Death of a Circus tells the story of the Bringlebright Circus, a small fictional troupe traveling the United States in the early twentieth century, an era when circuses are falling out of favor and only the largest shows are enduring. Initially, the book follows Lor Cole, a young African American man from Connecticut who dreams of leaving behind his provincial past and making a name for himself as a high wire walker. Upon joining Bringlebright, however, Lor quickly learns that the characters who join him under the Big Top have their own stories to tell. Closest to Lor is Cirella Flannery, a beautiful and startlingly devious fire-eater who has struggled for survival since her spirited days in a juvenile detention facility. Ranju, Bringlebright's reclusive chief animal trainer, hides a history of magic and trickery that may be his undoing. Stalwart, Ranju's young protege, finds solace in his journal even as he grapples with a mysterious connection to Lor. Presiding over the show is Mr. Barnacle, the Ringmaster, a charlatan who constantly concocts new stratagems to keep Bringlebright afloat. Together, these performers create a colorful ensemble that illuminates the twin sides of the show: one rapturously razzle-dazzle, the other rough-and-tumble. Death of a Circus is a novel of multiple narrative lines. It captures the rapid pacing of an adventure story, but it is ultimately much more. Chock full of circus allusions, Big Top lingo, folklore and historical detail, it is a far-reaching fairy tale that speaks to the foibles of the human heart and what happens when life is lived both within and outside the center ring spotlight. What city-weary soul hasn't thought of running away to join the circus? That's the dream of Lor Cole, a young black man leading a lackluster life in early-twentieth-century Connecticut. Lor has talent to match his professional ambition. Tall and agile, he is a superlative high-wire walker, having honed his skills throughout boyhood on the towering branches of neighborhood trees. It's not long before the ringmaster of the Bringlebright Circus turns the young man into a star. For Lor, tiptoeing along the tightrope is infinitely easier than navigating the politics of the circus business, and he must watch his step around roustabouts and seasoned performers alike. Among them: copiously tattooed ruffian Legman Jack and his amply mustached pal, Bar None; fire-eating Cirella, with blazing red hair and a personality to match; and Barnacle, the mercurial ringmaster obsessed with success, starlets, and sex. Prasad conducted extensive research into the world of early-twentieth-century circuses for this richly textured first novel packed with glamour and grit. Allison Block Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved Chandra Prasad finished Death of a Circus only after extensive research of early twentieth century circuses and interviews with dozens of circus performers and historians. She is the editor of and a contributor to Mixed: An Anthology of Short Fiction on the Multiracial Experience (W.W. Norton), which includes original pieces by Ruth Ozeki, Danzy Senna, Peter Ho Davies, Cristina Garcia, Wayde Compton, Rebecca Walker, and Diana Abu-Jaber. She is also the author of Outwitting the Job Market (Globe Pequot), as well as numerous articles on diversity and the workplace, which have been published in the Wall Street Journal, India Abroad, India New England, and Vault.com, among others. In 2007, Atria, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, will publish her latest book, a novel about a girl who poses as a male student at Yale University in the 1930s. Used Book in Good Condition