Kirkus Names ‘A Circle of Sawdust’ Among the Year’s Best Indies!

The editors selected A Circle of Sawdust as one of Kirkus Reviews' Best Indie Books of 2024! The memoir by Rob Mermin earlier earned a starred review from Kirkus, calling it “a fascinating tour de force that displays the enduring, unique appeal of the circus.”

Circle of Sawdust is a uniquely personal story of the wild characters, fascinating personalities, remarkable histories, and behind-the-scenes world of traditional traveling circuses. Here is a true-life tale about a boy’s impulse to run off and join the circus and then—through doubt, failure, loss, and tragedy—pursue the implausible vision of starting his own circus! With humor and passion, the founder of Circus Smirkus, Rob Mermin, writes about the precarious life of a creative artist, the ups and downs of taking risks, and the idealistic struggle to hold onto a dream.

Congratulations to Rob ! Of the thousands of indie books reviewed by Kirkus, only 100 books make this list. A Circle of Sawdust will be featured in the December issue of Kirkus Reviews magazine as well as the website.