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The Aerialist
The dark, seemingly glitzy world of an American traveling circus is the setting for Richard Schmitt's brilliant debut novel, The Aerialist. On the edge of Venice, Florida, lie the winterquarters—a circus in repose. One day Gary—who hasn't cared much what sort of job he's had—finds himself signing on as a circus hand.
Everyone has seen or heard of the wirewalker, the trapeze artist, and the clown, but there are others: The "twenty-four-hour man" who arrives in a town first to post arrows that point the way to the lot; the "bullhands" who remove the elephants' excrement out from under their tumultuous bodies; the "butchers" who distract the audience from the wonders on stage so that they might purchase a cotton candy or a plastic ray-gun. Gary becomes instantly familiar with this new life—riding in the circus train from one town to the next in the odd hours of the night. It is a life for which he has abandoned everything and nothing at all.
In story-like chapters, Richard Schmitt describes a hapless, magical existence in an American voice as starkly resonant as that of Richard Ford—and through his description of Gary's inevitable progression from circus hand to wirewalker, the circus emerges as a symbol of human aspiration.
Everyone has seen or heard of the wirewalker, the trapeze artist, and the clown, but there are others: The "twenty-four-hour man" who arrives in a town first to post arrows that point the way to the lot; the "bullhands" who remove the elephants' excrement out from under their tumultuous bodies; the "butchers" who distract the audience from the wonders on stage so that they might purchase a cotton candy or a plastic ray-gun. Gary becomes instantly familiar with this new life—riding in the circus train from one town to the next in the odd hours of the night. It is a life for which he has abandoned everything and nothing at all.
In story-like chapters, Richard Schmitt describes a hapless, magical existence in an American voice as starkly resonant as that of Richard Ford—and through his description of Gary's inevitable progression from circus hand to wirewalker, the circus emerges as a symbol of human aspiration.
295 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
May 19, 2016
On this second reading of The Aerialist, I was even more impressed than the first time, which was a few years ago. Long enough to have forgotten many of the details of what happened to our hero Gary: from how and why he joins a circus to how and why his life changes because of the decision to go ahead and walk with the elephants that first day. He did not run away to join the circus: he and the show were both in the same place at a crucial moment in Gary's life and he went along mostly because it felt like the right thing to do at the time, and he was escaping a situation he did not want to or know how to deal with.
I like books about circus life, and I like books about people becoming who they are meant to be. I don't mind gritty and sometimes gory details in such books because grit and gore are unfortunately part of life. Although I do get annoyed whenever any author uses But other than that and a bit of fuzziness in a couple of the later chapters,this book was wonderful for me.
Gary has been a drifter most of his life (we learn why as the story progresses) and he is actually surprised to discover that completely by chance he has found a place where for the first time he feels he belongs. He learns to care, then learns to dream. The sense of the story is that of actually being in the circus, not sitting in the stands watching the acts, but with the show people: with the 24-Hour Man who drives ahead and marks the route in big red arrows so the troupe will know the way to the next town; with the performers behind the curtain waiting for the grand entrance and
dealing with that peeing elephant (what rotten timing!); with the 'butchers' as they sell cotton floss and toys in the stands during a show. And most of all being on the wire: learning to walk it,learning to trust it, learning to believe in what you can do up there, learning to love it. It is as if he lives only for these ten minutes a day, and this brief time gives him what he needs to withstand all that is not these ten minutes.
I had totally forgotten about Ben, the puppy Gary was given about halfway through the book. Ben became the other surprising constant in Gary's life, since he had not even known he wanted and needed a dog until that moment. Ben is a subtle presence in the pages of the story but vitally important to Gary right to the very end of the book. Not to mention being a bit of a character himself: But the dog has never found a way to talk sense to cats. Elephants can be dealt with, but the dog finds horses and cats hopeless.
Gary is quite introspective, more than I remembered from my first reading, and this makes him seem more of a real person. He worked very hard to understand himself and his world, and to try to live the life he discovered he wanted. Whether he succeeds or not is up to the reader to decide.
I like books about circus life, and I like books about people becoming who they are meant to be. I don't mind gritty and sometimes gory details in such books because grit and gore are unfortunately part of life. Although I do get annoyed whenever any author uses But other than that and a bit of fuzziness in a couple of the later chapters,this book was wonderful for me.
