Kimberly DuffyRezensionen

A truly great work of fiction! This book brings light to important issues like postpartum depression, suicide and broken relationships. The story of the circus and its performers was fascinating. Seeing into the lives of those who are "different " and their struggles to be seen and heard was eye opening. The imagery in the book was so descriptive that I could picture where the characters were and what they wore. I highly recommend this book!

This book was both interesting and engaging describing the world of the circus in the early part of the twentieth century. There were many more circuses then than now and the performers achieved as much fame as our actors and musicians today. Not having ever been to Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Bailey on which the Travis and Wells circus in the story is based, I found it all fascinating. This is the second book by this author I've read, but won't be the last.

This story takes you from India, where it's hot year round to the the frigid climes of winter in England. The author writes the settings beautifully so you feel you are there. We follow Ottilie very closely, so it could have been written in the first person.
I had never heard of embroidery with beetle wings before so that was interesting, nor had I heard the name Ottilie before.½

Mabel was born into the circus. Her father is a strongman and her mother a beautiful woman on the flying trapeze. But mother and daughter are separated. Join Mabel as she searches for her mother. The circus is a large traveling family, full of all kinds of people with all kinds of secrets. Isabella must face her truth when her long lost daughter appears. Experience life, love and loss under the big top in The Weight of Air.

Mabel performs as a strong woman with her father in a European circus. When her father dies, her stage fright overcomes and she is unable to perform. Across the sea, Isabella, an aging aerialist, fights her body in order to continue performing. When Mabel was a toddler, her mother left her to care for her aging parent. She never returned. Now, Mabel leaves the circus with Jake, an acrobat, and travels to America to find herself, and possibly her mom.

This book was pretty depressing and nostalgic. I suppose that is often the case in life, but I don't generally enjoy those types of books. The characters definitely felt realistic and well developed. Although the book wasn't for me, it was well written and well paced. 4 out of 5 stars.

I loved The Weight of Air by Kimberly Duffy far more than I expected to. The prologue hooked my attention, and I would have read the story in one sitting if I had that luxury. As it happened, I delighted in returning to this novel night after night. The plot never dragged, the characters felt original, and the slow burn romance unfolded beautifully.

Kimberly Duffy, author of The Weight of Air, wove hard topics into the stories of Mabel, Jake, and Isabella. Each character had their own brokenness and each issue was portrayed with authenticity. Insecurity, female objectification, loss of a spouse, depression, aging, and financial insecurity were some of the subjects addressed within the pages. Only a handful of spiritual moments occurred amid the adversity, which may disappoint readers that favor a strong, stated Christian message. I appreciated how each character grew towards healing as well as the theme about personal empowerment. Ultimately, The Weight of Air is a story that recognizes the importance of what parents do (or do not) pass down to children.

The Weight of Air by Kimberly Duffy will be on my list of favorite books read in 2023. I recommend this novel to readers who enjoy character-driven stories with unique settings. Five stars!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of this book by the author or publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.

I’m warning you, The Weight of Air is so much better than my words can express. 😉 It’s one of those books that elicits so many feelings that prove difficult to translate in a review. So, I’ll try to be succinct and clear — but just know, you definitely want to read this book! First the setting: it’s the circus of the early 1900s. Duffy’s descriptions of the big top, the backstage rooms, and the people who inhabited that very special world transported me smack dab in the middle of it all. The story follows a mother and daughter separated for 20 years. Mabel, at 6 feet tall, is dubbed the strongest woman in the world. Her mother, Isabella, is an aging aerialist past her peak. What characters they are! Damaged and flawed and defined by their own and others’ expectations, prejudices, and motivations. While I certainly cannot bend iron bars or fly through the air without trepidation, I could relate to those women on various levels. There are a number of men in their lives (living and dead) who exert influence (good and bad) over them, but it is in making their own way that they find freedom. Two of the male characters, Robert and Jake, I liked very much. But they were not saviors, though they did extend so much grace. They were flawed just like the rest of us, and I cheered their own growth. A few of the themes include grace, forgiveness, and finding strength in Christ when we are at our weakest. A solid historical novel, The Weight of Air, also has elements of women’s fiction and romance. The romance between Mabel and Jake is sizzling sweet — just an FYI for those who like that in their books. 😉 I think this novel would make an excellent book club selection — the well-drawn characters, rich historical detail, the storyline, the setting, and the truths expressed offer so much to discuss. Grab some friends and read it together!

