The Circus in Winter

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Read this instead of WATER FOR ELEPHANTS

I do love the circus!

A wonderful little book

A Well Crafted Book

an astounding achievement, brilliantly written, thematically compelling

The Circus in Winter
Cathy Day
Manufacturer: Harcourt
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Thin Place

ASIN: 015101048X

Book Description

From 1884 to 1939, the Great Porter Circus made the unlikely choice to winter in an Indiana town called Lima, a place that feels as classic as Sherwood Anderson's Winesburg, Ohio, and as wondrous as a first trip to the Big Top. In Lima an elephant can change the course of a man's life-or the manner of his death. Jennie Dixianna entices men with her dazzling Spin of Death and keeps them in line with secrets locked in a cedar box. The lonely wife of the show's manager has each room of her house painted like a sideshow banner, indulging her desperate passion for a young painter. And a former clown seeks consolation from his loveless marriage in his post-circus job at Clown Alley Cleaners. Cathy Day follows the circus people into their everyday lives and brings the greatest show on earth to the page.

Customer Reviews:

Read this instead of WATER FOR ELEPHANTS.......2006-12-02

This book of interconnected short stories related to residents of the old circus town of Lima, Indiana (it's real life counterpart is Peru, Indiana) is just excellent. Great writing, great characterizations and great stories that seem like they could have really happened. Do yourself a favor and read THE CIRCUS IN WINTER instead of WATER FOR ELEPHANTS which is more romance novel than literature but for some unknown reason is reaping a lot of positive buzz.

I do love the circus!.......2006-06-27

This is a wonderful,short book that I really enjoyed.
The author brings you into the world of circus folks. Sometimes funny,sometimes sad but always interesting. She gives us the story many different ways,which at times can be trying.

Her characters are well fleshed out making you want to know more. She carries thru with this by bringing you from the past to the future and back. A good fun read!

A wonderful little book.......2005-12-30

THE CIRCUS IN WINTER by Cathy Day purports to be a book of short stories, but it's much more. The stories, told in chronological order, tell of a circus and its performers over several generations, all linked together like charms on a bracelet.

Just as a circus has different acts going on in its rings, the book has various "acts" that interplay with each other, though each can stand on its own. They circle around the center ring of the Great Porter Circus and Menagerie and its owner, Wallace Porter, from 1883 to 1939.

Most of the action takes place in Lima, Ind., where the circus spends the winter. So we see the characters at work and at rest, where the animal trainers, clowns, acrobats or "freaks" get to be just people and show us that we are all "freaks" in one way or another.

I would say these pieces are primarily mini essays on life, character studies with stories wrapped around them. They are strong, moving stories about human need and emotion, though interestingly perhaps the strongest act of emotion is performed by one of the circus animals.

At one point the narrator tells us, "Be warned. This isn't a pretty story." And, indeed, some of these show the worst side of man -- a tale of slavery, another of murder -- and nature -- a devastating blizzard and a horrifying flood that kills most of the animals, leaving their carcasses to be found when the waters recede.

But the book is filled with wit and wisdom, such as these little gems: "The truth ain't nothing but a lie that folks learn to live with" and "I don't think we live just once. We live when things first happen and every time we remember that first time, we live it again."

At times, the writing reminds me of John Irving at his best, with quirky characters and poetic irony: "They cried for a while, then went downstairs to make pancakes." And some of it is just, plain beautiful: "Suddenly, she remembers love; it is a bird inside her heart that flies out the top of her head."

This is a wonderful little book.

A Well Crafted Book.......2005-12-28

There is no hidden agenda in the title "The Circus in Winter". It is what it says it is. This is a book about life when the lights fade down and the tents are rolled up. Cathy Day works off the story of her family and other families (the circus familes that settled in the small mid-western town of Lima, Indiana- the winter headquarters for the Great Porter Circus) and breathes life back into them as she traces their lives from the late 1800's to present day.

The book seems at first to be a collection of short stories, but as we become acquainted with the sons and daughters of the circus we discover that it is really a non-liner novel. It traces the families of several of the circus performers, Ollie the circus clown, his father Hans the elephant tamer, Pearly and Bascomb the Zulu Queen and Boela Man respectively, as well as others. Their stories are no-where near as exciting as the thrills they produced under the big top, some are sad, some tragic, few are surprising. Day writes of life, she's not looking for a big twist or surprise ending, she's just showing us another aspect of the existence we all lead.

an astounding achievement, brilliantly written, thematically compelling.......2005-08-01

Some fifty years from now, literary critics will judge Cathy Day's debut novel, "The Circus in Winter," as a masterpiece of early twenty-first century American fiction. So that there is no misunderstanding my opinion of "Circus," I believe her writing is exquisite, luminescent and profound. In the same manner that Sherwood Anderson captured the essence of a small Midwest town in "Winesburg, Ohio," Day, with compassion and extraordinary insight, has drawn a portrait of a physical and emotional community in our heartland. Lima, Indiana, the wintering spot for the Great Porter Circus, emerges as a microcosm of the human condition. Through Day's assured and courageous interrelated stories, we learn more than we want, not just about circus life, but the dreams, disappointments and desires that motivate our behaviors.

