Book Review: Heart of Deception by M. L. Malcolm

Heart of Deception by M.L. Malcolm
Book 2 in Heart of Lies series
AKA. Deceptive Intentions

ARC, Paperback, 352 pages

Harper Paperbacks

April 5, 2011

★★★★★

Genre: Historical Fiction

Source: Received for review from publicist

“Leo Hoffman is a man of many contradictions. He is a Hungarian national with a French passport, a wealthy businessman with no visible means of support, and a devoted father who hasn’t seen his daughter in years. He is also a spy. 

Recruited by the Allies to help lay the groundwork for their invasion of North Africa, Leo intends to do as little spying as possible; he just wants to earn his American citizenship, get to New York, and find his daughter, Maddy. But while Leo dodges death in France and Morocco, Maddy learns the truth behind her father’s mysterious past, and as she matures, this haunting knowledge compels Maddy down her own dangerous path of deception and discovery. 

Spanning the years from World War II to the turbulent 1960s, this sequel to Heart of Lies tells the riveting story of a family struggling with the choices that war forces them to make, and the consequences that take a generation to unfold.”

M.L. Malcolm really knows how to suck you in and keep you wanting to read more. Just check out the way this book opens:

“If the city of Tangier had been a woman, she would have been a whore, and a wealthy one. Brazenly straddling the northwest tip of Africa, she brushed one of her sultry thighs up against the undulating waves of the turquoise Mediterranean Sea; the other unfolded west, perpetually teasing the unquenchable desire of the gray Atlantic Ocean” (Malcolm 3)

Talk about scandalous, huh?! The novel isn’t written entirely in this fashion, but Malcolm creates descriptions that allow the reader to vividly imagine the story that is being told. The plot is also very fast paced where words are not taken for granted and each passage is important to the story.

If you have read Heart of Lies, Malcolm’s previous release, you will notice that this story is more of Maddy’s story than the previous novel was. We still see some of Leo’s life as a spy, but really this is more of Maddy’s coming of age story. As much as I enjoyed reading the very believable evolution and problems that Maddy faces, I still missed Leo’s story. We get tiny snippets of his spy missions, but I want more! I found this story to be slightly less exciting than Heart of Lies but I think this was mostly because the bulk of the story takes place in America in the mid 1900’s, whereas Heart of Lies has more exotic locales and cultures that I had not read about before.

This was a great read with twists and turns that will keep you pouring over the pages until the very end. I am wondering if there will be a third novel because the ending certainly leaves the option open and I would love to see more of Maddy and Leo.

If you would like to preview the story before reading it, why not try out this excerpt of the book?

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

• Man of La Book
• Reading Through Life

Buy the Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | RJ Julia

Also by M. L. Malcolm

Heart of Lies (Heart of Lies #1)
[My Review]

The Cuban Connection

Find M.L. Malcolm: Website | Facebook | Twitter




Copyright © 2011 by The Maiden’s Court

Interview with M.L. Malcolm

Today I have the great pleasure to welcome M.L. Malcolm to The Maiden's Court.  M.L. is the author of Heart of Lies and the newly released Heart of Deception.  I loved both and my review of Heart of Deception will be posted tomorrow, so stay tuned.  Let's welcome M.L. and learn the answers to some of my most pressing questions.

You stated previously in a guest post on this blog that some of the events in Heart of Lies were inspired by events that your family members had experienced. Did any of the events in Heart of Deception stem from anything your family experienced?

I was actually estranged from my own father for many years, although under very different circumstances, and my experience did not cause me to make the same kind of choices Maddy makes; but I suppose on an emotional level writing about some of what Maddy deals with provided me with a way of processing my own loss. There are also some personalities in our respective families (mine and my husband’s) that I drew upon. In particular the character of Bernice was inspired by my husband’s maternal grandmother, Edith Gulton, who earned a PhD in chemical engineering in 1922 and was a true partner in the business she and her husband built. Edith was brilliant but not terribly warm, a female “Dr. Spock,” (the Star Trek variety), at least until you got to know her very, very well. And her niece really was a piano prodigy.

