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Home of the American Circus
The acclaimed author of The People We Keep returns with a luminous new story of redemption, breaking generational curses, and the power of family in its truest form.
After an emergency leaves her short on rent, thirty-year-old Freya Arnalds bails on her lackluster life as bartender in Maine and returns to her suburban hometown of Somers, New York, to live in the house she inherited from her estranged parents. Despite attempts to lay low, Freya encounters childhood friends, familial enemies, and old flames—as well as her fifteen-year-old niece, Aubrey, who is secretly living in the derelict home. As they reconnect, Freya and Aubrey lean on each other, working to restore the house and come to terms with the devastating events that pulled them apart years ago.
Set in the birthplace of the American circus, this deeply moving novel is an exploration of broken families, the weight of the past, and the complicated journey of finding home.
After an emergency leaves her short on rent, thirty-year-old Freya Arnalds bails on her lackluster life as bartender in Maine and returns to her suburban hometown of Somers, New York, to live in the house she inherited from her estranged parents. Despite attempts to lay low, Freya encounters childhood friends, familial enemies, and old flames—as well as her fifteen-year-old niece, Aubrey, who is secretly living in the derelict home. As they reconnect, Freya and Aubrey lean on each other, working to restore the house and come to terms with the devastating events that pulled them apart years ago.
Set in the birthplace of the American circus, this deeply moving novel is an exploration of broken families, the weight of the past, and the complicated journey of finding home.
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First published May 6, 2025
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August 24, 2025
It's practically a crime to give this book anything less than five stars—it deserves at least ten! Allison Larkin once again proves herself a master of crafting deeply nuanced characters and slow-burning, small-town fiction that resonates on an emotional level. With Home of the American Circus, she delivers a profoundly moving story of fractured family bonds, self-discovery, and the enduring power of connection.
Freya is a beautifully imperfect protagonist, someone whose struggles feel raw and real, making it easy to empathize with her journey. After a medical emergency forces her to return to Somers, the town she swore she'd left behind, she finds herself entangled in a past she had tried to escape. But the biggest surprise comes when she discovers her teenage niece, Aubrey, secretly living in the dilapidated house Freya inherited. As they cautiously rebuild their relationship, both must navigate old wounds, hidden betrayals, and the possibility of healing—if they’re willing to fight for it.
Larkin’s writing is immersive, rich with atmosphere, and layered with emotions that sneak up on you. The dual timeline adds depth, intertwining past and present in a way that makes every revelation hit even harder. The novel’s exploration of what it truly means to belong—both to a place and to the people around us—is deeply affecting.
With a cast of vividly drawn characters and a setting that feels as alive as the people within it, Home of the American Circus is a story that lingers long after the final page. Poignant, thought-provoking, and ultimately uplifting, this is a novel that captures the messy beauty of family and second chances.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
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Freya is a beautifully imperfect protagonist, someone whose struggles feel raw and real, making it easy to empathize with her journey. After a medical emergency forces her to return to Somers, the town she swore she'd left behind, she finds herself entangled in a past she had tried to escape. But the biggest surprise comes when she discovers her teenage niece, Aubrey, secretly living in the dilapidated house Freya inherited. As they cautiously rebuild their relationship, both must navigate old wounds, hidden betrayals, and the possibility of healing—if they’re willing to fight for it.
Larkin’s writing is immersive, rich with atmosphere, and layered with emotions that sneak up on you. The dual timeline adds depth, intertwining past and present in a way that makes every revelation hit even harder. The novel’s exploration of what it truly means to belong—both to a place and to the people around us—is deeply affecting.
With a cast of vividly drawn characters and a setting that feels as alive as the people within it, Home of the American Circus is a story that lingers long after the final page. Poignant, thought-provoking, and ultimately uplifting, this is a novel that captures the messy beauty of family and second chances.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
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May 6, 2025
I loved “The People We Keep” so, I thought I had a 5 star read lined up, but, this one didn’t quite deliver for me…
Somers, New York-the birthplace of the American Circus, is the setting for this tale. It’s the place where the first circus elephant, Bet, is memorialized, though there are many versions of the story of Bailey’s elephant. I admired the author’s inclusion of this as a tie in to the rest of the narrative.
Somers is also a town that has some SMALL MINDED residents who are not open to different perspectives than those they have been taught to believe. And, a town of some BIG HEARTED people who don’t define “family” in the traditional way.
After a medical emergency leaves her short on rent, thirty-year-old bartender Freya Arnalds flees her life in Maine and returns to the only place she can think of going-the house she inherited from her deceased, estranged parents.
When she arrives, she finds that her fifteen-year-old niece, Aubrey, has been secretly living in the crumbling home, now estranged from her own mother too.
The pair were once very close, until Freya disappeared on Aubrey, but they will reconnect, as they work to restore the old house and come to terms with traumas, past and present, that drove them to their current situations.
The story unfolds over the course of SIX seasons, each part labeled-Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, again, and Spring, finally.
Winter and Spring comprise the first 50% of this 432 page book-and I struggled to engage with the story. I wanted to set the book aside and NOT finish-I found it to be painfully slow, with a lot of reminiscing. Obviously, we need back story for context in a character driven novel such as this one-but the IMPORTANT revelations didn’t actually occur until the SECOND half of the book, in the PRESENT DAY timeline, so this is probably where some pages could have been cut. Two stars for the first half.
Once I reached SUMMER, which began the second half of the book, the pace picked up and I started to RECOGNIZE the writing that had me SO engaged in “The People We Keep”. We finally learn about the event that made Freya flee, and the trauma that drove Aubrey to move into her Aunts vacant property. And, we learn about the people who let them down, and the people who helped to put them back together. Many questions remain unanswered but, the second half was closer to 4 stars.
Combine the two scores, and you end up with three stars-which is an AVERAGE book by my rating scale.
A buddy read with DeAnn. Did this rate higher for her? Be sure to watch for her review for additional insight.
TW: Sexual Assault (off page)
Available now
Thank You to Gallery Books for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley. As always, these are my candid thoughts!
