The acclaimed author of the “lyrical coming-of-age novel” ( Good Morning America ) The People We Keep returns with a luminous contemporary women’s fiction story about strong female characters, family estrangement, found family, and the transformative power of redemption. It’s been ten years since Freya Arnalds left a goodbye note on her parents’ kitchen table and fled her hometown of Somers, New York, driving up the coast to disappear into a lackluster life as a bartender in Maine. But, on the cusp of her thirtieth birthday, when an emergency leaves her short on rent, Freya returns to Somers to live in the derelict house she inherited after her parents’ untimely death, and soon discovers that her fifteen-year-old niece, Aubrey, is secretly living there. Despite all attempts to lay low in her old town, Freya reunites with childhood friends, encounters familial enemies, and stokes old flames while she fights to stay afloat and give her niece a better life than the one she’s had. As they reconnect, Freya and Aubrey learn to lean on each other, working to restore the house and come to terms with the devastating events that pulled them apart years ago. Set in the birthplace of the American circus, this deeply moving novel examines the mythology of a broken family, the weight of the past, and the complicated journey of finding home. "Allison Larkin...just keeps raising the bar on her own peerless talent. Home of the American Circus is a character study wrapped in wit and deep-fried in emotional resilience, sprinkled with Larkin's trademark gutting human insight. If anyone is still searching for The Great American Novel, I humbly suggest this may be it." — Parade "Another masterful portrait of found family from Allison Larkin, who always lets the good hearts of her characters shine through." — Book Riot “This powerful story of emotional healing and chosen family will resonate with readers who enjoyed Ann Napolitano’s Hello Beautiful .” — Booklist “Allison Larkin follows up her warmhearted The People We Keep with another moving, unputdownable book . . . As in all of Larkin’s books, the characters in Home of the American Circus feel fully alive with quirks and characteristics that cause them trouble, but readers still want to hang out with them for a few hundred pages, if not longer.” — Bay City News “[A] naturally flowing up-and-down journey that basks in beautiful moments like a slice-of-life story. Whether it’s banter at the bar Freya’s working or a leaking roof that is simply one more thing than she can possibly handle right now, the characters and their experiences are so real and pure that their joys and sorrows are amplified tenfold.” — Associated Press (AP) “Home follows you wherever you go, for better or for worse—and no book explores this notion better than Home of the American Circus . . . one of those books that you never want to end. I savored every detail of this story, from its gorgeous prose and meaningful relationships to its redemptive, riveting storyline. Run away and read Home of the American Circus ! You won’t be disappointed.” — Book of the Month “Charming...Larkin explores with tenderness and nuance the strong yet complicated relationship between her protagonists, and successfully uses the details of home repair as a metaphor for the rebuilding of Freya’s and Aubrey’s lives. It’s a cozy tale of new beginnings.” — Publishers Weekly "Larkin skillfully blends contemporary realism with historical footnotes about Somers' legacy as the birthplace of the American circus. The result is an elegant meditation on generational repair, full of small surprises and deep feeling. It's a novel that trusts the reader to listen closely--and rewards them for it. Larkin writes with humor, heart and an understanding of relationships and identity, often centering women finding their voice or reclaiming their place in the world. She balances wit and vulnerability, avoiding cynicism while still acknowledging life's messiness." --Arkansas Democrat-Gazette “ Home of the American Circus is filled with that particular ‘Larkinesque’ honesty and heart. I loved spending time in Somers, NY with the novel’s rich characters and their complex lives. And Freya, the heroine, is so compelling I found myself thinking of her long after I finished reading. Allie Larkin proves yet again why she’s one of my favorite writers, and I absolutely loved this gripping, beautiful, big-hearted novel.” — Renee Swindle , author of Shake Down the Stars "Welcome to Somers, New York, the birthplace of the American circus — where Freya Arnald reluctantly returns to the falling-down home she inherited from her parents, to dig a future for herself and her niece out from her troubled past. Larkin’s hauntingly gorgeous story of family secrets, shame, and redemption will warm hearts and inspire hope." — Meg Waite Clayton, New York Times bestselling author of The Postmistress of Paris "In Home of the A