I read this book on behalf of Booklist, the publication of the American Library Association. Thank you.

This was a great tapestry of a tale! The pieces wove together in colorful ways and had many layers to it. Circus life is thrust upon our narrator as the daughter of a very famous water act and the animal keeper. Sadly, her parents don't really want anything to do with her so she's on her own until another soul, Serendipity Wilson takes her under her wing and teaches her the art of the high wire. After many years and much hardship, our narrator, known by her friend as Mouse, sets off to the US in search of a baby girl gone missing. In pursuit of her psudeo sister, she becomes the Greatest Funambulist of All Time! It's a tale of love, loss, war times, happiness, and dealing with generational trauma.

I was so excited for this one. Ever since reading The Night Circus I have loved books about the circus, and the cover for this one really caught my eye.

I struggled a lot with this one however. I found the narrator selfish and as a result I really could not care about what happened to her. The author is a really good writer and this had all the makings of a great novel, but the depressing storyline and characters sadly made it a miss for me.

Unfortunately, I decided to shelve this title under DNF at around 45%. I was really looking forward to being submerged into the fantastical circus and the magic and myth that surrounds it. However, I couldn't bring myself to follow any further. The pacing was inconsistent and the whole time I was reading felt like I was flopping around through the story. I didn't feel attached to any of the characters or storylines. I'm not sure if it's my mood right now or if I truly didn't care for the narrative style. I hope to pick this back up later down the road with a shifted mindset. I gave it three stars because I truly believe that this book just wasn't for me. I know this particular story and writing style is going to grasp many readers and hold them until the end.