Circus of the Vanishing Elephant, Tim Schooley: book review

Full disclosure about my review of Circus of the Vanishing Elephant! Tim Schooley, this excellent book’s author, is a writing friend of mine. If you live in or near Sacramento, join me as I interview Tim for his book launch 12:00 pm, September 15 at Capital Books on K Street. There will be funny circus stories, tales of writing derring-do, and good refreshments.

But on to the important part for most of you far-flung readers:

Review of Circus of the Vanishing Elephant

Schooley’s Circus of the Vanishing Elephant immerses readers in the world of a three-ring circus in 1974 with a depth and veracity earned through the author’s time as a clown with Ringling Bros., Barnum & Bailey Circus (before his career as an appellate attorney). So, the novel has its world building nailed so vividly into place that that alone would make it an excellent read.

Vivid Circus World Building and Much More

And yet, Schooley’s mastery of world immersion creates a compelling foundation for much more. There’s a twisty animal mystery wrapped up in family crisis—after all, an elephant vanishes and with her some key characters. Readers will flip the pages fast to find out what happened and how the crisis will turn out.

Rich Characters with Heart

Meanwhile, the circus’s drama and showmanship, both bluffing and real, provide a powerful story medium for rich character development. Two very different criticizing parents will find (or not) a way to love unconditionally and accept their adult children for who they are. A snippet from early in the novel portrays this theme and samples Schooley’s skillful language, when a character thinks of his mother, “Her disapproval intruded into his thoughts like a thief jimmying a lock.”

Found family—a clown, jugglers, and a baby elephant—might or might not provide enough lift for the confidence to find self-identity, both human and animal, supplanting rather than negotiating with unforgiving parents and broken relationships. The strength of Schooley’s character development lies in its nuance and reality. This is an upper of a read, not a downer, for sure, but a simple, pat, happy-ever-after would be an insult to the fullness of the characters Schooley has brought into our hearts.

Read Circus of the Vanishing Elephant for the fun and thrill of the circus, and for the deeper thrill of delving into the human (and elephantine) heart with epiphanies that bring us better understanding of our own hearts and experiences.

I had the pleasure of critiquing early chapters of this book and am delighted with this published final book.

Further Information related to Circus of the Vanishing Elephant

To read my review of Tim Schooley’s historical novel set in Medieval Europe, The Wool Translator, you may go here.

If you’d like to preorder (before Sept 15) or buy a copy of Circus of the Vanishing Elephant, here is the link on Amazon. (affiliate link)

If you’d like to preorder (before Sept 15) or buy a copy of Circus of the Vanishing Elephant, here is the link on Bookshop.org.