Somers, New York-the birthplace of the American Circus, is the setting for this tale. It’s the place where the first circus elephant, Bet, is memorialized, though there are many versions of the story of Bailey’s elephant. I admired the author’s inclusion of this as a tie in to the rest of the narrative.
Somers is also a town that has some SMALL MINDED residents who are not open to different perspectives than those they have been taught to believe. And, a town of some BIG HEARTED people who don’t define “family” in the traditional way.
After a medical emergency leaves her short on rent, thirty-year-old bartender Freya Arnalds flees her life in Maine and returns to the only place she can think of going-the house she inherited from her deceased, estranged parents.
When she arrives, she finds that her fifteen-year-old niece, Aubrey, has been secretly living in the crumbling home, now estranged from her own mother too.
The pair were once very close, until Freya disappeared on Aubrey, but they will reconnect, as they work to restore the old house and come to terms with traumas, past and present, that drove them to their current situations.
The story unfolds over the course of SIX seasons, each part labeled-Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, again, and Spring, finally.
Winter and Spring comprise the first 50% of this 432 page book-and I struggled to engage with the story. I wanted to set the book aside and NOT finish-I found it to be painfully slow, with a lot of reminiscing. Obviously, we need back story for context in a character driven novel such as this one-but the IMPORTANT revelations didn’t actually occur until the SECOND half of the book, in the PRESENT DAY timeline, so this is probably where some pages could have been cut. Two stars for the first half.
Once I reached SUMMER, which began the second half of the book, the pace picked up and I started to RECOGNIZE the writing that had me SO engaged in “The People We Keep”. We finally learn about the event that made Freya flee, and the trauma that drove Aubrey to move into her Aunts vacant property. And, we learn about the people who let them down, and the people who helped to put them back together. Many questions remain unanswered but, the second half was closer to 4 stars.
Combine the two scores, and you end up with three stars-which is an AVERAGE book by my rating scale.
A buddy read with DeAnn. Did this rate higher for her? Be sure to watch for her review for additional insight.
TW: Sexual Assault (off page)
Available now
Thank You to Gallery Books for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley. As always, these are my candid thoughts!
December 26, 2025
When a medical emergency leads to her eviction, down-on-her-luck Freya Arnald returns to her hometown of Somers, New York— long considered the home of the American circus— to move into the house she inherited from her estranged parents. But returning home forces Freya to confront those she left behind, including her niece Aubrey and best friend Jam, as well as the traumas that haunt her.
“𝒪𝒽, 𝓈𝒸𝒶𝓇𝑒𝒸𝓇𝑜𝓌, 𝐼’𝓁𝓁 𝓂𝒾𝓈𝓈 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓂𝑜𝓈𝓉 𝑜𝒻 𝒶𝓁𝓁.”
WOW. Never has an author elicited such strong emotions in me for the characters in their book. The tears crept up in the final third of the book, and by the ending, I could not pull myself together. These characters are incredibly flawed; each broken and bruised from generational trauma as well as scars from the paralleling violence and neglect they experienced in their young adulthood. But together, they are magical.
As Freya struggles to rebuild her connection to her beloved niece, while simultaneously working to reinvent a life for herself alongside her favorite people, it is hard not to become incredibly attached emotionally. However, the character of Jam completely stole my heart. Though profoundly broken, Jam has a heart of gold— and is the underdog it’s impossible not to root for. In fact, I found myself continuously rooting for him to find his happy ending and incredibly heartbroken as he faced his realistic and very burdensome struggles. When all is said and done, Allison Larkin writes found family stories like no one else I have ever read. The house on the cover signifies so much, and yet maintains the simplicity of just what this story is about— those who bring us home.
“𝐼 𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓁𝒾𝓏𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝐼 𝒸𝒶𝓃’𝓉 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝓀 𝑜𝒻 𝒶 𝓈𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓁𝑒 𝓅𝑒𝓇𝓈𝑜𝓃 𝐼 𝓀𝓃𝑜𝓌 𝓌𝒽𝑜 𝒽𝒶𝓈𝓃’𝓉 𝒷𝑒𝑒𝓃 𝒷𝓇𝑜𝓀𝑒𝓃 𝓈𝑜𝓂𝑒𝒽𝑜𝓌. 𝒯𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓅𝑒𝑜𝓅𝓁𝑒 𝓁𝒾𝓀𝑒 𝐵𝓊𝒸𝓀 𝓌𝒽𝑜 𝑒𝓍𝒾𝓈𝓉 𝒾𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒷𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓀, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓅𝑒𝑜𝓅𝓁𝑒 𝓁𝒾𝓀𝑒 𝐻𝒶𝓃𝓈 𝓌𝒽𝑜 𝑔𝑒𝓉 𝒷𝓇𝑜𝓀𝑒𝓃 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓊𝓈𝑒 𝒾𝓉 𝒶𝓈 𝒶 𝒸𝒽𝒶𝓃𝒸𝑒 𝓉𝑜 𝓈𝓉𝒶𝓇𝓉 𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓇.”
🎧 Julia Whelan is a master of her craft, and the pairing of her narration with Larkin’s gorgeous prose and storytelling is what makes this book such a standout for me. While you can read it with your eyes alone and still fall in love with the story, the magnificence of it is only really felt where the words are brought to life in the narration. I cannot imagine a better voice for Freya, Aubrey, and even Jam (JW narrates male characters better than many male narrators), nor a better story of losing everything but then finding so much more.
𝒟𝒾𝒹 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒹𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂 𝒶𝒷𝑜𝓊𝓉 𝓂𝑒? 𝐼 𝒹𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂𝑒𝒹 𝒶𝒷𝑜𝓊𝓉 𝓎𝑜𝓊.
𝒟𝒾𝒹 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒹𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂 𝒶𝒷𝑜𝓊𝓉 𝓂𝑒? 𝐼 𝒹𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂𝑒𝒹 𝒶𝒷𝑜𝓊𝓉 𝓎𝑜𝓊.
𝒟𝒾𝒹 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒹𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂? 𝒜𝒷𝑜𝓊𝓉 𝓂𝑒?
𝒟𝒾𝒹 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒹𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂?
