Death of a Circus

Lor Cole, a young man from Connecticut, dreams of leaving behind his provincial past and making a name for himself as a high-wire walker. When he joins the Bringlebright Circus, a small traveling troupe, he thinks he's on his way. But before reaching the top, he must reckon with the other performers who join him in the center ring spotlight: Cirella Flannery, a beautiful and startlingly devious fire-eater; Ranju, Bringlebright's secretive animal trainer; and Mr. Barnacle, the ringmaster, a charlatan who will stop at nothing to keep the struggling show in business. These characters, along with Stalwart, Ranju's watchful protege, create a colorful ensemble that illuminates the twin sides of the circus: one rapturously razzle-dazzle, and the other rough-and-tumble.