Carnival Of Rainbows
Barbara Soper’s novel opens with an intriguing premise–the introduction of execution by electrocution juxtaposed with an exhibition celebrating the marvel of electricity. The electric chair, touted as a “humane” device in 1890, was invented by a dentist from Buffalo, New York, the same city that, eleven years later, would host the Pan-American Exposition. It was during a visit to this celebration of light that a self-styled anarchist assassinated President William McKinley. Soper surveys this period in history through the eyes of Tony Gruener, a young musician who has an uncanny “Forrest Gump” facility for being at the center of history in the making. Tony runs away from home to join the circus, in this case a traveling animal show camping on the Pan-Exposition’s midway.
This time period is a rich one; it is a shame, therefore, that the history is hijacked by the circus soap opera that ultimately envelops the storyline. Soper’s narrative is simplistic and her characters, saddled with monikers such as the Animal King, the Doll Lady, and Queen of the Jaguars, are one-dimensional. Those seeking a look at Buffalo during the Pan-American Exposition would be better served with City of Light, Lauren Belfer’s 1999 historical mystery.