Psychological tensions abound in this multi-generational novel-in-stories. There is the tension of an America in transition from its agrarian past to its industrial, technological present. There is the tension between men and women, between love and loss, between hopes and despair. There is the tension between illusion and reality. There is even unspoken tension in the names of the characters, particularly the Perdido family, whose Spanish surname signifies being "lost."

One of Day's most significant triumphs is her revisionist interpretation of the ringmaster's oft-repeated benediction: "May all your days be circus days." Said as a blessing, the words often indicate a curse. The author understands the conflicting impulses which draw us to the circus. We wish to be disgusted as much as we wish to be entertained. We hope to be made afraid as much as we want to laugh. We admire the singularity of circus performers but are repelled by their transience, aberrance and recklessness. These contradictory impulses of mirth and menace, of delight and death, of hope and helplessness appear and reappear in the characters whose lives we come to understand in "Circus."

Each story contains its own truth, and every character discovers some essential epiphany. The founder of the circus, Wallace Porter, purchases a floundering circus in 1885 as a result of unbearable loss. Deprived of love, Porter intends to redeem a broken promise made to his terminally-ill young wife. He learns that no endeavor can replace a cavernous hole in the heart. Jennie Dixianna has escaped a brutal childhood and has perfected a "Spin of Death," in which she repeatedly swivels from a hanging rope, leaving her wrist perpetually bloody. She understands men's wants and needs, but is unable to love. Instead, he collects what her lovers have left. In a cedar box is "contained the flotsam of men's pockets, the skeletons that hung like ghosts in their back-hall closets." Her story is a "collage of broken glass from a thousand shattered bottles, and each new shard made her stronger and more beautiful."

Day is unafraid of tackling the circus' perpetuation of racism. Bascomb Bowles emerges as a living symbol of our national need to humiliate African-Americans. His career with the Great Porter Circus ironically begins as an African "pinhead," a perceived promotion from his previous job of cleaning human waste from "honey buckets." Bowles is aware that he is perpetuating a stereotype; yet he brings a quiet dignity to his own struggles for economic and emotional survival. We watch with predictable horror and shame as Bowles' family evolves over the next four generations. The author also shows how one singular event, the death of an elephant trainer, transmutes itself into story and myth over time, affecting the descendants of the deceased and influencing their perceptions of possibility, obligation and purpose. Day compels us to acknowledge that we prefer illusion to truth, interpretation instead of facts, comfort over conscience.

Although "The Circus in Winter" ought be read as written, you could pick any story as a point of origin. Cathy Day's prose is so seamless that each chapter could stand by itself but remains essential to the novel's whole. Her characters, painstakingly drawn and honestly rendered, compel us to examine ourselves, to learn how much we wrestle with the same dilemmas, how much we are circus people. After the greasepaint is removed, after the illusion is replaced by the everyday, after the excitement is tempered by frustration, the characters of the Great Porter Circus must face themselves. When we confront them, we see ourselves.

Winter Days in the Big Woods (My First Little House Books)

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Snuggle up for a great story!
Perfect Introduction
Daughter's Favorite
An Old Fashioned Winter
A wonderful introduction to "Little House"!

Winter Days in the Big Woods (My First Little House Books)
Laura Ingalls Wilder
Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0064433730

Book Description

Laura helps Ma and Pa make the little log cabin snug and cozy for the snowy days ahead.

1994 "Pick of the Lists" (ABA)

Customer Reviews:

Snuggle up for a great story!.......2007-02-20

Winter Days in the Big Woods, an adaptation from the Little House on the Prarie classic series, will delight children and peak their interest in Pioneering life. The illustrations capture the attention and imagination of young children, whetting their appetite for more.

In this adaptation, kids get a glimpse into daily life of a close-knit family during Amrerica's pioneering days. Kids will learn about churning butter, baking bread and doing the general daily tasks to run a household and prepare for winter.

