Thank you so much to Milly Reid and Quercus Books for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Goodreads 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?
Beautiful and intoxicating, A Girl Made of Air brings the circus to life in all of its grime and glory; Marina, Manu, Serendipity Wilson, Fausto, Big Gen and Mouse will live long in the hearts of readers. As will this story of loss and reconciliation, of storytelling and truth
Review
Once I had read the synopsis for this book I knew I had to read it. Anything Circus related and I'm in. A Girl Made of Air absolutely blew me away with its spellbinding and lyrical world building and story telling.
Told in a mixture of letters, diary entries, interviews and folk tales this story has a way of grabbing hold of your heart and never letting go. I was captivated by Mouse's story and found myself needing to know more about the unwanted child who made it to the top who was on a mission to find someone she'd lost.
Whilst this book is based for the majority at the circus it deals more with the day to day lives, with Mouse and Serendipity at its core. I found myself quickly loving Mouse and how passionate she became in her search. Her development throughout the book was brilliant and I loved watching her grow up into such an independent woman.
This story is beautiful but it's also gritty with tragedy pouring from the seams. Full of twists and turns, A Girl Made of Air transports you to this mystical world full of intrigue and has you wanting more. I absolutely loved this book and cannot wait to read what Nydia Hetherington comes out with next!
I highly recommend picking this book up when it comes out on the 3rd September 2020.
Rating: 5/5 stars