𝒟𝒾𝒹 𝓎𝑜𝓊?
Read if you like:
▪️literary fiction
▪️family dramas
▪️character-driven stories
▪️non-romantic love stories
▪️found family
▪️flawed characters
▪️Frederik Backman
✨Top reads of 2025
Check out my Bookstagram post here ♥
A huge thank you to Gallery Books and Simon Audio for the gifted copies.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
NOTES WHILE READING:
100% Big tears <3
88% Shaking my head at myself for how emotionally connected I get to characters and their relationships.
78% When the characters you want so badly to be together don’t seem as though they will be.
40% I’m enjoying this one, especially on audio. However, it is super sad and I think you need to be in the right mindset.
Julia Whelan can do no wrong. Listening to this one while reading along with the print so I can experience the best of both.
I cannot wait to dive into this one. I am such a fan of her last book, The People We Keep. A huge thank you to Gallery Books for sending a copy my way!
“𝒪𝒽, 𝓈𝒸𝒶𝓇𝑒𝒸𝓇𝑜𝓌, 𝐼’𝓁𝓁 𝓂𝒾𝓈𝓈 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓂𝑜𝓈𝓉 𝑜𝒻 𝒶𝓁𝓁.”
WOW. Never has an author elicited such strong emotions in me for the characters in their book. The tears crept up in the final third of the book, and by the ending, I could not pull myself together. These characters are incredibly flawed; each broken and bruised from generational trauma as well as scars from the paralleling violence and neglect they experienced in their young adulthood. But together, they are magical.
As Freya struggles to rebuild her connection to her beloved niece, while simultaneously working to reinvent a life for herself alongside her favorite people, it is hard not to become incredibly attached emotionally. However, the character of Jam completely stole my heart. Though profoundly broken, Jam has a heart of gold— and is the underdog it’s impossible not to root for. In fact, I found myself continuously rooting for him to find his happy ending and incredibly heartbroken as he faced his realistic and very burdensome struggles. When all is said and done, Allison Larkin writes found family stories like no one else I have ever read. The house on the cover signifies so much, and yet maintains the simplicity of just what this story is about— those who bring us home.
“𝐼 𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓁𝒾𝓏𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝐼 𝒸𝒶𝓃’𝓉 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝓀 𝑜𝒻 𝒶 𝓈𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓁𝑒 𝓅𝑒𝓇𝓈𝑜𝓃 𝐼 𝓀𝓃𝑜𝓌 𝓌𝒽𝑜 𝒽𝒶𝓈𝓃’𝓉 𝒷𝑒𝑒𝓃 𝒷𝓇𝑜𝓀𝑒𝓃 𝓈𝑜𝓂𝑒𝒽𝑜𝓌. 𝒯𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓅𝑒𝑜𝓅𝓁𝑒 𝓁𝒾𝓀𝑒 𝐵𝓊𝒸𝓀 𝓌𝒽𝑜 𝑒𝓍𝒾𝓈𝓉 𝒾𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒷𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓀, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓅𝑒𝑜𝓅𝓁𝑒 𝓁𝒾𝓀𝑒 𝐻𝒶𝓃𝓈 𝓌𝒽𝑜 𝑔𝑒𝓉 𝒷𝓇𝑜𝓀𝑒𝓃 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓊𝓈𝑒 𝒾𝓉 𝒶𝓈 𝒶 𝒸𝒽𝒶𝓃𝒸𝑒 𝓉𝑜 𝓈𝓉𝒶𝓇𝓉 𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓇.”
🎧 Julia Whelan is a master of her craft, and the pairing of her narration with Larkin’s gorgeous prose and storytelling is what makes this book such a standout for me. While you can read it with your eyes alone and still fall in love with the story, the magnificence of it is only really felt where the words are brought to life in the narration. I cannot imagine a better voice for Freya, Aubrey, and even Jam (JW narrates male characters better than many male narrators), nor a better story of losing everything but then finding so much more.
𝒟𝒾𝒹 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒹𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂 𝒶𝒷𝑜𝓊𝓉 𝓂𝑒? 𝐼 𝒹𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂𝑒𝒹 𝒶𝒷𝑜𝓊𝓉 𝓎𝑜𝓊.
𝒟𝒾𝒹 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒹𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂 𝒶𝒷𝑜𝓊𝓉 𝓂𝑒? 𝐼 𝒹𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂𝑒𝒹 𝒶𝒷𝑜𝓊𝓉 𝓎𝑜𝓊.
𝒟𝒾𝒹 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒹𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂? 𝒜𝒷𝑜𝓊𝓉 𝓂𝑒?
𝒟𝒾𝒹 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒹𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂?
𝒟𝒾𝒹 𝓎𝑜𝓊?
Read if you like:
▪️literary fiction
▪️family dramas
▪️character-driven stories
▪️non-romantic love stories
▪️found family
▪️flawed characters
▪️Frederik Backman
✨Top reads of 2025
Check out my Bookstagram post here ♥
A huge thank you to Gallery Books and Simon Audio for the gifted copies.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
NOTES WHILE READING:
100% Big tears <3
88% Shaking my head at myself for how emotionally connected I get to characters and their relationships.
78% When the characters you want so badly to be together don’t seem as though they will be.
40% I’m enjoying this one, especially on audio. However, it is super sad and I think you need to be in the right mindset.
Julia Whelan can do no wrong. Listening to this one while reading along with the print so I can experience the best of both.
I cannot wait to dive into this one. I am such a fan of her last book, The People We Keep. A huge thank you to Gallery Books for sending a copy my way!
July 5, 2025
Give me a family who isn’t dysfunctional...I don’t think one exists.
Freya has come back home as she’s broke. A small town where everyone knows everyone’s business. She hasn’t been there for 10 years and her parents have passed on and left her the dilapidated house. But, it’s a roof over her head and she is startled to discover her niece, who she was once close to, living there to distance herself from her mother -Freya’s estranged sister.
Larkin takes us back from the present to the past. How parents can breed dysfunction through denial and distance creating toxic relationships with their children. It’s about acknowledging trauma and finding a path to move forward.