Perfect Introduction.......2007-01-21

For anyone who has loved the original Laura Ingalls Wilder books, or even the television series years ago, this is a perfect introduction to the very young. My children have enjoyed these books for years and have now moved on to the books Wilder herself wrote. Put together, they've created fond, wholesome childhood memories for my children.

Daughter's Favorite.......2006-01-15

This was my daughter's favorite book from the time she was about 3-8 years old. I bought it as a introduction to the original Little House books and continued to collect the entire set of these "First Books". Bright, cheery with excellent artwork showing strong family relationships.

An Old Fashioned Winter.......2003-10-06

"Winter Days" is one of my favorite books in the "My First Little House Books" series, and one of my favorite books about autumn. The Ingalls family prepares for winter with time for the harvest and food storage. Mary and Laura participate in daily chores and entertain themselves with their rag dolls, paper dolls,and by using a thimble to draw on the frosted window. Beautiful illustrations bring Laura's log cabin world to life, and are an excellent starting point for discussing how life is different then it used to be, and how some things never change.

A wonderful introduction to "Little House"!.......1998-01-12

My almost-four-year old insisted I read it three times in a row the first time we read it! It is a well-written abridged version that manages to retain a feel of the original.

Average customer rating:

Sing-a-long too
The only artist I know who can create condensation with fiber
Winter Story for Toddlers

First Day of Winter, The
Denise Fleming
Manufacturer: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Picture Books | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0805073841
Release Date: 2005-09-15

Book Description

Alive with swirling snow and lots of outdoor fun, the first ten days of winter bring special gifts for a special friend. This cumulative tale will have children chanting along as they discover all the trimmings needed for the most perfect snowman ever!

Customer Reviews:

Sing-a-long too.......2006-12-22

I bought this book to use with my job as a special education preschool teacher who travels from site to site. I use this book to teach colors and counting. I love it because it follows the song "The 12 Days of Christmas" and the kids love to sing along with it! I also made felt cut outs of each piece and we put together our own snowman as we read the book! The illustrations are great and the text super! Wish I thought of it!

The only artist I know who can create condensation with fiber.......2006-02-21

If there were a librarian lobby out there, I would seriously suspect that Denise Fleming was held under their sway. How else to explain the fact that every book she creates fits your average children's librarian's needs to a tee? Whether she's using her one-of-a-kind humor and artistic technique to teach kids about colors as in "Lunch", providing a particularly original animal readaloud as found in "Barnyard Banter", or writing the number one BEST toddler storytime picture book, "In A Small Small Pond", the woman practically caters to your average librarian's every desire. "The First Day of Winter" is no exception to the rule. Utilizing a technique that incorporates everything from colored cotton fiber and hand-cut stencils to squeeze bottles, "Winter" provides the perfect wintertime readaloud book, especially for those with a hearty singing voice.

Written to the tune of "Twelve Days of Christmas", "The First Day of Winter" is a joyful tale of the building of a snowman. So the book begins with, "On the first day of winter my best friend gave to me ... a red cap with a gold snap". With each consecutive day the snowman is slowly built up and up. It gets two bright blue mittens, 3 striped scarfs, 4 prickly pinecones, etc. Some of these additions are alliterative and some just fun to say like, "5 birdseed pockets". With each addition of food or sustenance, winter animals cluster closer and closer to the snowman. When the last verse (it doesn't go as far as twelve) results in 10 salty peanuts it is clear that the snow"man" is actually a rather nice snow"woman". Our last images in the book are of her walking off to have a chat with another snowfellow at the top of a nearby hill.

There's such a sense of satisfaction when you read this book aloud. Even if you don't sing the words you still get a smack of enjoyment from pronouncing the words, "red cap with a gold snap". Adults can decide whether or not they want to sing "5 birdseed pockets" as you would "5 gold rings" or just keep the verse the same as the others. As always, Fleming is far more inclined to be colorful rather than dull. From the ribald blue of a blue jay to the cheery conglomeration of a bunch of different scarfs, this is as visually arresting a book as any Fleming has come up with yet. Now I cannot tell you how many times I've been approached by a library patron who wants a good snowy winter book for their kids, but without any specific holidays mixed in. Until now I've relied heavily on Ezra Jack Keats's, "The Snowy Day", and Lois Ehlert's, "Snowballs". With the publication of this book, I can now also heartily thrust "The First Day of Winter" into these parents' waiting arms with a kind of haphazard glee. A fabulous addition to any cold weather collection and a fun readaloud to boot.

