This historical fiction is unlike any other that I have read for this time period. I am not sure I have ever read a novel set in the early 1900s revolving around circus performers and real life problems, such as postpartum depression, abandonment, female body norms, and self confidence. There were also heavy themes of grief, self-worth, and parental relationship tension.

Besides scoring points for originality, we become acquainted with a delightful lead character named Mabel. She is not the normal type of beauty we see in movies. She is not petite, but rather, she is tall and strong. She is strong enough to take down most men who try to best her in wrestling. Due to her body size, she struggles with confidence at times. We also hear the viewpoint from Polly, her mother, who deeply struggles with finding her place in the world. Both of them have unresolved trauma that influences their decisions in a relatable way.

I enjoyed the alternating POVs that gave us little bits of information at a time. It was like mystery solving throughout the novel. A marriage of convenience romance gives us some extra depth to the story that adds tension and sparks between the couple. Having stated all the components I did like, there were two that fell short for me.

1. Sexual content: There is sexual content within this story that is not graphic or explicit, but I did not feel comfortable with it in a Christian novel. Possible spoiler alert: There is a character that engages in a sexual relationship with a man in outside of marriage in order to obtain things. While it is said throughout the book that this is wrong, there wasn't enough repentance and mention of sin to justify why it is wrong. It is a destructive habit that our sin leads to and there was a grand opportunity to discuss the eternal implications, which was missed.

2. Light Christian message: There are moments towards the end of the story that talk about God being with us and we are not alone. This is a beautiful message that a believer can firmly cling to. What bothered me was that this was the only Christian message and it was so minimal in the story. In a book so heavy with real life issues, there was no biblical hope or mention of redemption through Jesus Christ. Throwing in one subtle touch of Christianity in it is, to me, an injustice to the grand scheme of all the Lord can do for us in our suffering.

Overall, I was entertained by the setting and unique qualities of the story. I do believe body norms should be challenged because being tall and strong does not make you less feminine. I also believe postpartum depression is something that must be discussed, especially having personally gone through severe PPD after the birth of my second child. Unfortunately, though, I found this book to be lacking in the theology department. There was such great opportunity to add in the hope and joy of the gospel through our suffering and destructive habits, but there was none of be found in this book.

I came for the historical fiction circus setting and stayed for the gender stereotype breaking characters, realistic take on mental health and intimacy within a marriage.

The Weight of Air is about a woman who can't change the way she was born but somehow thats the only way the world wants to see her. Mabel is one of the strongest women in the world, and has grown up in the circus and doesn't know a life outside of it. Who is she beyond her looks, her strength..and how will she pick up the pieces when everything comes crumbling down.

I loved the relationships in this book— romantic love, love between a parent and the love for God given talents. There is a realistic portrayal of mental health/post partum depression and how deep darkness gets during these times. But what truly shines is the hope, the hope that we can live beyond our shadows even if they never go away. The hope that others can love us for who we are and love us for the things we can't change that make us truly unique.

"They are always so quick to point out that my femininity isn't diminished by my strength as though the two-things have not coexisted peacefully together in women for thousands of years"

I was rooting for this romance. Jake is an excellent character who grieves and has his own demons to conquer. His relationship with Mabel is organic and I loved how he embraced Mabel for all the things she was and wasn't insecure about her strength and ability to best him. The realistic romantic tension and chemistry is written well without going beyond fade to black. I liked that it was there because it strengthened that plot.

"He was a fire. a furnace. Everywhere his eyes touched, she burned. Everywhere he touched she melted."

This is a heavier book that tackles hard topics with characters who you grow to love, even in their imperfect nature. I can't wait to read more from this author.


TRIGGERS or WARNINGS:
*post partum depression(severe), suicide, death of a spouse (past), sexual assault (brief), sexual intimacy inferred but closed door. no language.

3.5 My favorite thing about this book was the characters, Jake and especially Mabel whose height and strength are celebrated. they were honorable, loving, and God’s honor people.

