The Family Fortuna

December 15, 2022
An 1880s traveling circus star wishes to be more than a monster on display. Born with feathers, a beak, and solid black eyes, Avita is the apple of her father's eye and his circus's most profitable act, biting the heads off live chickens for crowds. The book's opening lavishly sets the stage, including the circus's garish delights--such as star stripper Luna, Avita's beautiful, icy older sister, described as being "sex itself" even at 14 and working the "kootchie tent" since before her first period. Her brother--"born with dwarfism" but too many physical ailments to perform--is the circus's brainy manager and their father's punching bag. Avita's first-person, past-tense narration vacillates wildly between being a true believer in her ringmaster father's vision and a more jaded view; the end result is jarring. Other characters' viewpoints include both the past and present tenses. Most interesting about Avita's characterization is how she views her "hideous" face as a blessing even as she wishes people would look past it; less interesting is her leaning into self-objectification. Avita's first crush kick-starts her quest to be seen as more than a monster as her family travels to a portentous city--and a showdown with their greatest rival. Surprisingly humanizing at heart is the unraveling family's dynamic, set amid a coarse, exploitative environment run by a charismatic, tyrannical showman. Unfortunately, Avita's eventual triumphant ending rings hollow and pat. Central characters are cued White; there is diversity in the supporting cast. Intense but uneven. (Fabulism. 17-adult)

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January 23, 2023
Eagar (The Patron Thief of Bread) presents a resplendent family saga set against the backdrop of a traveling circus. In 1889 Texas, 16-year-old Avita Fortuna is the showstopper of her family’s circus. Born with feathers and a beak, she performs a grotesque live-chicken-eating act as the Bird Girl. Her father, the circus’s fast-talking proprietor, dotes on her; her older brother, who was born with dwarfism, is their bookkeeper; her mother is a deeply devout former sharpshooter; and her older sister reigns as the “duchess of the kootchie tent, the red-hot queen of the circus nightlife.” An unplanned stop in Peculiar, Tex., turns taxing when the Fortunas discover that their arch-rival circus, Le Cirque Americana, is also in town, setting the stage for a brutal contest of attractions. As her father grows more frantic in his ringmaster duties and butts heads with her brother, Avita dreams of a life beyond the circus, especially when a young artist’s portrait of her prompts reexamination of her role in the family. By combining a beguiling premise with sinister ambiance, complex characterizations, and arresting, literary-leaning language, Eagar presents an absorbing read that examines the effect of familial pressures and conflict on one’s mental health and self-perception. Ages 14–up. Agent: Victoria Marini, Irene Goodman Literary.

March 1, 2023
Grades 9-12 In her YA debut, Eagar (The Patron Thief of Bread, 2022) conjures up a fantastical historical novel featuring the Family Fortuna traveling circus, famed "from Texas to Tacoma." By 1889, Avita, 16, is the star attraction. Twice a night, "Bird Girl" stands in the spotlight and allows the audience to stare and scream. Ethereal eldest sister Luna mesmerizes as duchess of the kootchie tent, brother Ren keeps the books, and their fervently religious mother reigns over the pig races. Arturo is father and ringmaster, a monster of manipulation and verbal abuse. The precarious status quo is upended by a mysterious boy who looks at Avita's face without fear and by a detour into the cursed town of Peculiar. Rich language envelops the reader in layers of sensory detail. At times nearly poetic, it can also be crass, anachronistic, and even funny. While momentum is constantly interrupted by flashbacks and repetitive world building, this story of a family coming undone is just odd enough to draw its ideal readers, who are rewarded with a compelling finale.

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