This was a slow paced, quiet story about reconnection. The family we choose isn’t necessarily the one we are born into. Identity being redefined with a clearer perspective.
4⭐️
Freya has come back home as she’s broke. A small town where everyone knows everyone’s business. She hasn’t been there for 10 years and her parents have passed on and left her the dilapidated house. But, it’s a roof over her head and she is startled to discover her niece, who she was once close to, living there to distance herself from her mother -Freya’s estranged sister.
Larkin takes us back from the present to the past. How parents can breed dysfunction through denial and distance creating toxic relationships with their children. It’s about acknowledging trauma and finding a path to move forward.
This was a slow paced, quiet story about reconnection. The family we choose isn’t necessarily the one we are born into. Identity being redefined with a clearer perspective.
4⭐️
May 9, 2025
this book was so good! i liked it more than her debut THE PEOPLE WE KEEP and highly recommend the audiobook—Julia Whelan narrates and brought this little town and all its characters to life so well! 🎧
read if you like: small town settings, family drama, coming of age, character driven novels
i kept thinking about these characters and their little fictional lives when i wasn’t listening which is always a good sign. besides the MC, i particularly loved Jam and Aubrey. i found myself really rooting for them and hoping they could overcome all their own personal troubles. the author did such a good job bringing so many characters and side plots to life.
i do feel like this book was a bit long and could have used some trimming, especially in the first half. at the halfway point i was shocked at how much left we had in the book and honestly had NO idea where it would go lol. my thriller loving self would have liked a biiiit more plot but if you keep in mind its pretty character driven, that should help! all that said, i still liked spending more time w these characters and seeing how they overcame their struggles day by day.
the small town setting was cute and the themes of “love your neighbor like yourself” vibes were also adorable. however the thought of returning to my hometown and dating someone i went to high school with / seeing exes in my 30s makes me cringe 🤣 but to each their own! it was cute here!
also the circus of it all was kind of random but i appreciate the effort… i kinda wanted more from that. i am also personally very confused at something that happened in the epilogue (hint: the house) so if you have read this and see this… let’s chat!
deff recommend this one! thanks to Simon Audio for the gifted copy 📖🎧
read if you like: small town settings, family drama, coming of age, character driven novels
i kept thinking about these characters and their little fictional lives when i wasn’t listening which is always a good sign. besides the MC, i particularly loved Jam and Aubrey. i found myself really rooting for them and hoping they could overcome all their own personal troubles. the author did such a good job bringing so many characters and side plots to life.
i do feel like this book was a bit long and could have used some trimming, especially in the first half. at the halfway point i was shocked at how much left we had in the book and honestly had NO idea where it would go lol. my thriller loving self would have liked a biiiit more plot but if you keep in mind its pretty character driven, that should help! all that said, i still liked spending more time w these characters and seeing how they overcame their struggles day by day.
the small town setting was cute and the themes of “love your neighbor like yourself” vibes were also adorable. however the thought of returning to my hometown and dating someone i went to high school with / seeing exes in my 30s makes me cringe 🤣 but to each their own! it was cute here!
also the circus of it all was kind of random but i appreciate the effort… i kinda wanted more from that. i am also personally very confused at something that happened in the epilogue (hint: the house) so if you have read this and see this… let’s chat!
deff recommend this one! thanks to Simon Audio for the gifted copy 📖🎧
June 17, 2025
This was a slow paced, character driven…
heartwarming novel.
Set in Somers, NY… Freya had left Somers, to live in Maine after living a life with a very messy family dynamic, she had however left the one person she absolutely loved… her niece Aubrey.
Freya’s sister, who is Aubrey’s mother.. treated Freya very badly growing up and as an adult which had made seeing Aubrey difficult before she had left town.
When she comes home she discovers that teenage Aubrey has been living in the ramshackle house that Freya has inherited, it had been her father’s house.
Aubrey was just a little girl when Freya had left and this story is about them rebuilding their relationship… and friends who become family.
These characters were very special and will stay with me.
I listened to the audiobook which is an absolute 5 star performance by Juliia Whelan!
I will be looking for other books she narrates!
heartwarming novel.
Set in Somers, NY… Freya had left Somers, to live in Maine after living a life with a very messy family dynamic, she had however left the one person she absolutely loved… her niece Aubrey.
Freya’s sister, who is Aubrey’s mother.. treated Freya very badly growing up and as an adult which had made seeing Aubrey difficult before she had left town.
When she comes home she discovers that teenage Aubrey has been living in the ramshackle house that Freya has inherited, it had been her father’s house.
Aubrey was just a little girl when Freya had left and this story is about them rebuilding their relationship… and friends who become family.
These characters were very special and will stay with me.
I listened to the audiobook which is an absolute 5 star performance by Juliia Whelan!
I will be looking for other books she narrates!
August 26, 2025
I had no idea what this book was about, thought it might by like Water for Elephants. It is Stunning. I love the characters in this Weschester Town, Somers, home of the American Circus. It already has made me cry, but feels so hopeful. Love 💕 I have the Book and the Audio, so Excellent This Way.
Excellent Book, about being hurt by parents who are abusive and neglectful and then getting to decide as you grow up how you will behave as an adult. Loved Freya and her niece, Aubrey. Very Well Flesh out Characters. Beautiful Story of the Power of Family to Hurt, but also to Heal. Really Enjoyed This One.
Excellent Book, about being hurt by parents who are abusive and neglectful and then getting to decide as you grow up how you will behave as an adult. Loved Freya and her niece, Aubrey. Very Well Flesh out Characters. Beautiful Story of the Power of Family to Hurt, but also to Heal. Really Enjoyed This One.
April 22, 2025
My blurb for this book:
Home of the American Circus is a tender and heartbreaking exploration of what it's like to come crawling back to a home you once fled. Amid her keen observations on life in small towns, Larkin shows us the crushing despair of failure and the fearlessness it brings. You will come away from this book changed, eyes bleary with nostalgia and hope for the future.