The setting was unique, a historic circus, beautifully written that makes you believe you are one more spectator watching the show. You get multiple perspectives - Jake, Mabel, and Isabella, Honestly, I did not connect or like Isabella, there are some mental issues mentioned regarding Isabella having Mabel, but it's hard for me to have any sympathy for her when she abandons her daughter, or after she finds Mabel’s father had died, she won’t try to find her, because she is feeling weak and not good enough. All the characters are struggling, with depression, feeling inadequate, bitterness, forgiveness, and finding their place in the world, very relatable in our day and age.

My only complaint is "God's for everyone" without mentioning Jesus, assuming we all go to heaven.

There were also mentions of intimacy between Jake and Mabel. Everything is fade-to-black, closed-door scenes.

This was my first book to read by Kimberly Duffy. I really like her writing style and I’m definitely planning on reading more of her books in the future.

I received a complimentary eARC by NetGalley from Bethany Publishing. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

An enjoyable inspiration novel set among the circus, “The Weight of Air” by Kimberly Duffy follows two women who are struggling to find their place in the world as well as who they are to one another. Often I find inspirational novels that try to weave two mirroring storylines together either feel too loosely done and not complex enough or slide the other way, where it tries to be too complex and loses the main plot in all the events that become hard to follow. “The Weight of Air”, however, does it pretty well.
The novel also touches on many hard topics skillfully, letting characters have their own challenges that affect the others but doesn’t overtake any of them. Both Mabel and Isabella deal with independence vs being too dependent, Isabella from the experience of a mother who needed to make hard choices and Mabel from the perspective of a daughter who loses her parents too soon. The side characters struggle with guilt, patience and forgiveness. The dead even are permitted to be shown as having good traits to be remembered and mistakes to make them more rounded characters. And all of them move around one believable history of events that doesn’t feel too coincidental, or, even, focused too much on one pivotal moment.
I was pleasantly surprised by the plot and characters of the novel and felt more drawn to finish it than I expected. Readers who read historical inspiration stories who read authors like Karen Witemeyer or Jen Turano may enjoy in this circus focus delight.

"The Weight of Air" is a Christian romance set in 1911 in Europe and New York. The first half of the story felt so hopeless because the main characters (Isabella, Mabel, and Jake) seemed so determined to be unhappy. Jake lost his wife to a stunt meant to bring her fame and felt like he couldn't let himself be happy. Isabella was told by her strongman husband that she's weak despite her physical strength because she suffered postpartum depression. He convinced her that she brought only weakness to any relationship and would make their daughter weak. Mabel's the world's strongest woman, but her father and the circus owner convinced her that she's weak without her father and had no value beyond her oddness (her height and strength). They made her dependent on them. But Jake supported Mabel and did what he could to convince her that she's beautiful, lovable, and able to be strong on her own. Isabella's old friend and admirer tried to convince her that she's lovable, forgiven, and didn't have to do life alone.

It's Isabella's man who pointed out that God gives strength and was with her, so she's never alone. That she didn't have to live as though the lies that were told to her were true. My only complaint is that the three main characters seemed to have little knowledge about God and less about Christ, so they assumed everyone goes to Heaven, God is with everyone, etc. There was no mention of our need to accept Jesus' saving work as the basis for our relationship with God. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this novel with complex, realistic characters and interesting historical details woven into the story.

What a beautifully written story! I love historic circus books, and this was such a good one. The author also covers some really tough topics, including depression, in an honest and grace-filled way. This was my first book from this author and definitely won’t be the last.

This is one of those books that you might not be sure about at first, but then it winds up just blowing you away with the profound message within. My goodness. I don’t even have the words to describe this book. The only thing I knew going into this book was that it involved the circus. That’s it. Not much to go on…. But Kimberly Duffy is an auto buy author for me which means I don’t read the blurbs. I just trust that I’m going to love it and I always do. She tackles some big things in this one and yet wraps it all in this amazing acceptance and hope. This is a book every woman should read. Kimberly writes characters that somehow always break my heart for the things they go through. And for that I am grateful because she manages to open my eyes to the world around me without bashing me over the head with it. What a beautiful amazing story.

