The Weight of Air
All Mabel MacGinnis has ever known is life in the Manzo Brothers Circus. In 1911, as the strongest woman in Europe, she has quite a reputation. Bram, her father, was a famous strong man. When he dies suddenly, her standing in the circus becomes uncertain. She learns that the mother she thought had died years ago has been alive the entire time. To make matters worse, the truth was hidden from her. She decides to leave the circus and travel to the United States to find her mother. Isabella Moreau is a celebrated aerialist who is no longer as young or supple as she once was. She fights to stay working when everything seems to be against her. The younger aerialists mock her, and the competition is high. She also hides that she’s really Polly MacGinnis, the mother Mabel earnestly seeks. Will the two women be reunited?
This is a tale about two resilient women who face great adversity. Mabel grapples with feelings of inadequacy and fear of abandonment. She cannot deny her growing attraction to Jake Cunningham, an acrobat. Isabella wants to live life on her own terms, not as some man’s wife. She is haunted by her past and the daughter she left behind. In this book, Duffy masterfully writes about the enduring connection between two flawed women. This novel’s greatest treasure is its characters, who are wonderfully rendered and easy to relate to. Mabel and Isabella, in their brokenness and hurt, are compelling to behold. I particularly love stories about unconventional women who fight society’s expectations. This must-read story is both touching and heartbreaking.