Gary has been a drifter most of his life (we learn why as the story progresses) and he is actually surprised to discover that completely by chance he has found a place where for the first time he feels he belongs. He learns to care, then learns to dream. The sense of the story is that of actually being in the circus, not sitting in the stands watching the acts, but with the show people: with the 24-Hour Man who drives ahead and marks the route in big red arrows so the troupe will know the way to the next town; with the performers behind the curtain waiting for the grand entrance and
dealing with that peeing elephant (what rotten timing!); with the 'butchers' as they sell cotton floss and toys in the stands during a show. And most of all being on the wire: learning to walk it,learning to trust it, learning to believe in what you can do up there, learning to love it. It is as if he lives only for these ten minutes a day, and this brief time gives him what he needs to withstand all that is not these ten minutes.
I had totally forgotten about Ben, the puppy Gary was given about halfway through the book. Ben became the other surprising constant in Gary's life, since he had not even known he wanted and needed a dog until that moment. Ben is a subtle presence in the pages of the story but vitally important to Gary right to the very end of the book. Not to mention being a bit of a character himself: But the dog has never found a way to talk sense to cats. Elephants can be dealt with, but the dog finds horses and cats hopeless.
Gary is quite introspective, more than I remembered from my first reading, and this makes him seem more of a real person. He worked very hard to understand himself and his world, and to try to live the life he discovered he wanted. Whether he succeeds or not is up to the reader to decide.
December 8, 2012
There are a lot of misconceptions about the circus. I’m not nearly experienced enough in the circus life to know all about it, and a lot of people will tell you that you need to be born into it to understand it. For this reason, and a few others, performers born into the circus tend to be a bit withdrawn from people of ordinary backgrounds. Perhaps it is because they have been called a “carny” or a freak one too many times, or simply because circus life is hard to understand. I won’t pretend I know about living with a circus, my experience only goes so far. But in The Aerialist, Richard Schmitt attempts to explain to outsiders how the circus works.
This is a very philosophical novel. If you look very closely, you will find that the events in the plot reflect not only the direction the book takes, but a transformation a person undergoes. By the end, the main character is an entirely different person.
Gary was a very compelling character. His voice spoke of truth and humanity, meaning, what humans do. How they act. Being exposed to the circus life, his view of people themselves changed, and he found that he became one of them.
After running away from home, Gary found a mediocre job at an auto garage with his friend, Dave. When his car gets stranded, he goes wandering for help and finds a magnificent white train. It belongs to a circus. Before he knows what he is doing, Gary signs up as a bullhand (elephant excrement remover), one of the lowest positions in the circus. Leaving his old life behind, he and his few possessions board the train that will travel across the continent. Gary adjusts to circus life, and in his spare time, he begins practicing tightwire on a small rig. The bosses don’t like when workers practice circus skills but nevertheless Gary continues practicing and improving. Eventually, he leaves the circus and settles elsewhere.
But the circus won’t let him leave. It calls to him. Gary begins practicing with a Romanian man named Tino. They perfect their partner highwire act and join a new circus, which travels around Europe, I believe. After a while, Tino has a terrible accident and cannot continue performing. Gary decides to leave as well, and marries a woman and has a daughter. But still, the circus never quite leaves him. He will receive unexpected calls from old friends and his thoughts often drift to memories under the tent.
At the circus camp I went to for a few summers, there was a joke. “Circus is intense.” Get it, in tents? And circus is very intense. It is the most physically demanding thing I have ever done and it also requires immense amounts of creativity to properly please the audience. How fitting, that word: intense. Because it adequately describes Richard Schmitt’s The Aerialist. There is no sugar coating anything. There is no glamorous fake idea that everyone is always one big happy family. That is not a smile on the performer’s face; it is barely more than a grimace because of an injury they don’t want you to see. Don’t think circus isn’t painful. Have you ever tried showering with a fabric burn? Not to mention the rips you get on your hands that spurt blood. At least you get calluses. Because aerialists (and gymnasts) are very proud of their bruises, burns, etc. Some call them battle scars.
I like that this book gets gritty and shows the negative side of circus life. It shows truth, in that circus can leave you with awful memories. Here is an example: “A burlap sack of water balloons, that’s the sound a human body makes hitting cement from forty feet up, that’s the sound my mom made when she hit. It’s an unnatural smack.” (Page 96) I’ve never experienced something quite so traumatic, but if something even slightly bad happens, it can fill you with fear and trying it again will be very difficult to do emotionally.
