The Blue Moon Circus: A Novel - Softcover

9781402202384: The Blue Moon Circus: A Novel
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For the boy, it was the first real chance for a future. For the man, it was one last chance to triumph over his past. Opportunities like these happen only once in a Blue Moon.

"An absolute charmer."―Library Journal Starred Review

"Simply put, this is a ripsnorting good historical yarn full of circus lore, so smartly told by an expert storyteller that it's the kind of book truly deserving that overused term 'page-turner.'"―Chicago Sun-Times

"With no safety net, Raleigh takes a spectacular highwire route...making it all look easy in this captivating tale of a decent man in a very hard world. Beguiling, wise and wonderful."―Kirkus Reviews Starred Review

"A heartwarming, often humorous story filled with interesting circus lore as well as deeper themes about the value of human connection, especially as life winds down."―Booklist

"Rollicking, warmhearted...As dramatic and engaging as a high-wire act, the novel combines honest story-telling with down-home wit. There's plenty of smartly written, feel-good fun under this big top."―Publishers Weekly

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About the Author:
Michael Raleigh teaches writing, literature, and history at Truman College in Chicago, where he has taught for twenty-two years. He also teaches fiction workshops at the Newberry Library. He is the author of six previous novels, most recently In the Castle of the Flynns, and has received four Illinois Arts Council grants for fiction. He lives in Chicago with his family.
From Publishers Weekly:
Lewis Tully, the proud, resilient protagonist of Raleigh's rollicking, warmhearted seventh novel, ekes out a living managing a circus in Oklahoma circa 1919, even though his Blue Moon Circus and Menagerie is prone to hardships devastating enough to shut down show after show. A catastrophic flood is the latest disaster, forcing Tully to retire permanently. Fast-forward to 1926, when Tully is being tried in court for gambling at a speakeasy. The judge (a family friend) suspends his jail sentence with the stipulation that Lewis return to circus life for one more try. With confidence that mounts as the story gains momentum, Tully manages to round up most of his original group of performers, including an aging but agile posse of clowns, a pack of feisty animal acts, a terrifyingly unique snake charmer, a red-haired ape, and mind reader Harley Fitzroy, "the greatest magician there ever was." Along for the ride is nine-year-old Charlie, a new arrival in Tully's life since Tully's sister Alma can no longer care for the boy. Despite the threats of a rival circus owner, vindictive Hector Blaney, and the memory of past failures, Lewis bravely takes his show on the road. Dozens of successful performances across the Western states buoy his spirits, but then Hector Blaney's henchmen try to sabotage the campground. It is another natural disaster, however, that delivers the final blow to Lewis's circus career. As dramatic and engaging as a high-wire act, the novel combines honest storytelling with down-home wit. There's plenty of smartly written, feel-good fun under this big top.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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  • PublisherSourcebooks Landmark
  • Publication date2004
  • ISBN 10 1402202385
  • ISBN 13 9781402202384
  • BindingPaperback
  • Number of pages352
  • Rating

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