The story told in Heart of Deception is mostly Maddie’s story – what led you to tell more of her story this time as opposed to Leo’s story?

I first conceptualized the story as a multi-generational saga, so I knew from the beginning that the focus was going to shift from Leo and Martha to Maddy, although in the very first draft of the book Leo was the character who died in Shanghai. My mother and sister, who were reading chapters hot off the press back then, both called me and said, “YOU KILLED THE WRONG PERSON.” Which is a little off-putting. I mean, it’s my book, I can kill whoever I want to, right? But then I realized that they had a point—Leo is more complex. In Heart of Lies Leo has to make some difficult choices in order to survive, and the second book, Heart of Deception becomes an exploration of the law of unintended consequences, especially with regard to how his choices affected his daughter’s life. However I was very pleased that, according to the reviews, I succeeded in making Heart of Deception a “stand alone” sequel, because I didn’t want readers to feel as if they can’t read it without reading Heart of Lies first.

The story in this book spans a decent amount of time, many different locales as well as following two characters very different lives. How do you keep yourself organized while writing and did you work out the two storylines first and then bring them together or did you write them simultaneously?

I did two enormous timelines, one for Leo and one for Maddy, wrote them simultaneously, and then occasionally adjusted things to be able to incorporate the historical events I wanted to write about. For example, I knew that Maddy was going get involved with someone dangerous, because I saw her as unconsciously mirroring her father’s life. Without giving away too much, the federal investigations that I talk about in the book occurred in 1962-1963, so that’s when Leo had to come home. Similarly, Leo is recruited to work as a spy in 1939. The American O.S.S. wasn’t operating in Europe until 1942, but President Roosevelt sent the diplomat, Robert Murphy, to North Africa in 1940 to keep tabs on what was happening there. Murphy recruited twelve men—nicknamed “the Apostles”—who were allegedly vice-consuls monitoring compliance with foreign trade agreements, but who were in fact serving as gatherers of intelligence for the U.S. and its allies. So I knew that’s where Leo needed to end up as well, and anything going on in Maddy’s life would have to fit into that timeframe.

Is there any chance that we will see a third book in this saga or are Maddy’s and Leo’s stories all wrapped up?

Never say never! I’d like to think that Leo has earned a happy retirement, but when the story closes Maddy is not yet thirty-five, so who knows? And aren’t you curious about whether or not she and that cute prosecutor finally get together? I am. Then there’s her daughter, Martha Anne….

Can you give us any hints of what you are working on currently?

I am writing the third book in this series, although it’s not a sequel, it’s a spinoff, like “Rhoda” or “Frasier.” Katherine O’Connor, one of my favorite characters and Maddy’s best friend, is getting her own book. She does become a foreign correspondent, and her book is very different; all the action takes place in less than three years, and much of it is written in first person. It’s set in Cuba in the early 1960s, and I have been having a blast with the research, although I have yet to get to Cuba!

M.L. has won several awards for her fiction, including special recognition in the prestigious Lorian Hemingway International Short Story Competition, and a silver medal from ForeWord Magazine for Best Historical Fiction Book of the Year 2009.

M.L. has lived in New York, Florida, Boston, Atlanta, France, and Los Angeles. She currently resides in Washington, D.C.

You can find more about her books by checking out her website.





Copyright © 2011 by The Maiden’s Court

Suddenly Sunday - Happy Mother's Day!

Good morning everyone and Happy Mother's Day to any of you who happen to be mothers!  I'm going to keep this post brief - I have my parents coming up today for brunch so I have to get cracking on that, but I wanted to announce the winner of the Blood and Silk by Carol McKay giveaway.

The winner is...WENDY!!!  Congratulations!  I will be sending out an email for your mailing info later today or tomorrow.

