A Girl Made Of Air by Nydia Hetherington

Happy Publication Day

Published : 3rd September 2020

Publisher : Quercus

Format : Kindle, Paperback, Hardback, Audio

Genre : Contemporary/Historical

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Synopsis

This is the story of The Greatest Funambulist Who Ever Lived...

Born into a post-war circus family, our nameless star was unwanted and forgotten, abandoned in the shadows of the big top. Until the bright light of Serendipity Wilson threw her into focus.

Now an adult, haunted by an incident in which a child was lost from the circus, our narrator, a tightrope artiste, weaves together her spellbinding tales of circus legends, earthy magic and folklore, all in the hope of finding the child... But will her story be enough to bring the pair together again?

Thank you Quercus for this stunning Proof copy.

My Review

This is a story about a girl who is called Mouse, born into circus life to a famous performing mother a lion training father, neither really wanted to look after her so Mouse had to fend for herself, she skulks around the circus in between revellers legs whilst the show is on wearing dirty and to small clothes. She sleeps on the floor in her parents trailer and the only real kindness she is shown by either of them is the food her father usually feeds her.

Her mother never really wanted a child and is to preoccupied with alcohol and being adored by her fans to pay her any attention.

When a lovely red head called Serendipity Wilson arrives to work at the circus she takes mouse into her care and teaches her to be a funambulist. The two become inseparable and Mouse makes a home within Serendipity's tent. The older Mouse becomes the better she gets at the skill she is being taught and it isn't long before the daughter soon takes over the mother for best act.

Told from Mouse's perspective whilst initially being interviewed by a reporter you find out more about the relationships and the hard life she had suffered. By using the narrator's diaries, postcards, letters and memories, you get to really understand how she became "The Greatest Funambulist Who Ever Lived" and what it took for her to get there. The story is also centred around Serendipity's lost daughter, Bunny, and Mouses feelings towards them both.

Why I Loved It

I loved how this book is so descriptively written. I felt quite sad at the beginning for Mouse and the life she was raised into, clearly shunned by both her parents and having no true kindness and caring until Serendipity arrives. I also really enjoyed reading about the era in which it was set.

This is both a historical fiction and magical story within a circus setting.

I would have liked to have read a little more of the actual tightrope part of her life that she was famous for but On the whole this is a great magical read that will totally have you under its spell and I do recommend you add to your TBR.

Rating

★★★★☆

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Meet the author

Originally from Leeds, Nydia Hetherington moved to London in her twenties to embark on an acting career. Later she moved to Paris where she studied at the Jacques Lecoq theatre school before creating her own theatre company.

When she returned to London, she completed a creative writing degree at Birkbeck.