Portia Remini was first introduced to the circus at age nine when her father, Max and her aunt Sophia took her. Portia didn’t realize then that one day she’d find herself working at another one of these sideshows only a few years later. Nor did she realize that her once whimsical childhood would be shattered by a string of unfortunate incidents.

Wonder Show by Hannah Barnaby is a slightly twisted novel dealing with world of 1930s circuses that were sculpted after P.T. Barnum’s legendary money-making freak shows. This dark period of dust and depression sets the perfect mood for Portia, and most of the characters’ warped and misshapen lives.

When Max left his family because of financial problems and Sophia slipped out of Portia’s life, Portia was forced to go and live at the McGreavey Home for Wayward Girls. That is where she met a bounty of young women who had also been rejected from their homes. The man in charge, whom Portia simply called ‘Mister,’ treated the girls quite poorly and made them do countless hours of housework and chores.

The home got increasingly more dark and cryptic with lost files, Mister’s proposal to one of the girls and a bottle of poison. One day, Portia just up and left the home on a red bicycle, and pedaled until she came across a circus.

Oh, the Wonder Show! People would come for miles to get a glimpse at the Wild Albinos of Bora Bora, an armless knife thrower, Jim the giant, Jimmy the midget, an 800 pound woman, a bearded lady and conjoined twins.

Portia grew close with the circus people, and developed family-like relationships with these ‘freaks.’ Each of them had a story, each of them had untold secrets. As the story progressed, so did Portia’s definitions of family and love as more and more mysteries become unfolded before her eyes.

I read this book last summer and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it. I never got bored with its depressing, but curious plot. Barnaby makes each character become very appealing by exposing their emotions and sad tales of ruined lives. I became so attached to almost every person in Wonder Show.

When I was finished with the very emotional experience of reading this book, I wanted to tell everyone I knew about the remarkably imaginative and intimate story. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick read that is guaranteed to leave an impression.

16bmathias@usd489.com