I could not stop reading this story! These characters, this story, what a thrilling ride! Isabella and Mabel had such stories that you could not helping but loving them through it (although Isabella didn't always make me feel that way). The writing was beautiful and I enjoyed every minute! Highly highly recommend!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book has a lot to say about depression (especially post-partum), parenting, and turn-of-the-twentieth-century society's view of women. Be sure to read the author notes at the end on where her inspiration for the story came from.

Overall, I enjoyed the story although I didn't really connect with the characters. This is a hard book in some ways due to the depression and its effects. While this is billed as Christian Fiction, I would consider it more Inspirational since only about three sentences in the entire book mention Christ. It is a clean read with sex obliquely referred to but never shown.

Family friendly though some of the themes may be too dark for some readers.

"In 1911, Mabel MacGinnis is Europe's strongest woman and has performed beside her father in the Manzo Brothers Circus her entire life. But at his unexpected death, she loses everything she's ever known and sets off in the company of acrobat Jake Cunningham for America in hope of finding the mother she's just discovered is still alive.

Isabella Moreau, the nation's most feted aerialist, has given everything to the circus. But age and injury now threaten her security, and Isabella, stalked by old fears, makes a choice that risks everything. When her daughter Mabel appears alongside the man who never wanted to see Isabella again, Isabella is forced to face the truth of where, and in what, she derives her worth.

In this evocative novel from Kimberly Duffy, the meaning of strength takes center stage as the lives of three circus performers become entangled beneath the glittering lights and flying trapeze of Madison Square Garden."

I'm a sucker for circuses, of the olden thyme variety.

The Weight of Air by Kimberly Duffy has an okay looking cover. Nothing really flashy. A little circus hint in the upper middle part of the banner, but nothing really that captivating. Reading the synopsis, I was hoping for more to the plot. But unfortunately, just like the cover, the story falls flat. The characters do whatever it takes to stay in the circus. There entire identity centers on being part of the circus. Of course, I understand it is hard for women during this time period, but the story has a lot of internal dialogue and movement, but not a lot of action. Why don't the characters try to do something that does not have to do with performing or being in the circus? Plus, the heroine Isabella is actually known by a different name when the story begins and Mabel remembers her by this different name. It was a little odd for a reader to keep track of this. Personally, I would like to see more of the characters' strengths instead of playing to their weakness throughout majority of the novel. The setting moves from Italy to New York and ringed true to the time period. As for any romance, both heroines had choices to make. Not a truly romantic story. Just a touch of it to round out the characters. While this story may be delightful for readers of historical fiction, for me, it just did not capture my attention. I wanted a lot more than the plot and characters could deliver.

I received a complimentary copy of The Weight of Air by Kimberly Duffy from Bethany House Publishers, but the opinions stated are all my own.

~4.5 stars~
I was so conflicted when it came to rating 'The Weight of Air' by prodigious author, Kimberly Duffy. There's no doubt it is a compelling, intriguing, emotive read, and so beautifully written! However, is this book for everyone?

Although the main characters are delightful and there were humorous moments and a HEA, there are some heavy issues that may cause emotional triggers in some people—such as suicide, postpartum and overall bouts of depression, and childhood abandonment.

However, I was absolutely fascinated by the inner workings of the circus and how much time and energy went into training...not only to increase strength, but to prevent injury and grow in poise and flexibility. The little kid in me loved my trip to The Big Top—the astounding acts, diverse characters, and of course, the exotic animals. And the romance between the main characters was pretty sizzling! 😉

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and was under no obligation to write a favorable review.*

The main characters had many inner struggles which were hard to read
about throughout the story. Mabel's low self esteem about her size felt over emphasized. Jake was such a patience man with Mabel but also had past issues that haunted him. My favorite character was Katie Grace who brought sunshine to a heavy novel.

Hailed as the World’s Strongest Woman, Mabel McGinnis feels anything but strong when her father, the World’s Strongest Man, unexpectedly dies. For 20 years, they have performed as a father-daughter act for the Manzo Brothers Circus. And for most of those years, Mabel thought her mother had died in America.