Home of the American Circus is a tender and heartbreaking exploration of what it's like to come crawling back to a home you once fled. Amid her keen observations on life in small towns, Larkin shows us the crushing despair of failure and the fearlessness it brings. You will come away from this book changed, eyes bleary with nostalgia and hope for the future.
April 28, 2025
What a heartwarming story!!
This one is for you if you love coming of age plus found family stories. Allie Larkin covers a lot of tough topics with our characters like addiction, estrangement, abuse, complicated family relationships….but as her other book The People We Keep, we learn to love our flawed group of misfits and want them to find love and happiness!
Julia Whelan is the audio narrator and does a phenomenal job!
This one is for you if you love coming of age plus found family stories. Allie Larkin covers a lot of tough topics with our characters like addiction, estrangement, abuse, complicated family relationships….but as her other book The People We Keep, we learn to love our flawed group of misfits and want them to find love and happiness!
Julia Whelan is the audio narrator and does a phenomenal job!
May 25, 2025
Home of the American Circus is a slow burn character driven story centered around family and friendships. I really enjoyed the small town setting as well as the emotional aspects. However it did take me a while to get into the story. The first half was a bit too slow for my liking but I really liked the second half.
I listened to the audiobook version which was narrated by the amazing Julia Whelan. So of course you know if Julia is reading it, it's going to be good!
Home of the American Circus by Allison Larkin was published on May 6 so it's available now. Many thanks to Simon Audio for the gifted audiobook!
I listened to the audiobook version which was narrated by the amazing Julia Whelan. So of course you know if Julia is reading it, it's going to be good!
Home of the American Circus by Allison Larkin was published on May 6 so it's available now. Many thanks to Simon Audio for the gifted audiobook!
May 20, 2025
Holy cow, I found my favorite book of 2025 so far!
🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘
It took until May to find my second five star read of the year (The Name being the first), and the wait was worth it.
I LOVE a character driven book. Anything where characters, locations, all the feels take center stage - versus heavy on plot. Home of the American Circus, by @allielarkinwrites, who also wrote one of my favorite 2021 books The People We Keep is back, and better than ever.
Freya comes back to her the rundown house she grew up in, inherited to her after her parents die in Somers, NY, after her appendix bursts. With no money to her name, she loses her apartment, and bartender job in Maine.
We find along the way, her love for her niece Audrey, past loves and friends, and learn the reason why she left to begin with. She continues to deal with her traumatic childhood with her narcissistic parents and sister. There's healing, growth, and eventually happiness.
This book is nothing short of immersive, expansive, and beautifully written. I cried during the book, and cried when it was over because I wanted more.
If you love a book similar to Ann Napolitano, Claire Lombardo, or Nathan Hill, please pick this up!!
🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘
It took until May to find my second five star read of the year (The Name being the first), and the wait was worth it.
I LOVE a character driven book. Anything where characters, locations, all the feels take center stage - versus heavy on plot. Home of the American Circus, by @allielarkinwrites, who also wrote one of my favorite 2021 books The People We Keep is back, and better than ever.
Freya comes back to her the rundown house she grew up in, inherited to her after her parents die in Somers, NY, after her appendix bursts. With no money to her name, she loses her apartment, and bartender job in Maine.
We find along the way, her love for her niece Audrey, past loves and friends, and learn the reason why she left to begin with. She continues to deal with her traumatic childhood with her narcissistic parents and sister. There's healing, growth, and eventually happiness.
This book is nothing short of immersive, expansive, and beautifully written. I cried during the book, and cried when it was over because I wanted more.
If you love a book similar to Ann Napolitano, Claire Lombardo, or Nathan Hill, please pick this up!!
April 10, 2025
I’ve waited almost four years to read this novel, and let me tell you, it was well worth the wait. Allison Larkin’s last novel, THE PEOPLE WE KEEP is one that I hold near and dear to my heart. Ohhhh, how I loved that book! I took my sweet time with her forthcoming release, HOME OF THE AMERICAN CIRCUS because I wanted to savor each and every single word. Simply put, this novel is about human connection. If you enjoy reading about meaningful relationships, empathy, acceptance, and the kindness of others, then this book is definitely for you.
My gosh, what a fantastic group of characters Larkin has created! The female protagonist, Freya is definitely the star of the show, but the supporting characters: Jam, Aubrey, and Shray all shine brightly as well. One might call them misfits, outcasts, oddballs, or just plain misunderstood. Call them what you will, but by the end of the novel, they all felt like good friends to me. They’re characters that you can root for!
READ THIS IF YOU ENJOY:
- Found family storylines
- Friendship fiction
- Family drama and dynamics
- Small town setting
- Character-driven novels
- Dark and gritty pasts
- Healing and redemption stories
- Unique and lovable characters
- Restaurant/food industry
The subject matter does get a little dark and heavy as it discusses childhood trauma, drug use, estrangement, and betrayal. Yet, even with a somber vibe and many heartbreaking moments, the author manages to make things warm and uplifting as well. There’s also a hint of mystery throughout as little nuggets of Freya’s past are revealed, and in turn, our pressing questions are answered.
Once again, Larkin has completely knocked my socks off. She has a knack for writing about family, community, relationships, and connections like no other. HOME OF THE AMERICAN CIRCUS releases on May 6th! 5/5 glowing stars!
My gosh, what a fantastic group of characters Larkin has created! The female protagonist, Freya is definitely the star of the show, but the supporting characters: Jam, Aubrey, and Shray all shine brightly as well. One might call them misfits, outcasts, oddballs, or just plain misunderstood. Call them what you will, but by the end of the novel, they all felt like good friends to me. They’re characters that you can root for!
READ THIS IF YOU ENJOY:
- Found family storylines
- Friendship fiction
- Family drama and dynamics
- Small town setting
- Character-driven novels
- Dark and gritty pasts
- Healing and redemption stories
- Unique and lovable characters
- Restaurant/food industry
The subject matter does get a little dark and heavy as it discusses childhood trauma, drug use, estrangement, and betrayal. Yet, even with a somber vibe and many heartbreaking moments, the author manages to make things warm and uplifting as well. There’s also a hint of mystery throughout as little nuggets of Freya’s past are revealed, and in turn, our pressing questions are answered.
