Book set at the circus

Submitted: 9th January 2018

The #Firstdayofcircus has arrived. On this day 250 years ago a ring was drawn on the ground and filled with wonders – acrobats, jugglers, riders, tumblers. And so was born, the world’s very first circus was born.

Philip Astley, showman, entrepreneur and equestrian rider drew out a circle in the ground near London’s Waterloo station. That circle was the start of circuses everywhere…

Today’s Travel Tuesday celebrates the circuses in novels……roll up roll up…

Here’s the man who started it all:

And now for the books….

The Night Circus – wherever the circus appears…

This has no real life locations but it has to go on TheBookTrail as being one of the most magical books about a circus there ever was. The circus only appears at night and the surprises and magic you experience when inside this book. It’s a battle of two magicians but it’s really a book that brings the magic of the circus alive on the page.

Depression hit America – Water for Elephants

A circus in the middle of the Great Depression in America. It’s the story of a boy who does what many children dream of – run away with the circus – that circus owned by the Benzini Brothers Circus is hailed as the Greatest Show On Earth but the reality of it is quite different. Here he meets Marlena, the beautiful equestrian star and the gorgeous Rosie, an elephant who at first seems untrainable but who turns out to be the circus’ salvation.

Edinburgh – Quest for a Killer

Trapping a killer can sometimes turn into a circus… A circus arrives in Edinburgh in 1899 but whilst the circus is entertaining and distracting the city, there are some crimes taking place marring the festivities – a bank clerk is murdered during a bank robbery and two young women commit suicides within hours of each other. It’s not just the circus which has arrived in the city. Murder and mayhem have also jumped into the ring

London – The Palace of Curiosities

1830s: Enter the world of the Victorian circus where people with deformities and who are different are paraded for the amusement of others. Enter the world of the ‘Unique and Genuine Anatomical Marvels’

True story – The woman forced to enter a circus – Orphans of the Carnival

Julia Pastrana was the singing and dancing marvel from Mexico. She was forced into life in the circus not for this, but for her unusual appearance – she was covered in thick hair. She was born with a condition know as hypertrichosis lanuginosa, (excess body hair) which made her an object of curiosity all her life. But there was so much more to this lady than just her appearance – she was intelligent, spoke three languages,and was very accomplished in singing and dancing. Yet she became a freak show in a circus…

Finally – a lovely story for the children and the big kids at heart