A note of caution: there is a very disturbing scene in this book entitled “Ben”. It is short, but animal lovers, or those easily disturbed or whatever, may wish to skip it. Don’t worry; it isn’t a direct part of the plot so you won’t miss anything.
Another thing I like about this book is how the chapters seem to be interwoven short stories. Gary definitely takes a journey, and each chapter is an individual but essential part of that journey.
I can’t tell you how much I love this book. It makes me feel happy that I am different, and happy that I am a (very small) part of a wonderful thing. The Aerialist was published in 2000 and I am so sad that the author hasn’t published any other books (yet). His writing style is so phenomenal and the story is so vivid and simultaneously real, and otherworldly. It is a very well-presented glimpse into circus life for outsiders, or even those people like me who only do recreational circus. The Aerialist is by far one of the best books I have read. Ever.
This is a very philosophical novel. If you look very closely, you will find that the events in the plot reflect not only the direction the book takes, but a transformation a person undergoes. By the end, the main character is an entirely different person.
Gary was a very compelling character. His voice spoke of truth and humanity, meaning, what humans do. How they act. Being exposed to the circus life, his view of people themselves changed, and he found that he became one of them.
After running away from home, Gary found a mediocre job at an auto garage with his friend, Dave. When his car gets stranded, he goes wandering for help and finds a magnificent white train. It belongs to a circus. Before he knows what he is doing, Gary signs up as a bullhand (elephant excrement remover), one of the lowest positions in the circus. Leaving his old life behind, he and his few possessions board the train that will travel across the continent. Gary adjusts to circus life, and in his spare time, he begins practicing tightwire on a small rig. The bosses don’t like when workers practice circus skills but nevertheless Gary continues practicing and improving. Eventually, he leaves the circus and settles elsewhere.
But the circus won’t let him leave. It calls to him. Gary begins practicing with a Romanian man named Tino. They perfect their partner highwire act and join a new circus, which travels around Europe, I believe. After a while, Tino has a terrible accident and cannot continue performing. Gary decides to leave as well, and marries a woman and has a daughter. But still, the circus never quite leaves him. He will receive unexpected calls from old friends and his thoughts often drift to memories under the tent.
At the circus camp I went to for a few summers, there was a joke. “Circus is intense.” Get it, in tents? And circus is very intense. It is the most physically demanding thing I have ever done and it also requires immense amounts of creativity to properly please the audience. How fitting, that word: intense. Because it adequately describes Richard Schmitt’s The Aerialist. There is no sugar coating anything. There is no glamorous fake idea that everyone is always one big happy family. That is not a smile on the performer’s face; it is barely more than a grimace because of an injury they don’t want you to see. Don’t think circus isn’t painful. Have you ever tried showering with a fabric burn? Not to mention the rips you get on your hands that spurt blood. At least you get calluses. Because aerialists (and gymnasts) are very proud of their bruises, burns, etc. Some call them battle scars.
I like that this book gets gritty and shows the negative side of circus life. It shows truth, in that circus can leave you with awful memories. Here is an example: “A burlap sack of water balloons, that’s the sound a human body makes hitting cement from forty feet up, that’s the sound my mom made when she hit. It’s an unnatural smack.” (Page 96) I’ve never experienced something quite so traumatic, but if something even slightly bad happens, it can fill you with fear and trying it again will be very difficult to do emotionally.
A note of caution: there is a very disturbing scene in this book entitled “Ben”. It is short, but animal lovers, or those easily disturbed or whatever, may wish to skip it. Don’t worry; it isn’t a direct part of the plot so you won’t miss anything.
Another thing I like about this book is how the chapters seem to be interwoven short stories. Gary definitely takes a journey, and each chapter is an individual but essential part of that journey.
I can’t tell you how much I love this book. It makes me feel happy that I am different, and happy that I am a (very small) part of a wonderful thing. The Aerialist was published in 2000 and I am so sad that the author hasn’t published any other books (yet). His writing style is so phenomenal and the story is so vivid and simultaneously real, and otherworldly. It is a very well-presented glimpse into circus life for outsiders, or even those people like me who only do recreational circus. The Aerialist is by far one of the best books I have read. Ever.