Once again, Larkin has completely knocked my socks off. She has a knack for writing about family, community, relationships, and connections like no other. HOME OF THE AMERICAN CIRCUS releases on May 6th! 5/5 glowing stars!
June 3, 2025
Home of the American Circus by Allison Larkin excellent novel about family drama, trauma, bullying and abandonment. It was nothing like I expected which made it even better!! If you enjoy character driven novels with strong female leads this one is for you!!
April 6, 2025
Sadly, I did not enjoy this book. It felt very choppy and disjointed. I could not identify or feel connected to the characters and the story wasn't very interesting.
May 18, 2025
Sorry Bet. 😭
December 11, 2025
HOME OF THE AMERICAN CIRCUS by Allison Larkin
✨ A 2025 FAVE ✨
Many thanks to @gallerybooks & @simon.audio for my gifted copies 🫶🏼
Allie Larkin has done it again! As some of you may know, The People We Keep is my all-time favorite book (like my actual #1 favorite). To say I had high hopes for HOTAC is the understatement of the year, but Larkin absolutely delivered!! This is easily one of my top reads of 2025 (and I've read some phenomenal books this year, folks).
I've been sitting on my thoughts for a few weeks now -- why are the best books the hardest to review? But it's past time I gush about this book. Just don't expect my words to do it justice (I'm not the writer, here). 🤪
The story follows Freya, a 30-year-old bartender who returns to her hometown of Somers, New York (the birthplace of the American circus, hence the title 💡), after inheriting her parents’ crumbling house. There, she unexpectedly finds her teenage niece, Aubrey (with whom she's estranged), secretly living in it. What starts as a tense reunion slowly becomes a moving, emotional journey of healing, trust, and rebuilding -- both a literal home and the fractured parts of their lives.
This book is breathtaking! It's beautiful, poignant, emotional, and layered. It cracked me open and poured itself into my soul. Larkin excels at creating flawed, complex characters, and her writing is out of this world! it's wise, thoughtful, and impactful. She has such a gift. In a recent interview, Julia Whelan (who BRILLIANTLY narrates the audiobook) said something along the lines of "Larkin is so intentional in her writing. Nothing is arbitrary or accidental" (I'm paraphrasing), and it couldn't be more true. Every scene, every moment, every word is chosen with the utmost care and intention.
I started this by reading it with my eyes, and switched to the audio halfway through. Ironically, I was already reading it in Whelan's voice, so the transition to audio was seamless. Whelan's performance is rich, emotional, and she really honored the story Larkin created. The respect and admiration she has for Larkin and her work shines through in every chapter. A beautiful performance of a beautiful book!
Home of the American Circus is a beautifully told story about family, second chances, and the quiet work of becoming whole again. Highly recommend!!!!!
✨ A 2025 FAVE ✨
Many thanks to @gallerybooks & @simon.audio for my gifted copies 🫶🏼
Allie Larkin has done it again! As some of you may know, The People We Keep is my all-time favorite book (like my actual #1 favorite). To say I had high hopes for HOTAC is the understatement of the year, but Larkin absolutely delivered!! This is easily one of my top reads of 2025 (and I've read some phenomenal books this year, folks).
I've been sitting on my thoughts for a few weeks now -- why are the best books the hardest to review? But it's past time I gush about this book. Just don't expect my words to do it justice (I'm not the writer, here). 🤪
The story follows Freya, a 30-year-old bartender who returns to her hometown of Somers, New York (the birthplace of the American circus, hence the title 💡), after inheriting her parents’ crumbling house. There, she unexpectedly finds her teenage niece, Aubrey (with whom she's estranged), secretly living in it. What starts as a tense reunion slowly becomes a moving, emotional journey of healing, trust, and rebuilding -- both a literal home and the fractured parts of their lives.
This book is breathtaking! It's beautiful, poignant, emotional, and layered. It cracked me open and poured itself into my soul. Larkin excels at creating flawed, complex characters, and her writing is out of this world! it's wise, thoughtful, and impactful. She has such a gift. In a recent interview, Julia Whelan (who BRILLIANTLY narrates the audiobook) said something along the lines of "Larkin is so intentional in her writing. Nothing is arbitrary or accidental" (I'm paraphrasing), and it couldn't be more true. Every scene, every moment, every word is chosen with the utmost care and intention.
I started this by reading it with my eyes, and switched to the audio halfway through. Ironically, I was already reading it in Whelan's voice, so the transition to audio was seamless. Whelan's performance is rich, emotional, and she really honored the story Larkin created. The respect and admiration she has for Larkin and her work shines through in every chapter. A beautiful performance of a beautiful book!
Home of the American Circus is a beautifully told story about family, second chances, and the quiet work of becoming whole again. Highly recommend!!!!!
June 11, 2025
What a fantastic novel. Unforgettable characters - deeply emotional - will resonate with me for a long time.
Thank you to Gallery Books for the gifted copy and to Simon Audio for the gifted audiobook.
Thank you to Gallery Books for the gifted copy and to Simon Audio for the gifted audiobook.
August 21, 2025
“Lenny’s juice is not afraid!”
Dear Freya and Aubrey and Jam and Eddie and Shray . . . .
I am a sucker for a “maybe you can go home again” story and holy moly did I love this one. It certainly won’t be for everybody and that is A-okay – I loved it enough for several of you.
When Freya finds herself with zero dollars along with an eviction notice taped to her door after an emergency appendectomy, she has to do what she never thought she would . . . return to the childhood home that she inherited. This story follows the following year of Freya’s life where she reconnects with old friends and the beloved (now teenaged) niece she had to leave behind.
I will die on the hill that 350 pages is the perfect amount of pages for nearly every book and I would be a liar if I said I didn’t check (more than once) to see exactly how far I was progressing because this literally follows the day-to-day lives of these characters so not every page is real titillating. But now that I’m done, I can’t pick anything in particular that I would have cut and I’m so sad these people won’t be in my life anymore. I loved People We Keep by this author and am so thankful another fantastic author (Bryn Greenwood) put this on my radar with her review.
