The Ringmaster's Wife

April 11, 2016
Cambron (The Butterfly and the Violin) seesaws between story lines and time periods in her latest novel. Fleshing out the life of the enigmatic Mable Ringling (wife of American circus entrepreneur John Ringling, of Ringling Bros. fame), Cambron fictionalizes a great deal, including how the couple met, while sprinkling in some historical facts. In the second thread, Lady Rosamund Easling’s prized Arabian horse is purchased by the circus, and she leaves England and a prospective suitor to follow the animal to America. Mable and Rosamund have a few brief encounters, but primarily these are two separate stories of strong and determined women who boldly leave their pasts in search of fulfillment. Both end up in the shadow of the big top, but with much different perspectives. Cambron vividly depicts circus life during the 1920s, when the vast menagerie moved in 100-car trains and the Ringlings were establishing themselves in Sarasota, Fla., society. With a strong supporting cast of friends and family—including a nemesis or two—the women experience heartbreak, loss, hope, and triumph, all set against the colorful backdrop of the “greatest show on Earth.” Agent: Rachelle Gardner, Books & Such Literary.

June 1, 2016

Colin Keary, on a recruiting trip for Ringling Brothers Circus, rescues Lady Rosamund Easling from a creek. In America for a final adventure before her arranged marriage, Rosamund agrees to accompany Colin to check out the circus. There she meets acrobats, bareback riders, and a tattooed lady. Her new friends open Rosamund's eyes to the exotic and often uncompromising world of circus life, but as her determination to join the performers grows, she encounters sabotage and veiled threats. Interspersed with Colin and Rosamund's story are vignettes about Mable and John Ringling that move between the late 1880s and the 1920s. Mable's journey from farm girl to business icon provides Rosamund with a model of strength and acceptance. With rich descriptions, attention to detail, mesmerizing characters, and an understated current of faith, this work evokes writers such as Kim Vogel Sawyer, Francine Rivers, and Sara Gruen. The author's third novel (after The Butterfly and the Violin) transports readers to a turn-of-the-20th-century wonderland, the world of the Big Top. VERDICT Cambron is a CF rising star, but her books will appeal to a wider audience seeking graceful stories with historical depth.--Christine Barth, Scott Cty. Lib. Syst., IA

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