Don't forget - the Circus Disaster Week 2 book giveaway (for a copy of The Circus Fire by Stewart O'Nan and Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen) ends this coming Saturday May 14th - so get your entries in!

Otherwise, hope to see you around the blog this week!

Suddenly Sunday is hosted by Svea at Confessions and Ramblings of a Muse in the Fog.



Copyright © 2011 by The Maiden’s Court

Movie Review: Mad Love

Mad Love

Canal+ España

115 mins.

August 30, 2002 (USA)

Rated: R

Mad Love is a Spanish foreign film on the life of Juana of Castille – or Juana La Loca. I watched this film last year and wrote a mini review for a challenge, but I wanted to expand upon that for a full review of the film. Just a heads up, the film is in Spanish but there are English subtitles. I had wanted to see this film for a long time, but the fact that I would have to really pay attention and read the subtitles had me pushing it off for awhile.

I had some knowledge of Juana before watching this film but this was a story that intrigued me to want to learn more. I still haven’t had the chance to read The Last Queen by C. W. Gortner, but after watching this film it has made me want to all the more. The film follows Juana from just before her marriage to Felipe to after his death.

The actress who portrayed Juana, Pilar Lopez de Ayala, did a fabulous job at being totally in love with Felipe and acting out in jealous, "crazy" rages. I felt for her as she did everything she could to keep the man she was totally in love with all to herself, when even the court was pushing for her to be put aside. The best scene is when she encounters Felipe’s mistress – great acting! I can absolutely see why she has won several awards for this role, including the Goya Award for Best Actress (equivalent to Academy Awards in Spain). Daniele Liotti plays Felipe very well as a very crafty individual who is used to getting what he wants. The set design and costumes are gorgeous!

The plot of this film does make Juana out to be crazy, but it certainly sets up the scenarios that send her off the deep end. It gives reasons for her jealousy and expands upon her exhaustive need for her husband. It doesn’t just pursue the story that she was crazy, period.

This film had such a deep and emotional story that it was so easy to get sucked into the film. I can’t believe that I waited so long to see it – I couldn’t pull myself away from the story. It is certainly something that I would watch again. Many people are hesitant to see this film because they have a preconceived notion that Spanish film are “soap-opera” like – do not hesitate, this film is nothing like that. This film receives my highest recommendation.

Check out this trailer:

Copyright © 2011 by The Maiden’s Court

New Historical Movie Alert - The Conspirator

I don't know if any of you have heard of this movie of not, I haven't seen any previews for it but I did see the movie poster up when I went to see Water for Elephants.  The Conspirator was released April 15, 2011, so you should still be able to catch it in theatres for a little while.  Here is some background info.

The Conspirator is the first film from The American Film Company.  According to their website, their mission is: "founded on the belief that real life is often more compelling than fiction, The American Film Company produces feature films about incredible, true stories from America's past. Central to the company's filmmaking will be prominent historians, assuring that each production remains true to the history from which it is drawn."

Isn't this exactly what we are always saying we want to see?!  Reality is sometimes so much more interesting than the drama filmmakers try to create?

As I said, The Conspirator is their first film, here is the movie description:

"In the wake of Abraham Lincoln's assassination, seven men and one woman are arrested and charged with conspiring to kill the President, the Vice-President, and the Secretary of State. The lone woman charged, Mary Surratt, 42, owns a boarding house where John Wilkes Booth and others met and planned the simultaneous attacks.

Against the ominous back-drop of post-Civil War Washington, newly-minted lawyer, Frederick Aiken, a 28-year-old Union war-hero, reluctantly agrees to defend Surratt before a military tribunal. As the trial unfolds, Aiken realizes his client may be innocent and that she is being used as bait and hostage in order to capture the only conspirator to have escaped a massive manhunt, her own son.