Highly Recommended.

Great for book clubs.

Audience: adults.

(Thanks to Bethany House for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

How can something so weightless as air be so heavy at times?

Running away to the circus is likely the dream of many children, but imagine growing up in that world. For Mable, it was all she knew - working together with her father who was the strongest man in Europe in 1891. Her mother, Polly, was an aerialist, flying through the rafters to the oohs and awes of the audience. But life wasn’t always so rosy. Dark days would cloud the flying angel’s mind - anxiety, depression and post traumatic stress led to her leaving to never return.

This well researched book will keep you entranced as the wonderful characters learn how to deal with the bitterness and melancholy. But all is not lost as they learn that they CAN do all things through Christ.

An ebook was received through NetGalley, Baker Publishing Group and Bethany House Publishers. These thoughts are my own and were in no way solicited.

Mabel McGinnis was the child of two circus performers whose marriage feel apart due to post partum depression. Her mother disappeared to take care of her Mother in America and her Mother's leaving Mabel bought out a lack of confidence in her life. Mabel grew up believing her Mother died because her Dad told her.

When we met Mabel, her Father has died and so have their circus act. She attempts to do a strong woman act but fails. She and her Father's friend Jake decided to go America so Mabel can start over and Jake wants to rejoin his family in Kansas. Along the way to America, Jake and Mabel marry to secure her good name.

Once the couple are in America, they can not find work until Mabel creates a strong woman act at Museum of sorts. The circus which Jake worked for previously hears about the act and hires them. The circus is Mabel's whole life but for Jake it is his worst memory. This circus had ended his first wife life. The woman his blames is Mabel's Mother. Mabel discovers her Mother is alive!

This book maybe based on the circus life but it is only the background for a lives changed by mental illness. It is a truly a sad story of not understanding the facts over fear.

This is an absorbing and well written novel, told from the dual perspectives of two women of the circus, Isabella/Polly an aging aerialist, and her long-lost daughter Mabel, a strong woman. The story is touching, and heartfelt. However, it has strong themes of clinical depression, post-partum depression, abuse and suicide, which makes it a challenging book to read. The topics are handled sensitively and with hope, but this story is not to be embarked upon for light reading. That being said, it is well worth reading.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This is a historical fiction set in 1911 Europe and America.   Mabel is world’s strongest woman in the Manson Brothers Circus. Her father, Bram MacGinnis, has just passed away. He was the strong man and partner in her acts. She is having a hard time with confidence now. One night she is going through Bram’s old letters and discovers one she had never seen. It showed that the mother she thought had been dead since little was actually alive and in America. She decides to leave Europe and go to America to find Polly MacGinnis. Jake refuses to let her go alone and leaves the circus to accompany her on the trip. This story is about overcoming darkness, found family, family drama, and love. I enjoyed Kimberly Duffy’s writing and plan to look into her other books.

The Weight of Air by Kimberly Duffy, is historical fiction about the circus when it was still traveling around for shows. It involves a famous woman trapeze artist, Polly McGinnis, Bram, her husband, a strong man and their baby. The baby took after her father and was a giant, tall and muscular. Mabel, their baby was too big, for a while she worked on the trapeze but her mother left the family under a deep mystery that slowly unfolds. Later it is revealed that her mother did not die when she went to New York to take care of her there. When her father died, Mabel lost her confidence and the circus manager thought she was a liability. Mabel finds evidence that her mother was not dead and goes to New York to find her.

Mabel, towers over crowds and feel left out of society. When she left the circus, she happened on a little girl playing hookey from school who had rescued a little dirty gray kitten with part of her ear torn off living in an alley. Immediately accepted by the little girl. I love the part about her friendship with the little girl and the girl’s mother.

Mabel's mother, Polly has living under a different name. The mother-daugther relationship is loaded with troubles. Her mother hamother has living under a different name. Polly, now Isabella had many secrets that kept her from becoming emotionally close to anyone.

It is a page turner but the story but very intense. Mabel in the book, towers over crowds and feel left out of society.People look at her as a curiosity.