4.5 Stars
Sensitive readers should know there are some HEAVY themes tackled here. Everything from emotional child abuse to rape to drug use so steer clear if necessary.
Dear Freya and Aubrey and Jam and Eddie and Shray . . . .
I am a sucker for a “maybe you can go home again” story and holy moly did I love this one. It certainly won’t be for everybody and that is A-okay – I loved it enough for several of you.
When Freya finds herself with zero dollars along with an eviction notice taped to her door after an emergency appendectomy, she has to do what she never thought she would . . . return to the childhood home that she inherited. This story follows the following year of Freya’s life where she reconnects with old friends and the beloved (now teenaged) niece she had to leave behind.
I will die on the hill that 350 pages is the perfect amount of pages for nearly every book and I would be a liar if I said I didn’t check (more than once) to see exactly how far I was progressing because this literally follows the day-to-day lives of these characters so not every page is real titillating. But now that I’m done, I can’t pick anything in particular that I would have cut and I’m so sad these people won’t be in my life anymore. I loved People We Keep by this author and am so thankful another fantastic author (Bryn Greenwood) put this on my radar with her review.
4.5 Stars
Sensitive readers should know there are some HEAVY themes tackled here. Everything from emotional child abuse to rape to drug use so steer clear if necessary.
June 4, 2025
"The acclaimed author of The People We Keep returns with a luminous new story of redemption, breaking generational curses, and the power of family in its truest form.
Set in the birthplace of the American circus, this deeply moving novel is an exploration of broken families, the weight of the past, and the complicated journey of finding home."
Freya Arnalds has been living in Maine and ends up short on rent, and the only place she has to go to is to her deceased parents' house that she inherited. When she finds her fifteen year old niece Aubrey living there, they start on a home improvement project. Freya is estranged from her sister, as is Aubrey. This is a family saga with great character development with found family and old flames keeping things interesting. The main characters accomplish things they didn't think they could and definitely experience growth throughout the story. I would have liked a little more closure at the end - it did seem to end abruptly when there was so much detail in the rest of the story. Overall, I really enjoyed it and highly recommend if you enjoy family sagas.
Set in the birthplace of the American circus, this deeply moving novel is an exploration of broken families, the weight of the past, and the complicated journey of finding home."
Freya Arnalds has been living in Maine and ends up short on rent, and the only place she has to go to is to her deceased parents' house that she inherited. When she finds her fifteen year old niece Aubrey living there, they start on a home improvement project. Freya is estranged from her sister, as is Aubrey. This is a family saga with great character development with found family and old flames keeping things interesting. The main characters accomplish things they didn't think they could and definitely experience growth throughout the story. I would have liked a little more closure at the end - it did seem to end abruptly when there was so much detail in the rest of the story. Overall, I really enjoyed it and highly recommend if you enjoy family sagas.
April 24, 2025
I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump—DNFs, meh audiobooks, nothing has really been landing. Then I picked up @allielarkinwrites’ Home of the American Circus, and wow… it completely wrecked me in the best way. I read it in under 48 hours (and yes, I hugged it when I finished).
Freya is one of the most human, beautifully imperfect characters I’ve read in a while. When she returns to her hometown and discovers her teenage niece secretly living in the house she inherited, what follows is a slow, emotional unraveling of old wounds, a careful rebuilding of trust, and hard-won healing.
This story explores the messy beauty of family—both the one you’re born into and the one you choose—and what it means to come home to yourself. These characters will stay with me for a long time and I know I’ll be revisiting it whenever I need a dose of comfort.
(🎧 Note: I alternated between print and audio, which was the perfect way to experience it. As expected, @justjuliawhelan does a fantastic job narrating the various characters, capturing their accents and personalities.)
A more in-depth review will be coming soon in my newsletter, lifewithkat.substack.com.
Thank you to Gallery Books and Simon Audio for providing a copy in exchange for my honest review.
Freya is one of the most human, beautifully imperfect characters I’ve read in a while. When she returns to her hometown and discovers her teenage niece secretly living in the house she inherited, what follows is a slow, emotional unraveling of old wounds, a careful rebuilding of trust, and hard-won healing.
This story explores the messy beauty of family—both the one you’re born into and the one you choose—and what it means to come home to yourself. These characters will stay with me for a long time and I know I’ll be revisiting it whenever I need a dose of comfort.
(🎧 Note: I alternated between print and audio, which was the perfect way to experience it. As expected, @justjuliawhelan does a fantastic job narrating the various characters, capturing their accents and personalities.)
A more in-depth review will be coming soon in my newsletter, lifewithkat.substack.com.
Thank you to Gallery Books and Simon Audio for providing a copy in exchange for my honest review.
October 15, 2024
Auto-buy author — cannot wait!
May 17, 2025
A depressing book about a depressing family in a depressing town.
June 3, 2025
2.5⭐️
I spent the whole book waiting for the point behind the elephant and it never came
I spent the whole book waiting for the point behind the elephant and it never came
April 28, 2025
Allison Larkin has officially landed herself on my favorite authors list with this beautiful novel. She has a way of weaving words together in the most stunning, nostalgic, heartbreakingly beautiful way. You will fall in love with this entire cast of characters and find yourself thinking about them long after you finish. The audiobook (narrated by my absolute fave Julia Whelan) is total and absolute perfection.
May 5, 2025
This was such a great family drama, especially on audio! It’s narrated by Julia Whelan who is always phenomenal but paired with the authors character driven story, it was magic. I loved getting to know these characters and their struggles and dreams and really enjoyed my time with this one. If you like stories about found family that follow characters through really low lows and some highs all while exploring family dynamics try this.
May 29, 2025
No one can make sure care for characters quite like Allison Larkin. She makes me feel everything😭
There is nothing I want more than the best for Aubrey, Freya, and Jam.
You’re up close and personal with every character, and their heartaches and heartbreaks are yours as well.
It’s complicated and emotional and so vivid. I will be thinking of this book for years to come.
