The Book of Speculation by Erika Swyler

ARC Review

The hook "If you liked Night Circus.." was all I needed to submit my request to read this Advanced Readers Copy!  I wouldn't give it the 5 stars that Night Circus garnered, but this story earned a solid 3, possibly a 4.  It was an easy read, I enjoyed the parallel stories of the carnival years ago and today's descendants.  It wasn't quite as magical as Night Circus, but an entertaining read all the same.

Quotes:  "History is a man...Future is a woman..."

"Something had broken between them; a tie he'd not realized was tenuous."

The Lake of Dreams   -    Kim Edwards

   "E" Author

Unlike Ms Edwards first book, Memory Keeper's Daughter, this novel didn't really grapped me.  It was a nice story but not as interesting to me as MKD.

Lucy goes home to visit her mother and finds some old papers in a locked trunk in the cupola of the family home.  She 'meets' Rose, a never talked about ancestor.  Lucy becomes obsessed with the lady and researches her history and finds more family secrets along the way.  She also finds out more about the accidental death of her father, 18 years ago.

Like I said, a nice little family store,  just not as gripping as I would have hoped for.