A suspenseful thriller with action throughout, The Conspirator tells the true story of a woman who would do anything to protect her family and the man who risked everything to save her."

There are also pretty well known actors in this film: Robin Wright, Alexis Bledel, James McAvoy, Evan Rachel Wood and Justin Long among others.  I am going to try to get to see this film - hopefully.  It sounds very interesting.  I also thought it was pretty cool that the premiere was held in Washington D.C. at the Ford Theatre (how appropriate!).

Here is the trailer for The Conspirator:

You can also visit The Conspirator website for additional information about the film and where it is playing.  The American Film Company has two other films in development right now - The Arsenal (about John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry) and Midnight Riders (about Paul Revere's ride).

Copyright © 2011 by The Maiden’s Court

Book Review: Mistress of Rome by Kate Quinn

Mistress of Rome by Kate Quinn
Book 1 of The Empress of Rome series

Paperback, 480 pages

Berkley Trade

April 6, 2010

★★★★★

Genre: Historical Fiction

Source: Won in a giveaway at Historically Obsessed in 2010

“An exciting debut: a vivid, richly imagined saga of ancient Rome from a masterful new voice in historical fiction

Thea is a slave girl from Judaea, passionate, musical, and guarded. Purchased as a toy for the spiteful heiress Lepida Pollia, Thea will become her mistress's rival for the love of Arius the Barbarian, Rome's newest and most savage gladiator. His love brings Thea the first happiness of her life-that is quickly ended when a jealous Lepida tears them apart.

As Lepida goes on to wreak havoc in the life of a new husband and his family, Thea remakes herself as a polished singer for Rome's aristocrats. Unwittingly, she attracts another admirer in the charismatic Emperor of Rome. But Domitian's games have a darker side, and Thea finds herself fighting for both soul and sanity. Many have tried to destroy the Emperor: a vengeful gladiator, an upright senator, a tormented soldier, a Vestal Virgin. But in the end, the life of the brilliant and paranoid Domitian lies in the hands of one woman: the Emperor's mistress.”

I was so excited to get the chance to read this book – I have always enjoyed learning about the Ancient Romans but have only read one book previously about them (Cleopatra’s Daughter by Michelle Moran). This story felt as much about Roman life as it was about the gladiatorial games. These games were at the very heart of Roman life (for the patricians as well as the plebeians) and it was great to see this so well integrated into the story. Many of the major events in the novel took place at the games and one of the main characters was himself a gladiator. It was interesting to see the different types of fights that would take place and the different weapons that they would use – I didn’t know too much about these games coming into this book (I’m pretty sure that I fell asleep during Gladiator as well!).

Beyond the games, it is very evident that the author spent much time researching Roman life in general for this book. Descriptions of clothing and architecture are explained in a very detailed manner – I could absolutely envision what they were wearing in every scene. Food descriptions were fantastic – not that I exactly knew what some of these things were, but I could see the spread well enough. The world of Rome just blossomed in my mind and came to life in vivid details.

The characters were so well crafted. All of the characters have flaws and you can really believe that these were real people – no one is truly bad or good (even the awful Emperor Domitian has some redeeming qualities!). My favorite character was Arius the Barbarian (the gladiator) – he was such a complex character, even though in the beginning you just think he is going to be a careless brute and a drunk. Some of my favorite character interactions were between Lepida Pollia and Thea. They encounter each other at various times throughout their lives and it is interesting to see who gets the upper hand each time and how they are just constant thorns in each other’s sides. The Emperor is crazy scary – I will leave it at that.

The ending of the book leaves me thinking that there will be a sequel to Mistress of Rome – there are still more stories to tell and I can’t wait to read it!

If you would like to preview the story before reading it, why not try out this excerpt of the book?  You won't be disappointed.

