The Weight of Air Review

 

About the Book

 In 1911, Mabel MacGinnis is Europe's strongest woman and has performed beside her father in the Manzo Brothers Circus her entire life. But at his unexpected death, she loses everything she's ever known and sets off in the company of acrobat Jake Cunningham for America in hope of finding the mother she's just discovered is still alive.

Isabella Moreau, the nation's most feted aerialist, has given everything to the circus. But age and injury now threaten her security, and Isabella, stalked by old fears, makes a choice that risks everything. When her daughter Mabel appears alongside the man who never wanted to see Isabella again, Isabella is forced to face the truth of where, and in what, she derives her worth.

In this evocative novel from Kimberly Duffy, the meaning of strength takes center stage as the lives of three circus performers become entangled beneath the glittering lights and flying trapeze of Madison Square Garden. (Goodreads)

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My Thoughts

Days later and I am still thinking about this story....what a story! This is Kimberly Duffy's best novel yet and I really enjoyed it. I couldn't put this book down and the more the story progressed the more surprised I was at how well it was written. I loved the time period and the circus setting. While the entire book is not about the circus it is a big part of it and I think it is fascinating. There is romance (quite a lot more romance than I was expecting), an underlying mystery, high stakes performances, and a lot of emotional baggage. I love Isabella's character and her broken journey. I love Mabel's character because it is unique and fresh. Jake Cunningham is a hero I adored getting to know. All in all this is a fantastic read that deals with some very difficult topics including mental health,  postpartum depression, death, suicide, and abandonment.  I really loved this story and the only thing that I didn't like per se is how selfishness in marriage is handled at the very end. I could read this book again and probably have even more thoughts just because there is so much between the pages. I highly recommend! 

Four Stars!

" I received this book from Bethany House Publishers for free. All opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review."