Winter Story for Toddlers.......2006-02-09

"This charming tale will have young readers counting along as a boy builds a snowman with lots of personality - plus accessories!" (summary by Susan Hayes in Woman's Day magazine)
The cadence reminds the reader of the Twelve Days of Christmas and the repetition is appealing to young children aged three and under.

Clifford's First Snow Day (primera Nevada De Clifford, La) (Clifford)

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Clifford's First Snow Day (primera Nevada De Clifford, La) (Clifford)

Manufacturer: Cartwheel
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0590630970

Book Description

The world has changed overnight! Cool white fluffy stuff covers the ground and Clifford loves it as he leaps through the snow from footprint to footprint, goes sledding in a boot, and slips and slides on ice. And when Clifford gets lost in the snow, Emily Elizabeth—and the reader—get a funny surprise!

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The First Day Of Winter

Manufacturer: Albert Whitman & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

A COUNTRY CAMERA 1844-1914: RURAL LIFE AS DEPICTED IN PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE EARLY DAYS OF PHOTOGRAPHY TO THE OUTBREAK OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR

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A COUNTRY CAMERA 1844-1914: RURAL LIFE AS DEPICTED IN PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE EARLY DAYS OF PHOTOGRAPHY TO THE OUTBREAK OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR
GORDON WINTER
Manufacturer: PENGUIN
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000S71QX0

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A Country Camera, 1844-1914: Rural Life as Depicted in Photographs from the Early Days of Photography to the Outbreak of the First World War
Gordon Winter
Manufacturer: Country Life Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0000CN95E

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First Day of Winter
Consie Powell
Manufacturer: ALBERT WHITMAN &+COMPANY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000SHRFWQ

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The First Day of Winter
Laura Lush
Manufacturer: Ronsdale Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Laura Lush's new collection of poems is nature poetry at its strongest and most insightful, the images connecting to give voice to our many uncertainties as we creep further into an already darkening 21st century. With an unwavering eye, Lush focuses on the spiritual tenacity needed to make our way through difficult times. Her sharply drawn images make us aware that winter braces the soul, enlivening the instinct for life - as we turn to face the cold wintry blast. "Winter," she says, "teaches us to love the long/ liturgies of ice, the sudden stopping of water/ before the black flock of birds/ lifts blindly off the pond."

The First Day of Winter (Scott Foresman Reading: Leveled Reader 18b)

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The First Day of Winter (Scott Foresman Reading: Leveled Reader 18b)
Gordon L. Storey
Manufacturer: Scott Foresman/Addison-Wesley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0673612961

Book Description

There's a new fashion designer in town, and "Fashion Don'ts" have never been more in style!

Sami Granger is fresh off the bus from the Midwest when some crazy person in the bus terminal warns her that life in New York City won't be what she always dreamed of. But Sami's determined to make it in an industry that is notoriously hard to break in to. Nothing she ever learned in her small town can prepare her for her first job working for a hot-shot designer: He steals her designs!

Now the only place that will hire Sami is a trashy lingerie store that she's too embarrassed to tell her old-fashioned father about. Will a visit from her father land Sami on the catwalk, or out on the sidewalk?

Customer Reviews:

Cool yet unrealistic....but I recommend it anyway..........2006-05-07

When I chanced upon a bookstore, I chose South Beach Sizzle over this book. But when I returned to that certain bookstore a week later, I decided to buy it.

It was about the eighteen-year-old, small town girl Sami Granger who claims herself as a designer from Elk Lake, Minnesota and is eager to pursue her dream in New York. Although her father protests about going there, her best friend, Celia, who happens to be her brother's wife and also her brother supported her all the way through.

When she arrived in NYC, she was hopeless. She stayed in a rather dangerous shabby motel and every fashion chain closed their doors for her. Yet, when she was finally employed by a man named Bruce as a receptionist in Ted Fromme designs, her hopes were high---leading her to leave the motel and transfer to a more comfortable crib.

But Bruce was cunning. He stole her designs and most especially her heart. Infuriated and disappointed, her friends, Rain, the model she shares her new place with, and Vin, the friendly carpenter who she easily felt comfortable with, encouraged her by starting all over again.

And so she did...she worked at a small lingerie store she's too shy to tell her father about. Yet when NYC tries to change her naive, sweet personality into a sophisticated woman, will her father's visit snap her back?

Somehow, I liked the story but the first time I read this, I was really unconvinced about an eighteen-year-old who transfers to NYC just to merely pursue her dreams. It was cute anyway but the author did a good job by letting the readers guess who Sami would end up with.

The flow of the story during the first chapters is slow paced but when it was nearing the last chapter, it was rather fast-paced. Other than that small flaw, the story surprised me during the last chapters.