The story invaded my dreams!I dreamed about a girl that played with who lived across the street. I remembered her mother who was very tall and large. Not heavy but big. Her mother had a booming voice. A very welcoming personality, smiled and introduced me to my first Oreo cookie. Loved Gershwin music. A book made me think about our neighbor. Did she get teased about her size while growing up. What was her life like

The book was inspired by the then famous aerial artist, Lillian Letzel, who was more famous than the movie stars of that period. I found a book about and want to read it.

I have long wanted to read books by Kimberly Duffy, but somehow I never reached that goal. Thank you to LibraryThing.com giveaway and Bethany House Publishing for supplying me with this ARC of "The Weight of Air". The opinions expressed in this review are, however, my own.
I found myself wrapped up in this novel of the circus, especially since it was written from a different perspective. That of "The World's Strongest Woman". Mabel was six feet tall. Unusual for a woman, especially during the early 1900s.
Her writing captured my mind. "It was a consuming chaos." "Everything she said seemed to dangle unfinished. She spoke in loose ends." "Spring had come over the city like a tiptoeing child afraid to awaken his father. So quietly, peeking around walls, and crouching on the ground,..." These examples and more seemed to pop up in many different places throughout the book.
The best element of the book was the array of wonderful characters. They all had their foibles and flaws. The main characters' thought processes spoke to me. I could hear those voices in my head also. Once again God has shown that He works all things together for good.
Thank you Ms. Duffy for this inspirational book. I will not miss your next one!
#BethanyHouse, #BHPFiction

I loved this book and the way the writer describes her characters. I love stories about the circus and found the descriptions of the various acts were well written.

It was a sweet romance between Mabel and Jake, and also the reunion with Mabel's mother was sweet. What gave the book more depth was the description of depression and the deep feelings it can invoke.

This book was given to me by librarything early review and I have given the book 4 stars.

The thing I liked most of all in Kimberly Duffy’s The Weight of Air was the depiction of how outside appearances and masks people wear hide the true heart of a person. This was the case with so many of the characters in this book.

Mabel is a strong woman in the circus. She’s tall, stronger than the average man, beautiful yet her heart is fragile. She feels unloved and unseen to the people who matter most to her. Then there’s Jake who lives in the past and Isabella (Mabel’s mother) who has hidden her bouts of depression for many years.

Duffy explores all of these angles while also giving readers a love story to root for. Seriously, from the moment Mabel decided to leave the home she’s always known and go in search for her mother and Jake said he was going with her, I was rooting for these two to find love. Isabella is a little tougher to like, though. At first she comes across as a little selfish, fame-seeking, and manipulative but as I got to know her history, her fears, her struggles, and her heart for her daughter, I wasn’t as opposed to her.

The story setting is so unique and at times I felt like I was sitting in the audience watching the performers and enjoying the show right along with the other spectators or standing in the middle of the ring with the circus family.

Disclosure statement: I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book and was not required to write a positive or negative review. All opinions are my own.

1911--story of a strongwoman in the circus, her search for her mother who she believed dead and her moving from fear and depression to self-confidence. She makes a marriage of convenience with a man who accompanies her on her quest. Clean romance figures in the novel along with other adventures. I enjoyed best the parts that told of circus life.

I remember books from my childhood about young misfits who ran away to the circus. This lovely and sophisticated story focuses on a melancholy young woman who ran away from a circus, at least temporarily, to reunite with her mother after many years. Kimberly Duffy has done a bang-up job evoking the era (the 1910's on both sides of the Atlantic) and poignantly portraying the highlights and heartaches of circus life.

Another reviewer mentioned that the faith-based aspect of the story seemed to be an add-on, rather than an essential element, and upon further reflection, I'm inclined to agree. Even so, the content is clean, the plotting is well-done, and it's a pleasure to read.

This is an excellent historical fiction book. I loved the well-developed characters, the historical time period, the uniqueness of the circus setting, and the engaging plot. The story does a great job with issues of mental illness, love, fear, regret, forgiveness, and what strength and weakness mean. The Bible verse and few mentions of God were not fleshed out at all and I think the book stands best as historical fiction without adding the Christian fiction layer as it would need to be more fully developed in the characters' lives in order to feel real and not just stuck in to have it in there.

I received this book for free through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program. This does not affect my rating or the content of this review.½

My husband and I were memorized by our Cirque Du Soleil experience this past Christmas. Wow, it was a magical event under the big top tents, I’ll never forget. So, when an opportunity came to read this story, I jumped at the chance to review it.