July 3, 2016
Fiction
Well written book describing the people, places, animals and life of traveling circus folk. The author writes so well that I could smell the sawdust and the big cats, see the sequins sparkling under the shows' lights, and feel the trepidation of the wire walkers as they have mastered the wire at near-ground level, and move the wire ever higher.
I so enjoyed the wide array of characters, and how certain chapters would focus on one person, or one group. This is a terrific inside look at the traveling circus, the world no one sees sitting in the seats.
Thanks to Good Reader and friend Debbie Zapata for her enticing reread review which prompted me to work this book in asap.
Well written book describing the people, places, animals and life of traveling circus folk. The author writes so well that I could smell the sawdust and the big cats, see the sequins sparkling under the shows' lights, and feel the trepidation of the wire walkers as they have mastered the wire at near-ground level, and move the wire ever higher.
I so enjoyed the wide array of characters, and how certain chapters would focus on one person, or one group. This is a terrific inside look at the traveling circus, the world no one sees sitting in the seats.
Thanks to Good Reader and friend Debbie Zapata for her enticing reread review which prompted me to work this book in asap.
September 4, 2021
I'm trying to read every book in the section "To Join the Circus" in 1001 Books for Every Mood. So far, I've read Water for Elephants, The Circus of Dr. Lao, The Final Confession of Mabel Stark, and now this. I still have to read The Circus Fire: A True Story of an American Tragedy, The Circus in Winter, Dreamland, Geek Love, and The Life of P. T. Barnum, Written by Himself.
This was truly impressive—the kind of writing I used to take for granted before I learned how many terrible and mediocre books there are. Good writing is my favorite thing in the world.
It felt so real. In its evocation of America in the '70s, it reminded me of The Last Good Kiss with its grit and sadness. I think my favorite part was Marge, miserable suburbanite, running away to the circus with her friend Alberta the dwarf, and finding joy and freedom. It made me long to do the same. I longed for a time long before my own, evoked by the video for Sweet Hitch-Hiker by Creedence Clearwater Revival, when there was real freedom to just get up and go.
One very minor disappointment: I was hoping for a mention of Philippe Petit, since the story takes place in the early-mid '70s and the protagonist is an aspiring wirewalker. But no such luck. Oh well.
This was actually a very sad story, I think. Poetic, serious. Not kid stuff. I was even more impressed than I was by Final Confession of Mabel Stark. This felt more authentic.
This was truly impressive—the kind of writing I used to take for granted before I learned how many terrible and mediocre books there are. Good writing is my favorite thing in the world.
It felt so real. In its evocation of America in the '70s, it reminded me of The Last Good Kiss with its grit and sadness. I think my favorite part was Marge, miserable suburbanite, running away to the circus with her friend Alberta the dwarf, and finding joy and freedom. It made me long to do the same. I longed for a time long before my own, evoked by the video for Sweet Hitch-Hiker by Creedence Clearwater Revival, when there was real freedom to just get up and go.
One very minor disappointment: I was hoping for a mention of Philippe Petit, since the story takes place in the early-mid '70s and the protagonist is an aspiring wirewalker. But no such luck. Oh well.
This was actually a very sad story, I think. Poetic, serious. Not kid stuff. I was even more impressed than I was by Final Confession of Mabel Stark. This felt more authentic.
July 16, 2025
WHY is that the last scene??? ffs more later
May 22, 2012
The characters in this book came to life and were real - and from a very unique and real corner of the world: the traveling circus. I loved every detail. There was no denying the knowledge of the author on this crazy, coddled operation, from the guy at the top of the 20ft stilts to the butchers selling snow cones in the stands, to the animal handlers, the train man, and even the guy who serves them all food in the pie car.
The story's momentum came and went - the fleetingness of Gary in the beginning (which intrigued and disgusted me) didn't match his obsessive commitment in the second half (which I can more relate to). It's like the circus changed him, and created a monster of sorts. The moments where the story stopped to take a detailed look at the tight-rope walker's training session, or his act, where it described which muscle rolled over the wire cable and the direction in the air of his torso - those parts I really enjoyed. But then when the action zoomed back out, things seemed to slow down - they travel, he fights with his girl, they perform, he practices, they make money, etc. I knew from the beginning what the climax would be; I almost dreaded it - but then there were still five chapters to buffer it; the book slowly wound down, as a life dies off from it's peak, rather than end the book at the end of the story, and that killed it's impact. The very last chapter had nothing to do with the circus - it had to do with his old dog dying and him explaining death to his daughter; I cried, it was so moving. But at the same time, I was wondering how that actually fit in with the story and why the author chose to end the book that way.