Anyway, if ever you think that a 3-star rating is discouraging, don't think about it that way. I can't rate it 4 because I didn't like it a first nor did I give it a 2 because it was fine...for me, 3 is the best rating for this book.

Could Not Put it Down........2006-04-01

Ripped at the Seams takes place in New York City. The main character is Sami Granger. She is a fashion designer from a small town in the mid west, who dreams of making it as a mojor fashion designer.Sami has a hard time making it in the Big Apple at first, but scores a job as a secretary at a major fashion institute. There she meets a guy who she thinks is Mr. Perfect. Everything seems to be going well until... To find out what happens read Ripped at the Seams, by Nancy Krulik.
I liked this book a lot. When I was reading it I did not want to put it down. I like reading stories about romance. This story had a twist that made the story even beter. Well, I do not want to give the twist away so I recommend that you read the book. This is definately a book for teenage girls and women only. probably.

Just okay.......2005-11-22

This book was a quick read... kinda cute at parts. However, I must say that it is extremely predictable. My sister loves this book and when she saw me reading it (I was on page 50 or something) she asked "what do you think will happen?" and I pretty much predicted the rest of the book.

A Stylish New York Romance.......2005-06-24

Ok, so Sami is an aspiring clothes designer. So she moves into an apartment with a model, Rain. Enter the totally Hott, Vin. Now with a six pack like Nancy describes I've no idea how she could pass him up for Bruce. Yet when Bruce steals her designs she feels a little differently. Yet still can't seem to find the hottness of Vin irresistable. The combination of the main characters (Sami, Vin, and Rain) is a real up-lifting feeling. It'll put you in goos spirits and make you want to jump a plane to New York. Sami is an ambitious girl and I found her to be loveable. I found the book to be funny as well as romantic. I would kill to be in Sami's shoes. It also makes you think a little about your love life. Is Mr. Right starring you in the face? Read the book to see if Sami and Vin get together. It's a fun book to read. I really recommend it!!

New York Love.......2005-05-02

Will moving to New York change Sammy Granger's life forever? Sammy is a young girl, straight out of high school. Who has moved away from her friends and family to follow her dreams of becoming a fashion designer. But does the young Minnesota girl know what the big city has in store for her?

Sammy has arrived at New York and has found a place to stay for a couple of days. But to find out she has to find a place sooner, because of a terrible tragedy that has happened. Then she finds an apartment to share with this model (Rain). Then Sammy gets a job, with this really hot boss who she starts to date. But later on Sammy will come to find out that he is not all he is cut out to be. This will take Sammy on a new and exciting journey.

It is through this tragedy that leads Sammy on a journey for a new job. This job is not at all what Sammy, or her family had in mind. Will Sammy's new job allow her to follow her dreams of becoming a fashion designer?
Sometimes life throws us a lot of curve balls. But Nancy Krulik gives us a chance to see how hard life can be in New York. But she also shows us that we should not give up, just because some people are crooks.

This book is great for high school students because it shows them how important choices are. Because if you don't know what you want than people are going to take advantage of you, when you get to be an adult, and live out on your own. I also think this is a good book because it targets a big variety of people.

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The Ripped-Out Seam: Poems
Rebecca Seiferle
Manufacturer: Sheep Meadow
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1878818228

Book Description

This is the prize-winning poet's first collection. The poems in this collection are various in style, from the highly experimental to shape poems to prose poems to sequences, and in subject matter, from the personal subjects of family, to various landscapes, predominantly that of New Mexico, and to historical and philosophical themes. The volume contains two collections: THE RIPPED-OUT SEAM and VOLTE, and etchings from the great Spanish painter Goya.
Poems from this collection won the Bogin Memorial Award from the Poetry Society of America: the Bogin Award is given to a group of four or five poems that reflect "the encounter of the ordinary and the extraordinary, uses language in an original way, and takes a stand against oppression in any of its forms." Poems from the volume also won the Writers' Exchange Award, and the volume itself was a finalist for the Paterson Poetry Prize. Poems in the volume previously appeared in American Poetry Review, The American Writer, Blue Mesa Review, Calyx, Carolina Quarterly, Croton Review, Cutbank, Indiana Review, Negative Capability, PSA News, Poem, South Coast Poetry Journal, The Taos Review, Triquarterly, The Denny Poems and have been anthologized in NEW MEXICO POETRY RENAISSANCE, (Red Crane 1994) and SALUDOS: POEMAS DE NUEVO MEXICO (Pennywhistle Press 1995).

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