When the curtains are drawn back on the cabinet of wonders, every individual you meet is an original, the indelible mark of their uniqueness shaped in their flesh. Molly and Faye are spirited teenagers—and conjoined twins. Saffron is the Wolf Girl, her female form covered head to toe in fur. Alex/Alexandra is a seductive morphodite, her male/female parts irresistible to many.

To the rubes that pay good coin to see them, they are Freaks. To the other carnies—those who run the Ferris Wheel, the Girl Show, and more—they are the Starlight Carnival Royale’s most lucrative source of income, and sometimes, friends. To Shadrach the tattooed man of God who travels with them, they are evidence of the divine. For Dugan—scholar, businessman, romantic, and dwarf—the cabinet of wonders is more than just his business, it’s his family and the center of his universe, and he’ll do everything he can to keep it together...despite the rifts that are appearing after three years on the road.

Set in 1927, this marvelous tale confronts the spectacle of the Freak Show, steps through the curtains and out the other side, taking the reader to a candid, complex and human space where they can know outsiders as intimates.


About the Author

Born in Atlanta, Renee Dodd's childhood was divided between urban and rural Georgia. Renee, whose name is pronounced “Renny,” received an M.F.A. from the University of Houston, and teaches creative writing at Georgia College and State University. She is currently at work on a second novel. For more on the author, visit www.reneedodd.com.

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