Read this if you like:
•found family
•complicated family dynamics
•small towns

I fell in love with Allison Larkins writing when I read The People We Keep. So stoked when I got this book! This book is incredible. It’ll tug at your heart. You’ll see yourself in the characters and the town comes to life with vivid descriptions. The true meaning of found family exists in this book too. Thank you Gallery for the arc!

Allison Larkin’s previous book, The People We Keep, was my favorite book of 2021 and one of my all time favorite books. So I was thrilled to receive an advanced copy of her latest book and my expectations were sky high.

Home of the American Circus lived up to my expectations and cemented Allison Larkin as one of my favorite voices in contemporary literary fiction. We meet Freya Arnalds on the day her appendix bursts. This medical emergency forces her to move back home to Somers, NY to live in the childhood home she inherited from her parents. Freya never intended to go back to Somers and while she tries to lay low, she discovers her niece Aubrey is living in the house. As they try to reconnect, Freya slowly makes Somers her home in a way it wasn’t when she was a child.

Just like with The People We Keep’s April, Larkin has created another memorable character in Freya who finds the courage to stay and confront the demons and mistakes of her past and who readers will root for long after the final page. Just as important as Freya are the wonderful supporting characters that surround Freya and try to love her is she will only let them. There is Aubrey of course, Freya’s childhood friend/crush Jam, her childhood friends Eddie and Jam, the men who work at and frequent The Aster, and of course Shray, Aubrey’s best friend who almost steals the entire book from Freya and Aubrey..

Home of the American Circus is a must read for fans of Larkin’s previous work or for anyone who loves a character driven story with a main character who is trying to find their place in the world.

When I read Allison Larkin’s The People We Keep, it instantly became one of my favorite reads of the year. So, when I heard she was releasing a new novel, Home of the American Circus, I jumped at the chance to read it. Let me tell you—it exceeded every expectation I had and more!

The story centers around Freya Arnalds, a 30-year-old woman who finds herself moving back to her hometown in Maine. Her current situation wasn't feasible anymore, and since she inherited her childhood home, it was pretty much her only option. Having been estranged from her parents and sister for years, Freya is filled with anxiety about returning to the small town she left behind. However, the silver lining is reconnecting with her beloved niece and a few cherished childhood friends. As Freya works to rebuild her life, she realizes she must confront the people and long-buried events that drove her away in the first place.

This novel is absolutely incredible. The characters are so vividly and intricately developed that they felt like real people I could know in real life. The storyline weaves together so many emotional layers, pulling at my heartstrings in the best way possible. Allison Larkin has done it again, delivering a masterpiece that will undoubtedly be one of my favorite books of the year.

Home of the American Circus is a 5-star (actually, 5+++ star!) novel that I’ll be recommending to everyone. I truly can’t wait to see what Allison Larkin writes next!

Allison Larkin writes characters you believe in and that mirror exactly who you are and where you’ve been. I’ve never felt so alive as when I was reading this novel. Thank you so much to NetGalley for allowing me an advanced copy of this book. I see myself and everything that I am in this story. I feel profoundly touched by this circus.

5 stars-A dear friend once said of a book, I’m reading it slowly because I don’t want it to be over. I can think of no better words to describe my time with Freya, Aubrey, Jam, and Shray. Oh, and sorry, Bet. What I love so much about all of the Alllison Larkin books I have read (going all the way back to “Stay”, is the depth of the characters and how they are the world to each other. This book will stay with me for a long time, and it will go on my favorite reads list as well. Thank you so much to the author, the publisher, and Metgalley for the arc. It was a beautiful journey!