Michelle Chalfoun's second book is an excellent marine adventure. The book is written from the point of view of several residents of a New England fishing village. The characters are three-dimensional and lovable, despite their human flaws. Their attitudes, actions, and language reflect Chalfoun's knowledge of the fishing industry. We discussed this book in our monthly book club and we thoroughly enjoyed this high quality novel.

I loved this book! Some of this is personal bias, as I happen to live in a town on the Maine Coast, where the book is set. However, I don't think that should lessen its appeal to other readers. Anyone who lives in a town which has been historically blue collar industry, but is being transformed into a "tourist destination" due to economic variables can relate to the plot. It is really all about a town struggling with the transition from "old money" to "new money", and how this process tears at the social fabric of that town.

The writing style reminded me of something of a cross between Hemingway and Tim O'brien: beautiful descriptions of the lanscape (or seascape) combined with very deep and believable character development. The characters are defined more by their interaction as opposed to an overt description.

My final comment is that other publishers should take a look at this book's packaging! This was a book that stood out on the shelf and made me pick it up. From the beautiful, somewhat eerie cover photo, to the intriguing title. Upon reading that the author had indeed worked aboard fishing vessels, I figured I'd take a chance on it, and am so glad that I did. This book is now making the rounds with many of my neighbors, with similar comments. I will go out and buy her first book "Roustabout" (she has also worked as a circus routabout).

In short, highly recommended !!!!!!

i like the book a lot. although at times it was a little weird it wasn't slow. we had to pick a book and read it for my modern novel class in high school. my teacher helped me pick out this book. i also liked it because it was realistic to some degree and you didn't have to think too much to get what was trying to be said.
another reason that i liked the book was that the characters were well thought out and they seemed like they might people real people that you might run into everyday, if the circus ever came to town. Overall it was a very good book. i would recommend that anyone who likes realistic fiction read this book.

I found this book in a bargain book store and picked it up right away. I sat down to read it and was simply amazed. This book is pure genious. For years, we all have seen the cirsus as a place for happy clowns and trapeze artists. It was a place to run away to. Through the eyes of Matty, a circus roustabout, we see that all that glitters is not gold. The circus is a place were dreams are made, but for the workers, it can often be a place of hardship. This is a great book and I wholehearted recommend it.

Here is a book that turns the child's dream of running away with the circus upside down, giving an account of the harsh life awaiting those who to live the dream which is, in reality, from the author's perspective, closer to a nightmare. The narrator, Matty, a roustabout in a traveling circus, has been subjected to sexual abuse by her stepfather, and has witnessed countless other unkind acts, such as the deserting on the road of employees, and sometimes wives and children. This is a compelling account of the real world of the traveling circus, bared clean of all its apparent glamour and glitter. The book is filled with colorful characters whose hard exteriors match their hard lives, but who are not all so tough underneath. Written by Michelle Chalfoun, who worked as a circus roustabout for three years, this is a novel you won't soon forget.