'Circus Mirandus'

It's been a very crazy month.  Actually, it all started in early May, when I was diagnosed with anxiety.  So, I took some time off, read some books (thankfully, reading calmed me so much), walked A LOT, ate healthy food, stopped drinking caffeinated coffee (I miss it, though), and saw my doctor many times. 

I think I'm doing well, actually.  I'm not letting this anxiety business take over my life.  I'm determined to get through this; I thank my dear friend, Dawn, for getting me into yoga again, and I've found a great psychologist.  My new phone has been keeping me busy, too.  So much for me to explore, stuff that most people take for granted as they scan, download, and text.

As I said, reading calmed me; the books took me out of myself and offered a safe harbor.  I reread all the Harry Potter books, read some great non-fiction, and just yesterday, I finished a most marvelous Independent Reader book.

'Circus Mirandus', the first novel from Cassie Beasley, was delightful.  It carries the theme that magic is everywhere; you just have to pay attention.  There's also love and devotion, and frustration seasoned with a bit of anger.  Friendship comes into play in a big way, but the greatest relationship in this story is the one between the boy and his grandfather.

Micah Tuttle's grandpa Ephraim has always told him wonderful stories about Circus Mirandus, a magical circus he visited when he was a boy.  But now Grandpa Ephraim is dying, and terrible, grouchy Great-Aunt Gertrudis has arrived to take care of Micah. All the magic of Micah's childhood seems lost until Grandpa Ephraim finally tells him the truth:  Circus Mirandus is real, and the Lightbender, the circus's greatest magician, owes Ephraim a miracle.

With his best friend, Jenny, in tow, Micah goes in search of the circus in order to find the man who can save his grandfather's life.

Author Cassie Beasley

Beasley has done a wonderful job in creating characters that grab your heart, or make your blood run cold.  One in particular, Great-Aunt Gertrudis, is the relative from Hell, and she and her brother are as different as night and day.  

And then there's Micah's grandmother.  She's a character you love to hate.

The love between grandfather and grandson is precious, indeed, and their devotion to one another brought tears to my eyes.

I may be on to another book (I'm giving 'The Goldfinch' another try), but I won't forget 'Circus Mirandus'.  Cassie Beasley is a writer to watch.



'Circus Mirandus', written by Cassie Beasley, is available at your local library or favorite book store.  ISBN 978-0-525-42843-5