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

• Respiring Thoughts
• Reading to the Stars and Back

Buy the Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | RJ Julia 

Also by Kate Quinn

Daughters of Rome (The Empress of Rome #2)
[My Review]

Empress of the Seven Hills (The Empress of Rome #3)

The Three Fates (The Empress of Rome #3.5)

Lady of the Eternal City (The Empress of Rome #4)
[My Review]

The Serpent and the Pearl (The Borgias #1)
[My Review]

The Lion and the Rose (The Borgias #2)

The Alice Network

A Song of War (Short Story Collaboration)
[My Review]

A Day of Fire (Short Story Collaboration)
[My Review]

A Year of Ravens (Short Story Collaboration)
[My Review]

Find Kate Quinn: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

 
Copyright © 2011 by The Maiden’s Court

New Book Alert - Becoming Marie Antoinette by Juliet Grey

It has been quite awhile since I have done a new book alert feature - mostly because I have just been posting so many other things and many other blogs do a great job of posting upcoming releases.  But this one caught my eye (the cover is beautiful) and I hadn't seen it around too much, so I thought I would share it with you all.

Becoming Marie Antoinette by Juliet Grey

Trade Paperback, 480 pages

Random House

ISBN: 978-0-345-52386-0

August 9, 2011

Book blurb:

This enthralling confection of a novel, the first in a new trilogy, follows the transformation of a coddled Austrian archduchess into the reckless, powerful, beautiful queen Marie Antoinette.

Why must it be me? I wondered. When I am so clearly inadequate to my destiny?

Raised alongside her numerous brothers and sisters by the formidable empress of Austria, ten-year-old Maria Antonia knew that her idyllic existence would one day be sacrificed to her mother’s political ambitions. What she never anticipated was that the day in question would come so soon.

Before she can journey from sunlit picnics with her sisters in Vienna to the glitter, glamour, and gossip of Versailles, Antonia must change everything about herself in order to be accepted as dauphine of France and the wife of the awkward teenage boy who will one day be Louis XVI. Yet nothing can prepare her for the ingenuity and influence it will take to become queen.
Filled with smart history, treacherous rivalries, lavish clothes, and sparkling jewels, Becoming Marie Antoinette will utterly captivate fiction and history lovers alike.

Can't wait to check out this book! Isn't the cover gorgeous?

Copyright © 2011 by The Maiden’s Court

Suddenly Sunday - Weekly Wrap-up

Good morning everyone!  It is such a beautiful day here - I hope you all are having some sunshine too after this week of crazy weather across the country.  If any of you were victims of the severe weather and tornadoes my thoughts and prayers are with you.  

So this post is mostly going to be a wrap up post for me for several things that have been going on here this week.

I took part in my first read-a-thon this week - the Spring Serenity Read-A-Thon hosted by Michelle at The True Book Addict.  This was a great way to ease into read-a-thons because it was very laid back and do it at your own pace.  I managed to finish the book I had in progress yesterday morning - Mistress of Rome by Kate Quinn.  The review will be posted later this week.  I made some significant progress through my audiobook -  New York by Edward Rutherfurd - and will probably get through a little more today at the gym, but I won't be finishing it like I thought I might.  I had planned on starting Daughters of Rome by Kate Quinn when I finished her first book, but I decided to take a quick dive into Mermaid by Carolyn Turgeon instead.  This should only take a day or two because it is so short.  Overall this read-a-thon was great - I just wished I had more time to devote to it this week.

I also have several winners to announce from the two giveaways that wrapped up this weekend.  There were two winners picked for the Georgette Heyer mystery giveaway sponsored by Sourcebooks.  Those winners are... Library Pat and Tiffany Button!  The winner that was selected for the Daughters of Rome by Kate Quinn giveaway is...Bella!  Congratulations to all and I will be sending out emails for your mailing information today.