Mabel clings to memories of her mother—an aerialist in the same circus—that remain. She remembers giving her mother her little doll, Isabella, on the day her mother left. Words her mother said to her father, such as, ‘she’s too big,’ hide in the corners of Mabel’s mind. Mabel can’t deny the truth of the words—after all, what eight-year-old towers above her mother?

Her father has left her, too, and Mabel feels like a weak shell. Debilitating stage fright causes her to choke when she returns to the circus. The owner gives her a choice—leave or join the sideshow as a tattooed woman.

Isabella Moreau can no longer rely on her body to perform the same stunts which endeared her to the adoring public. She’ll do anything to keep her place at the circus because she knows no other life. Twenty years ago, she left Italy to care for her aging mother. Only she couldn’t go back. The darkness of her failures as a mother and wife incapacitated her. Her husband called her a weak woman and refused to touch her after the birth of their only child almost killed her.

Leaving Mabel and Bram felt like the bravest thing she could do at the time. When she receives word of Bram’s death, she feels desperate to keep her place with Wells and Son Circus. But her career careens towards a backbreaking life as a circus laundress, and Isabella once again feels the darkness closing in.

What I Loved About This Book

Duffy tackles a subject (depression), era (the early 1900s), and situation (parent-adult child relationships) with creativity and grace. Throw in two second-chance romances and a talented author, and you end up with the perfect story of redemption and grace.

Readers can relate to Mabel’s feelings of abandonment and Isabella’s struggles with depression. While growing up in a circus has left Isabella and Mabel sheltered from everyday life, it has also provided them with a microcosm of human nature from which they can learn. Jake (Mabel’s love interest), Mabel, and Isabella all struggle with narratives they believe about themselves.

The most broken of the three, Isabella, remembers the words her mother shared with her towards the end of the book: I can do all things through Christ. This memory acts as a catalyst for change for Isabella and, eventually, Mabel. Keep a box of tissues handy for unexpected gems of wisdom that bring on healing tears if you’ve ever suffered from strained relationships or bent under the burden of false narratives.

I would share this book with non-Christian friends. References to the Bible, churchy lingo, salvation, and other things which might turn off someone who has no time for Christianity are absent. Duffy does what few authors can do—carry the cross over without sounding like a self-satisfied know-it-all Christian.

Fans of Kristy Cambron and J’Nell Ciesielski will enjoy The Weight of Air.

“Come one, come all!”

This story was a definite unique work of art! The Weight of Air was my first book by Kimberly Duffy and I really enjoyed reading Mabel’s and Polly’s stories. This circus tale gripped my attention whenever I entered it and kept me properly enthralled.

The romance had a definite zing to it but I wouldn’t say it was inappropriate. The author was careful with her wording, and I appreciated that.

“I want the impossible. To catch a star.”

I loved the character development found in this book. I got a little frustrated with some of the timing, but for the most part I loved it! I appreciate that Mabel was not just some skinny girl that we see all over, but was in fact bigger than a lot of men. I love that Jake didn’t even blink twice about her size. Overall I just really enjoyed this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bethany House Publishers for the opportunity to read this book before the release date. These are my pure unfiltered opinions.

I have not read Kimberly Duffy's other works, but after reading THE WEIGHT OF AIR, I can't wait to dig in to her backlist. This is clearly a very talented writer.

Beautifully written, this is a compelling page turner that does not shy away from serious issues (which are, after all, part of life). I especially admired the behind-the-scenes look at the circus. Duffy conveys the sights and sounds really well.

The romance angle is also great and sure to please readers.

The Weight of Air
by Kimberly Duffy
Pub Date: Feb. 7, 2023
Bethany
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. A Mosaic of Wings will always be my favorite by Duffy, but this book was good. To be completely honest, I've never been the biggest fan of circus-themed books (with the exception of The Lady and the Lionheart) because they've never really been my favorite genre to read. However, Duffy's book held my attention and had me wanting to turn the pages to find out what happened to the characters next. This book brings light to important issues like postpartum depression, suicide and broken relationships.
In this evocative novel from Kimberly Duffy, the meaning of strength takes center stage as the lives of three circus performers become entangled beneath the glittering lights and flying trapeze of Madison Square Garden.
Genres
Historical Fiction
Christian Fiction
5 stars

4.25 ⭐️

I think A Mosaic of Wings will always be my favorite by Duffy, but this book was so good. To be completely honest, I've never been the biggest fan of circus-themed books (with the exception of The Lady and the Lionheart) because they've never really been my favorite genre to read. However, Duffy's book held my attention and had me wanting to turn the pages to find out what happened to the characters next.

