Reviewed by Inga Buccella for Readers' Favorite

Circle of Sawdust, penned by Rob Mermin, is a circus performer’s memoir about a life lived under the big top. Beginning in the late 1960s, Rob chronicles his experiences in many different circuses through visual and written snapshots. For Rob, being a circus performer is not a career, but a way of life. Confident that he would find a European circus clown to apprentice under to learn the art of clowning, Rob headed off on his adventure. At the start, he snags a Canadian friend to join him in his quest. His friend had no idea that performing as clowns in a circus was "the plan" until they both stumbled upon such an opportunity in the English countryside, where John became known as Canadia, and Rob, as Tex. Comical scenes, both written and sketched in black pen, fill most of the story that spans decades. This clown eventually grows into a graceful and proficient mime with mentors like Marcel Marceau and Charlie Chaplin. But Rob was talented and adaptable enough to change back to a clown when the camaraderie, outdoors, and wafting food aromas called him back to the open road and the big top. Surprisingly, he did not know where his next meal would come from or where he would even lay his head, which was usually in a caravan with mules or an elephant as roommates. Rob's circus days spanned countries from Denmark to Russia and venues from a TV show to little big tops in Vermont villages. Rob eventually realized his dream of not just running away to join a circus but running an award-winning international circus.

Have you ever wanted to run away to join the circus? I have. However, you need not share this dream to enjoy reading the insights and experiences of Rob Mermin as he records them in Circle of Sawdust. Luckily for us, Rob not only lets us peek under the tent flap but also to see into the souls of these sometimes-mysterious people. I loved the personal history stories. But my favorite thing about Circle of Sawdust is the great writing. Rob is not just a class act, but perhaps one of the best storytellers I've ever read. Reading his honest feelings on the pages was both informative and intriguing. Something else that endeared the storyteller to me was his connection with animals. Occasionally, difficult mules were part of his act, but a special dog named Rufus later became Rob’s sidekick. A circle of sawdust is what is left after a circus has moved on to the next town. For me, the remaining sawdust is in the shape of a heart.