There is nothing I want more than the best for Aubrey, Freya, and Jam.
You’re up close and personal with every character, and their heartaches and heartbreaks are yours as well.
It’s complicated and emotional and so vivid. I will be thinking of this book for years to come.
May 9, 2025
Listen to Allison Larkin on the Book Gang Podcast NOW! We discuss Writing Bestsellers With An ADHD Brain Click here to tune in! If you love the show, please consider joining my Patreon.
***Allison Larkin shared with me that Home of the American Circus is the book she is most proud of, and it's easy to see why. Her heart is on every page of this 432-page family drama, vividly capturing the author's hometown of Somers, New York- a place rich in history as the birthplace of the American circus. This town's status symbol becomes the author's cornerstone for a story filled with reinvention and, perhaps, a bit of reinterpretation that echoes her character's transformative journeys.
After a financial emergency, Freya reluctantly returns to the crumbling house she inherited from her estranged parents. What begins as a hesitant homecoming transforms into an emotional excavation of her past as she confronts the ghosts of broken friendships, familial betrayals, and unresolved love. But it is her discovery of Aubrey, her fifteen-year-old niece secretly living in the neglected family home, who brings Freya's journey into sharp focus as she tries to make up for what she missed when she was gone.
Larkin takes her time unraveling the mystery behind Freya's departure, offering heartwrenching snapshots of emotional abuse and neglect from her childhood. These past emotional blows are met with respite as the present timeline becomes filled with vibrant side characters, a cozy restaurant setting where unlikely people and food pairings find each other, romances blossom, and a found family emerges for Freya that the reader can delight in.
Sometimes, the home is its own character in our stories, and in this novel, it offers readers a powerful symbol—weathered, damaged, and yet capable of being rebuilt—just like us, even when we feel beyond the grasp of repair.
Fans of character-driven novels will have much to love in this ambitious novel, and I can't wait to host Allison on the Book Gang podcast to learn more about the writing process for this beautiful book.
***Thank you to Gallery Books for the advanced copy of this novel. This novel is on store shelves now.
May 6, 2025
3.5 ⭐️ If you looked up “slow burning character driven novel” in the dictionary, you’d find this book. If you looked up “lover of slow burning character driven novels”, you would not find me.
Clearly, I knew this probably wasn’t going to be the perfect book for me but I’ve heard nothing but fabulous things about the author’s very popular 2021 release, THE PEOPLE WE KEEP, and as a self-proclaimed “best aunt in the world” I was drawn to the storyline about the main character reconnecting with her niece.
The first half of this very long book was painfully slow (for me!). The writing is beautiful and I felt like I got to know the characters intimately but at the same time I was only getting crumbs of their history and I couldn’t quite understand why they were all so broken.
I was just starting to question my sanity (and all those GLOWING reviews) when I made it to the halfway point and started to feel totally different. Because that long winded foundation had been laid and I was so immersed in the characters lives, the second chunk of this story hit me hard.
I don’t know that I’d recommend this one universally and enthusiastically, but I think if you’re a character driven appreciator, this is a book you MUST read. If, like me, character driven novels aren’t typically your thing I kind of think you can take it or leave it. It’s stunning and heartbreaking and emotional and nostalgic, but it took too long for me to personally care about the plot.
🎧 If Julia Whelan hadn’t been reading to me I wouldn’t have made it through 100 pages. That woman makes every book better but she really put in the work here! I can’t recommend the audiobook enough!! Massive thanks to @simon.audio for the early listen!!!!
Thanks to @gallerybooks for the gifted copy! All of these rambling opinions are my own.
Clearly, I knew this probably wasn’t going to be the perfect book for me but I’ve heard nothing but fabulous things about the author’s very popular 2021 release, THE PEOPLE WE KEEP, and as a self-proclaimed “best aunt in the world” I was drawn to the storyline about the main character reconnecting with her niece.
The first half of this very long book was painfully slow (for me!). The writing is beautiful and I felt like I got to know the characters intimately but at the same time I was only getting crumbs of their history and I couldn’t quite understand why they were all so broken.
I was just starting to question my sanity (and all those GLOWING reviews) when I made it to the halfway point and started to feel totally different. Because that long winded foundation had been laid and I was so immersed in the characters lives, the second chunk of this story hit me hard.
I don’t know that I’d recommend this one universally and enthusiastically, but I think if you’re a character driven appreciator, this is a book you MUST read. If, like me, character driven novels aren’t typically your thing I kind of think you can take it or leave it. It’s stunning and heartbreaking and emotional and nostalgic, but it took too long for me to personally care about the plot.
🎧 If Julia Whelan hadn’t been reading to me I wouldn’t have made it through 100 pages. That woman makes every book better but she really put in the work here! I can’t recommend the audiobook enough!! Massive thanks to @simon.audio for the early listen!!!!
Thanks to @gallerybooks for the gifted copy! All of these rambling opinions are my own.
September 1, 2025
I waffle between rounding this up or down from 4.5 stars — enjoyable, well developed, and emotionally impactful. Julia Whelan nails it on narration as usual, though her voice is becoming so distinctive to me now that it sometimes affects the story for me; the familiarity of her voice and inflections make me feel I'm listening to a story that's already been told time and time again.
July 1, 2025
“That’s the ultimate unfairness of small towns. You become a character stitched from everyone else’s version of the things that happened to you.”
I really enjoyed this book way more than I thought I would. It’s a story about finding love and support in unexpected places, found family, and redemption. I grew up in a small town and could relate to all the ups and downs that come with that. As a lover of music, I really loved all of the late 80’s & 90’s songs mentioned throughout.
“ Scars heal inside out,” Dr Sigh says.“ Your inside is doing what it should even if you jostled the outside.”
I really enjoyed this book way more than I thought I would. It’s a story about finding love and support in unexpected places, found family, and redemption. I grew up in a small town and could relate to all the ups and downs that come with that. As a lover of music, I really loved all of the late 80’s & 90’s songs mentioned throughout.
“ Scars heal inside out,” Dr Sigh says.“ Your inside is doing what it should even if you jostled the outside.”
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