I have to say, one of my favorite things about this book was the characters--especially Jake. He was so sweet, and just how he always treated Mabel with respect and dignity and honor was so admirable. Also, his character arc was one of my favorites because forgiveness and bitterness are struggles most everyone can relate to, and I found myself able to connect with his character a lot.

This book definitely has the heaviest themes, as it explores things such as abandonment, affairs, pre-marital s*x, contemplation of suicide, etc., so I wouldn't recommend it for a young teen audience (probably 17+ is good). However, I really want to clarify that the author approached these delicate topics with a wise and careful hand. None of those content warnings listed above were shed in a positive light in the story, nor were they supported in any way by the author. Duffy has her characters go from broken to healing to whole, and that journey can be messy, just as it would be in real-life.

If you're like me, I don't read books with s*x in them, but Duffy doesn't cross any lines with this book regarding inappropriate content. Everything is fade-to-black, closed-door scenes, and I never felt uncomfortable or as if I needed to skip the scene, which I've sadly had to do even within the Christian genre. Nothing graphic or explicit, but you're only aware of what's going to happen, if that makes sense. There were also mentions of intimacy between Jake and Mabel, but it was nothing sketchy at all.

I can tell that Duffy really wrote the romance between Jake and Mabel from her heart, because yes, she does acknowledge how the two are physically attracted to each other (as any real-life couple would be), but she goes deeper than that. The characters see past superficial beauty and to what really matters: their hearts.

This book does have a faith element to it, though it felt a bit more subtle to me, which honestly fit the tone of the story. A beautiful story of healing, finding love, and overcoming.

All in all, I'm super glad I read this book. Yes, it was heavy at times. Of course, with any book anyone has ever written or read, there were things I wished were maybe handled a little differently. But I have no regrets reading The Weight of Air, and I'm super thankful to NetGalley and the author for an eARC. A positive review was not required, only my honest opinion. All thoughts are expressly my own.

Wanna learn all about the circus? Then this is the book for you!
I learned amazing stuff from this beautiful story. It was full of heartbreak, some joy and depression and suicide all kinds of things!
Duffy has done a marvelous job with these things! She's brought the circus back to life for me again.
I never really knew what these performers had to go through before I read this amazing books.
Duffy has done her research well.
The cover is hauntingly gorgeous. It and the author made me want to read it. I wasn't disappointed at all!
My heart was full and satisfied!
5 stars for a well written book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Set in the circus at the turn of the 20th century, this book had a unique perspective and included a great deal of research, I'm sure! The book centers around Mabel, the daughter of the world's strongest man and the most well loved aerialist. Mabel's mother leaves when she is very young and her father trains her to be a strong-woman. When he dies while Mabel is a young woman, her world is turned upside down. When she learns that the mother she thought dead was still alive, she seeks out what she'd been missing for 2 decades. Jake, an acrobat that her father befriended joins her for her journey and what they learn about life and about themselves is much different than either of them envisioned.

This book covers very deep topics - including depression, suicide, abuse, abandonment, loss/grief, and fear. But it does so while shining the Light of hope into it. The faith thread in this one is in the background for most of the story, but it is ever present as that is the Light that shines in the darkness. In addition to the heavier themes, there are themes of grace, forgiveness, reliance on Christ and love throughout. I enjoyed the story itself, as well as the character development, the romance and learning all about the circus. This was a predominantly character-driven story, but there was a solid enough plot line to keep this fan of plot-driven stories turning pages. All in all, this was quite an enjoyable read and one I'd definitely recommend to fans of historical romance. Special thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-copy of this novel. I was under no obligation to provide a review and the thoughts contained herein are my own.