I recommend for anyone at all who's interested in the circus or has lived or worked with a circus. The book's merits ride on (and is amazing due to) it's setting and characters.
The story's momentum came and went - the fleetingness of Gary in the beginning (which intrigued and disgusted me) didn't match his obsessive commitment in the second half (which I can more relate to). It's like the circus changed him, and created a monster of sorts. The moments where the story stopped to take a detailed look at the tight-rope walker's training session, or his act, where it described which muscle rolled over the wire cable and the direction in the air of his torso - those parts I really enjoyed. But then when the action zoomed back out, things seemed to slow down - they travel, he fights with his girl, they perform, he practices, they make money, etc. I knew from the beginning what the climax would be; I almost dreaded it - but then there were still five chapters to buffer it; the book slowly wound down, as a life dies off from it's peak, rather than end the book at the end of the story, and that killed it's impact. The very last chapter had nothing to do with the circus - it had to do with his old dog dying and him explaining death to his daughter; I cried, it was so moving. But at the same time, I was wondering how that actually fit in with the story and why the author chose to end the book that way.
I recommend for anyone at all who's interested in the circus or has lived or worked with a circus. The book's merits ride on (and is amazing due to) it's setting and characters.
October 16, 2018
Meh. I stopped reading it at first because the narrator walked out on his friend who needed a stomach operation. Then I picked up the book again and finished it, though I almost wish I hadn't. The narrator gets back with his friend (that's when I realized this was fiction), and he goes on a totally unbelievable journey from bum to elephant herder to "butcher" (concessionaire) to wardrobe man to world-class wire-walker. Uh huh. The entire cast of characters is fairly gross and unsavory. I suppose this book is "realistic" but I prefer my fiction a little sweeter.
May 17, 2017
Beautiful writing and reflection on life
April 11, 2020
I appreciated the circus aspect but this book was less than I had hoped. Kind of bummed.
October 31, 2012
So beautiful & unique with a cast of circus characters that come out of the shadows of the expected and into the light, presenting something wholly surprising. It is not often we are surprised, and this book is a wonderful surprise.
I love the book's structure, especially the compressed, almost ethereal and oftentimes mournful sections that follow one person or set of people (Trainman, Tentmen, 24-Hour Man, Even the Cats). For me, these sections layer in a whole other emotional register -- a timeless one -- in a forward-moving narrative that is already a complex mix of tenderness, comedy, harshness, grief.
It's a huge, huge cast, dizzying really. So many characters stand out, most especially Alberta and her neighbor Marge Johnson who Alberta introduces to the circus train, Marge bringing with her one "plug-in" (though Alberta discourages plug-ins for the tiny train rooms): a glowing, spinning globe from her lousy husband who wanted to "give her the world." From one of the italicized sections, written by Marge's pen: "When we roll, the train sways top-heavy side-to-side, and the globe spins as if the rails actually crisscross the tiny sphere, as if the moving train drives the globe in circles... When I sleep it spins on. When we stop and I leave my room to walk in the trainyard, I see it glowing from way off, calling out to me, a yellow beacon steering me home" (122). Marge finds a kind of home here, like many of the characters ("I am one of them"), including the narrator who is investigating this thing called home and whether or not it can get in your bones -- there's a restlessness in the book for sure, and the question of home keeps spinning long after the book is over: it just propels you deeper into the question.
I love the book's structure, especially the compressed, almost ethereal and oftentimes mournful sections that follow one person or set of people (Trainman, Tentmen, 24-Hour Man, Even the Cats). For me, these sections layer in a whole other emotional register -- a timeless one -- in a forward-moving narrative that is already a complex mix of tenderness, comedy, harshness, grief.
