and insecure and yet, they become the best of friends. They go around making visits, shopping and taking trips to London together, much like two women would do. And they do all this with T. Tembarom retaining every one of his masculine characteristics.
I'm not saying it hasn't been done before, but I am saying that Hodgeson Burnette might have done it better than most. Have you read this book? Or maybe you've read another author whose carried off this rare technique. Share in the comments!
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