Under the Big Top: A Season with the Circus Book

This book was like a performance in its own right. Feiler simultaneously guides the reader through his experience of entering the private backstage world of the circus, the stories of performers and workers, and describes the beauty of the circus performance itself. Throughout the book you are faced with the bond of family that both strengthens and threatens to tear apart life behind the bright lights. Many of the stories and secrets of the circus are things you would guess out, but what I found most surprising was the overall sense of community and stability a traveling show provides. And like few other industries, the circus presents second chances and a place for those who otherwise wouldn't have opportunities. A wonderful portrait of one of America's classic pastimes. When Feiler contemplates a tomorrow without the circus, the reader contemplates the power of a journey's end.