Many were no doubt saddened by the closing of the Big Apple Circus, a nonprofit that set up their tent near Lincoln Center and "provided community programs and free tickets for families who could not afford them." For anyone still contemplating running away with the circus, here is a small selection of some new circus-themed reads for adults.

Orphans of the Carnival by Carol Birch

Julia Pastrana has a look that makes her a carnival attraction, but she also has a singing talent that surpasses first impressions. This fictionalized account of the real person shows her beautiful inner life and quest for a quiet home life in the countryside. Julia's story is bookended by the story of Rose, a modern-day treasure collector living in South London, and their stories intertwine in unusual ways. Birch was shortlisted for the Man Booker award for her previous novel, Jamrach's Menagerie.

The Tumbling Turner Sisters by Juliette Fay

Four sisters take their vaudeville act across the country in this sweeping historical novel and encounter the best, and worst, sides of being entertainers. Library Journal calls Juliette Fay "one of the best author's of women's fiction". Fay includes quotations and facts from real vaudeville houses of the 1910s and 20s.

Love in the Elephant Tent: How Running Away with the Circus Brought Me Home by Kathleen Cremonesi

Goodreads calls this biography "'My Big Fat Greek Wedding' crashing into Eat Pray Love on the set of Water for Elephants". This cross-cultural romance is a true story of running away to join the circus, once Cremonesi meets an Italian elephant-keeper named Stephano. Apparently, one can feel the urge to run away from the circus, as well. "Elephants are nomads. They're supposed to keep moving. To roam free. Get what they need and move on, not be chained to a circus." 

Another circus-themed read you may have missed:
The Electric Michelangelo by Sarah Hall is circus-adjacent, as it tells the story of a Coney Island tattoo-artist who falls in love with a circus performer. It was published in 2005, but was a Man Booker award finalist and listed for the Orange prize for fiction.