From the very first page, I was enchanted by this book. There is no other way to describe it. Each character's voice was so distinct, and Webb's prose so evocative, that I wanted to spend the day doing nothing but entering the world created here.
Ellen is fleeing an abusive husband, so she goes to her elderly aunt Ruth for help. Together, the two of them run away to join the circus -- just as Ellen's grandmother had done decades before.
As Ellen begins to feel at home in her new family, her husband is looking for her ... and Ruth's having visions that show how it will all turn out.
While this could have been just another tale with paranormal overtones, instead this is a look at family dynamics and the real nature of love, revealed in each circus performer's own hidden secrets.
There are a good many twists and turns in this book that keep the reader on the edge of his or her seat, rooting for Ellen and Ruth to triumph.
Absolutely to-notch literary fiction, and highly recommended.
4
