EPHEMIA RIMALDI

A spirited young suffragist runs away to join the circus.

Twelve-year-old Ephemia Rimaldi, abandoned by her parents and bounced around among relatives, has been living in Toronto with her stern activist Aunt Ada, who gets her involved with the women’s suffrage movement. After Aunt Ada dies, Effy, seeking to escape the “Rimaldi vultures” who want to claim the trust fund her aunt left her, runs away to find her father’s circus; his legal guardianship will protect the money intended for her education. Phineas Rimaldi frowns upon her attempts at trapeze and riding a bicycle, but Effy perseveres. Little does she know that a couple of trapeze artists, a bearded lady, a woman tiger tamer, and an elephant handler’s nephew will teach her to prove her worth and confront her own relative privilege of class, race, and nationality. Effy, along with her new acquaintances, must find a missing sapphire whose sale could fund the failing circus and send beloved circus elephant Balally to retire in a sanctuary in Ceylon. Effy, who reads white, actively seeks ways to promote women’s equality. Her antics realistically reflect the limitations placed on women and girls at the turn of the 20th century, while highlighting the fact that circuses were among the first environments where equal pay was achieved and women’s courage was embraced. The fast pace and pithy chapter headings propel the narrative.

A well-written and informative novel filled with exciting twists and turns.