I was swept up into this adventure with all the amazing acts, the drama, and the enchanting atmospheric circus backdrop. Mabel McGinnis was known as the strongest woman in the Manzo Brothers Circus. She had done the act with her father her entire life. She tried to do the act without him but could not. Not only that, but she didn’t know who she was without him. The circus is going to give her one more chance. If she can’t perform, she’d have to find another job. As the Manzo Brothers Circus was getting ready to move to the next town, Mabel finds hidden letters in her father’s belongings, addressed to her from her mother. He said she died. Why did he lie to her? This changed everything. Forget the circus act, she had to find her mother and, in the process, find herself.

Isabella Moreau, America’s most celebrated Aerialist, is losing her edge. She is racing against the clock as she hopes will power alone will keep her in the air, but she feels her body betraying her. It’s not as strong as it used to be. She struggles with this and the regret and losing her daughter. Isabella heard the news about her husband’s passing. Could she re-connect with her daughter? Their situation was complex, how could they rebuild their relationship after all these years?

Jake Cunningham feels protective of Mabel and wants to help her on her quest to find her mother. Jake is dealing with loss and grief too. Maybe he’d find the next thing to do. He was done being in the circus. He hopes this trip will stretch them both to become what they were meant to be, not what others labeled them. Jake and Mabel find the truth and a freedom they’d never known before. There was more to life than being the best act, drawing big crowds, would they have the courage to walk on a new path?

I appreciated the natural spiritual thread that sheds light and gives hope in the dark topics the author talks about like postpartum depression, suicide, abuse, loss/grief, abandonment, sexual harassment, and fear. The author also shows redemption, grace, and forgiveness.

I enjoyed the growth of the characters throughout the story. This is a beautiful escape, with a complex cast of characters in a layered story, with a depth and fascination that kept me up late. I adored every minute reading about these broken, flawed people making their way through life and circumstances that occurred beyond their control. The message throughout was that our self-worth is not based on how we look, or how well we perform, but our hope and strength come from above, and from the one who never fails us.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I requested and received a copy of this book by the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog https://psalm516.blogspot.com/

Kimberly Duffy has wrapped some very deep themes in the folds of a beautiful story of two women, mother and daughter, caught between living with fear and with a longing for love and acceptance. Setting their stories within the spectacular, glamorous parts of the circus that the public adored during the early twentieth century while not ignoring the blood, sweat, and tears behind the scenes only added to the intensity of the heart of their stories. This multi-themed novel will speak differently to readers whose lenses will be greatly impacted by their own histories, but I can imagine no one left unaffected. I am grateful to Kimberly Duffy for a memorable reading experience that deeply touched my heart, and to Bethany House for providing me with a complementary copy via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.

This author is one of my favorites because she has such a gift in writing rich characters that become alive in your mind and stay with you long after you have finished the book. I really, really liked Mabel. She is so sweet with such a big heart. I enjoyed reading about her relationship with Jake. I liked that the characters are not perfect and have very realistic struggles. This novel handles themes of forgiveness and trust very well, and I loved reading how Mabel and Isabella made peace with their pasts and learned to move forward with hope and love. I was also captivated by the circus life of 1910 and thought the author did a fantastic job describing the scenes such that it was easy to envision the setting. The author’s lyrical writing style flows so well and allows me to effortlessly immerse myself into the story. I have loved every one of her novels and this one was another great book. Highly recommended!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

"That was the thing about love - the unimaginable became reality, and every dream proved more than possibility."

Set in the circus world of 1910, this book by Kimberly Duffy will completely captivate you with its lyrical voice, glamour and awe, and poignant faith and life lessons. From the first page of the prologue, the story of Mabel and Isabella will enchant you. Told mostly through third person narratives of these two women, you will laugh, cry, and rejoice as they face their fears, regrets, past and future individually and together. Themes of forgiveness, finding purpose, and not relying on one's own strength ran through all the main characters to bind them in a beautiful tapestry of redemption.

Mabel, in all her physical strength and emotional naivete and tenderness, was easy to love. Jake, though bitter and disillusioned, was an excellent brooding hero with his noble and loyal heart. Isabella was a bit more difficult to comprehend and understand, but her redemption was made sweeter by the utter brokenness she represented.

It's an unforgettable historical romance. I received the book from the publisher via Interviews & Reviews and was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are my own.