It's a huge, huge cast, dizzying really. So many characters stand out, most especially Alberta and her neighbor Marge Johnson who Alberta introduces to the circus train, Marge bringing with her one "plug-in" (though Alberta discourages plug-ins for the tiny train rooms): a glowing, spinning globe from her lousy husband who wanted to "give her the world." From one of the italicized sections, written by Marge's pen: "When we roll, the train sways top-heavy side-to-side, and the globe spins as if the rails actually crisscross the tiny sphere, as if the moving train drives the globe in circles... When I sleep it spins on. When we stop and I leave my room to walk in the trainyard, I see it glowing from way off, calling out to me, a yellow beacon steering me home" (122). Marge finds a kind of home here, like many of the characters ("I am one of them"), including the narrator who is investigating this thing called home and whether or not it can get in your bones -- there's a restlessness in the book for sure, and the question of home keeps spinning long after the book is over: it just propels you deeper into the question.
December 29, 2010
3.5 stars
Told in story-like chapters, Richard Schmitt gives readers an inside look into the lives of circus people.
Everyone from the wirewalkers, trapeze artists, clowns to the twenty-four-hour man, bullhands, butchers, pie car servers, and animal people all get a chance to tell their story first hand.
At first this book was hard for me to get into because of the layout of the chapters. However, once I got into the flow of the story, it was hard to put down, as each story was better than the one before it.
I am looking forward to reading other circus/carnival stories since it's an interesting topic worth exploring.
Told in story-like chapters, Richard Schmitt gives readers an inside look into the lives of circus people.
Everyone from the wirewalkers, trapeze artists, clowns to the twenty-four-hour man, bullhands, butchers, pie car servers, and animal people all get a chance to tell their story first hand.
At first this book was hard for me to get into because of the layout of the chapters. However, once I got into the flow of the story, it was hard to put down, as each story was better than the one before it.
I am looking forward to reading other circus/carnival stories since it's an interesting topic worth exploring.
March 3, 2009
The second of the circus and carnival books I read for research, and by far, the better book. A young man runs away to join the circus....hardly an original idea. But the originality comes in the style of the story telling (occasionally changing characters p.o.v.) and that the main characters story arc isn't a clear straight line. The ending is weak compared to the rest of the book, it's hurried, as if Mr. Schmitt ran out of time and story, but the first four fifths of the book are a great trip to the big top.
September 8, 2015
A strong 4 stars. Maybe a bit more.
In real life, we go from goal to goal, passion to passion, looking for whatever it is that drives us next, maybe to the end. Apparently, it's no different on the road with the circus. In Schmitt's story, THE AERIALIST, an assumedly mysterious life is made real. I appreciate this authentic and almost familiar feel. The additional points of view, interspersed among the longer chapters in Gary's 1st person voice, are an effective device to turn the camera's focus from time to time, sometimes to look back at Gary. Well written, at times poetic, at times raw.
In real life, we go from goal to goal, passion to passion, looking for whatever it is that drives us next, maybe to the end. Apparently, it's no different on the road with the circus. In Schmitt's story, THE AERIALIST, an assumedly mysterious life is made real. I appreciate this authentic and almost familiar feel. The additional points of view, interspersed among the longer chapters in Gary's 1st person voice, are an effective device to turn the camera's focus from time to time, sometimes to look back at Gary. Well written, at times poetic, at times raw.
December 23, 2019
I love reading books about the circus. The saddest part was the death of the main character's shiny black dog, which dies of old age. It had more of an impact on me because I'm worried about my shiny black kitty getting old. Though this made for great reading, it was not the best novel about a circus I've read, that being 'Geek Love'.
May 29, 2007
Gary joins the circus. "I see him the day Elaine brought him to me, a handful of black fur when I didn't know how badly I needed a dog. It's the things you do not know you need that remain most valuable."
August 5, 2011
Some of the images are seared into the reader's head. If you do not want your head seared, beware. However, that being said, this is unusual and very readable. Bittersweet and insightful, with a rare setting.
January 20, 2009
The first half (guy joins the circus, works various odd jobs) was ok. The second half (guy becomes a wirewalker, settles down) was lame.
July 19, 2009
If you like Water for Elephants, you may like this one too. I read it a while ago and get the same vibe from WfE as I did with this book. Very enjoyable and a good read!
December 30, 2009
This book inspired me to become an aerialist and join the circus but I know that I would never be able to do that.
I love this book. I don't think there is anything wrong with it.
I love this book. I don't think there is anything wrong with it.
January 8, 2014
This would go in top 5 books I have ever read. Beautiful prose, fascinating characters, and a carnie/circus setting in Florida. Perfect
May 5, 2008
Great setting, a traveling circus in the '60s.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews