#BookReview ‘A Girl Made Of Air’ by Nydia Hetherington

About the book…

A lyrical and atmospheric homage to the strange and extraordinary, perfect for fans of Angela Carter and Erin Morgenstern.

This is the story of The Greatest Funambulist Who Ever Lived…

Born into a post-war circus family, our nameless star was unwanted and forgotten, abandoned in the shadows of the big top. until the bright light of Serendipity Wilson threw her into focus.

Now an adult, haunted by an incident in which a child was lost from the circus, our narrator, a tightrope artiste, weaves together her spellbinding tales of circus legends, earthy magic and folklore, all in the hope of finding the child… But will her story be enough to bring the pair together again?

Beautiful and intoxicating, A Girl Made of Air brings the circus to life in all of its grime and glory; Marina, Manu, Serendipity Wilson, Fausto, Big Gen and Mouse will live long in the hearts of readers. As will this story of loss and reconciliation, of storytelling and truth

Many , many thanks to Milly Reid for inviting me to review ‘‘A Girl Made Of Air’ which is out today from Quercus books.

As a life long admirer of writers Angela Carter and Katherine Dunn, the hook of this novel immediately caught my attention. Who, as a child, has not wanted to run away to join a circus? But if your entire life is the place that people wish to escape to, where do you go from here? If your existence is about creating illusions, how do you define reality and artifice?

From the very first page the prose, setting the scene of a small child crawling through the feet of annonymous audience members to see the main attraction of the show,you, the reader, are plunged into the big top atmosphere and creates a stunning visual from which the rest of the book stems.

It’s a novel of longing, regret and dreams which are firmly intepreted by the words which Nydia uses to bring into reality her wide swathe of unique characters , whilst flinging them high into the air and making them create death defying spectaculars.

The nature of fear over death is exemplified from the start, it is not the fear of falling which makes you cautious, it is the fear of landing. It is not as such the pain, and broken bones, more taking away the ability to perform that keeps the high fliers safe.

Particularly resonant was the relationship between Marina -who performed as a mermaid-and her husband Manu, ex-onion seller turned circus lion tamer. Their love is so encompassing that the birth of a child, known as Mouse, cannot come between them. She grows as the ulitmate voyeur , both proof of their love and yet shunned because of it.

It is through her eyes that we traverse the pages of this dark fairy tale in the shadows of the circus, as she becomes the protege of funambulist,Serendipity Wilson. And as she recalls the days of her childhood and how she learnt to walk the tightrope between worlds of earth and sky, childhood and adulthood, she and the journalist, Ellie McVeigh who gives Mouse the idea to write the story of her life, bring into the sunlight things which have been claimed by shadows as their own.

It is a story of sadness, loss, regret and how family is not always those who are related to you by blood.

It’s a beautiful, ethereal and beguiling novel that draws you in and doesn’t let go, it is the exciting launch of a new writer who feels like she has been here simultaneously forever whilst being fresh, new and vibrant. I loved it.

About the author…

”My first memories are of the Isle of Man, where I lived as a small child. When my family relocated to Leeds, I grew up dreaming of fairies and of the sea (I still do). In my early twenties I moved to London to embark on an acting career, then to Paris, where I continued my theatre training before creating a theatre company and becoming a clown (red nose included). Returning to London almost a decade later, I worked in a shoe shop while studying for a creative writing degree at Birkbeck University. To keep the wolf from my door I’ve had many jobs, including working in shops and cafes and kitchens, sometimes in offices and most recently in an art gallery. These days I live on the edge of London with my husband and our plump (she’s got big bones) cat.

My favourite books often have a touch of the magical about them. At the same time, I love fierce writing that reaches into the depths of the human experience”

This is going to be an author to follow…I am so stoked to get to share this trailer and sneak peek into what I am sure, will be a huge success this coming autumn.

And after the year we have had this far, who couldn’t be ready for a little escapism?

Definitely this bookworm!

Twitter @NydiaMadeOfAir @QuercusBooks