A fascinating look into the 1900s that captured the romance of circus life.
The author does not shy away from sin and awkward topics but brings flawed characters with their triumphs and tragedies. It is a marriage of convenience story with secrets on all fronts.
Mabel is grieving her strongman father and she believes she cannot perform without his support. Having learned her mother is not dead but left her family years ago, Mabel sets out for New York City to find her. Her long time friend, Jake proposes a marriage of convenience. Mable wants to protect her reputation; Jake wants to protect his heart. “Love isn’t something you deserve. It is something you are offered.”
Isabella left Mabel and her husband because she was haunted by the shadows of depression. She has secrets aplenty including her real name.
This is a story of tangled emotions, relationships and motives. But through it all the characters find courage, forgiveness and faith. One of the verses from her childhood haunts Isabella: “I can do all things through Christ.”
Put this one on your *to read* list.
*A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Bethany House through Interviews and Reviews. I was nit required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.*

Kimberly Duffy has ignited my imagination in her books. Every Word Unsaid is just the latest to bring another place and time to life for me. Augusta Travers, or Gussie, is a main character to love. Her need to find a place in the world, to do something important, is at odds with her family and societal expectations. But as she runs to India to photograph and document its wonders for her magazine’s readers, Gussie grows in her understanding of the world and herself. India was not all she expected, and neither is her renewed relationship with her childhood friends. Every Word Unsaid seems like a coming of age story for Augusta as she discovers the beautiful, the tragic, and the horrific world of early 1900s India. Readers will discover the tenuous place women had in society, the domination of colonial rule in everyday life, and the necessity to see people as they are — unique and valued. There’s adventure, suspense, and romance all wrapped up in a beautifully written story. (I am in awe of Duffy’s facility for creating a wonderfully crafted narrative.) You’ll fall in love with all of the characters, not just Gussie. The audiobook was excellently narrated, and I was immediately swept up in the story.

For those seeking an immersive reading experience, I highly recommend Every Word Unsaid.

Highly Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

(I purchased the audiobook from Audible. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

I have always loved India fiction. A Tapestry of Light is another great addition to this genre. Most of the books in this genre that I have seen concern the historical periods of the British Raj and Partition. Some of them are stories about modern women. It would be nice to read a novel about the mughal period and I wonder whether any writer has written about this time period.

Back to the book. A Tapestry of Light begins in Calcutta in 1866. Ottilie Russell has a British father and an Indian mother and does not belong to either society. She, and others like her, were referred to as Eurasian. After Ottilie's mother Maji dies, she begins to take work embroidering gowns for the elite with beetle wing embroidery in order to support her younger brother Thaddeus and her grandmother Nani. This type of embroidery was passed down to her from generations of Indian women before her. She was an expert at it and was able to make a living from it. A few months later a stranger named Everett Scott walked into her home to advise the family that Thaddeus had inherited the Baroncy of Sunderland in England. Scott traveled to India in order to take Thaddeus to England. Ottilie refuses to allow Thaddeus to leave and is aghast that she is learning for the first time about her father's family. Eventually Ottilie agrees to let Thaddeus travel to England but only if she is allowed to go with him. However, life is not easy for any of them in England because Thaddeus appears to be white, Ottilie looks like an Indian.

I LOVED this novel! I particularly liked the India setting. It has warm weather, great food and colorful clothing. I could picture in my mind the saris that Ottilie wore. I am a fan of them. England, however, is cold and grey just like the city I live in so it is not appealing to me. The characters were interesting, even the secondary characters. Ottilie is a great protagonist. As a half-breed, she has conflicted views about her ancestry but feels more Indian than English. Her mother taught her to be proud of her Indian ancestry and encouraged the Christian faith to which both of her parents subscribed. Ottilie's mother Maji was a main character early in the novel but after she died, Maji's mother Nani became more prominent. Ottilie remembers the advice she received from both of them as she went through life dealing with her loves, neighbors and business associates. Everett Scott was an interesting character too. He does not have a pristine ancestry either but he is willing to talk about it honestly. I have never read about a character in his position who didn't try to hide the unsavory bits of their family history. Usually, at least in India fiction, they try to be just like the elites of society, hoping to fit in.

This was the first book written by Kimberly Duffy that I have read. I am impressed and look forward to reading her earlier novels.