This was also a jam-packed week of Circus Disasters.  I wanted to take the time here to recap the posts in case you missed any of them.  I kicked off the week with a review of The Circus Fire by Stewart O'Nan which chronicles the events of the Hartford Circus Fire.  There is a post on some of the most famous Circus Disasters in US History - there has been a lot of discussion about the hanged elephant Mary.  There was an Audio/Visual Experience of The Hartford Circus Fire - I loved the Charles Nelson Reilly video.  I went to see Water for Elephants last weekend and posted a review of the movie - LOVED IT!  There is also an ongoing grand giveaway of a copy of the new Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen as well as a copy of The Circus Fire by Stewart O'Nan - giveaway ends May 14th.  This is open world-wide to anywhere that The Book Depository will ship.  Hope you enjoyed this week as much as I did!

I also have another giveaway running for Blood and Silk by Carol McKay - ends May 6th.

Last night I posted a late review of the American Experience episode, Stonewall Uprising.  The episode aired last week but I didn't have a chance to get the review up.  Hope you will check it out.

Suddenly Sunday is hosted by Svea at The Confessions and Ramblings of a Muse in the Fog.




Copyright © 2011 by The Maiden’s Court

TV Show Review: Stonewall Uprising

Stonewall Uprising

American Experience Series

WGBH (PBS)

90 Mins

April 25, 2011

“In the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn, a popular gay bar in the Greenwich Village section of New York City. Such raids were not unusual in the late 1960s, an era when homosexual sex was illegal in every state but Illinois. That night, however, the street erupted into violent protests and demonstrations that lasted for the next six days. The Stonewall riots, as they came to be known, marked a major turning point in the modern gay civil rights movement in the United States and around the world.”

The Civil Rights Movement is something that I am sure most children are taught about in history classes, but the Gay Rights Movement is a struggle for equality that is glossed over if covered at all. In their newest episode in the American Experience series, Stonewall Uprising, they take on one of the pivotal events in this movement – something I had never heard of prior to this show. In the episode, this major event is described as “the Rosa Parks moment for the gay”.

The first thing that you will notice about this episode is the disclaimer at the beginning of the episode stating that very few images exist of this event and that what you will see is mostly recreated. I appreciated this statement and wish that they included it more often – it would help people keep the historic from the fictional. In order to get into the mindset of the time, this episode began by explaining the way society at the time viewed the gay community. Here they emphasized their point by showing various segments and commercials from the 1950’s and 60’s that were anti-homosexual. One of the segments that was featured was called Boys Beware and was a type of public service announcement. I included the segment below to help you get an idea of what they were showing. While watching I kept being shocked that people would actually believe what was being said in these segments – it just seemed so surreal to me.

They also had people talking about what it was like to be gay during that time and the opposition that they constantly came up against. They also went into some detail as to why the Stonewall Inn was such an important/iconic place for that community.

The riot itself was described by several people who were involved in some way – you had a former cop who had been inside the Stonewall Inn during the riot, as well as several people from the gay community who were inside the inn as well as those in the mass group outside. This allowed the viewer to get a well rounded idea of what was happening within and around the Stonewall.

This episode was handled with dignity for those who were featured in the episode. I thought that they did a very good job of highlighting an important event in another rights movement that is less frequently discussed. I learned quite a bit and would encourage you to watch this episode as well.

Here is a trailer of this show below and if you want to watch the entire episode online you can go to this link [http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/stonewall/player/]

Watch the full episode. See more American Experience.

Copyright © 2011 by The Maiden’s Court

Circus Disaster Week Grand Giveaway!

Copyright © 2011 by The Maiden’s Court

Movie Review: Water for Elephants

Water for Elephants

20th Century Fox

122 mins.

April 22, 2011

Rated: PG-13

Based on Sara Gruen’s best-selling novel of the same name, Water for Elephants is a beautiful film of a fated depression era circus and the people that live its life day to day. Despite all of the great coverage I have seen for this movie throughout the last year I was still slightly concerned that it wouldn’t live up to how much I loved the book. I tend to find that movies are sometimes a letdown in that manner and sometimes I get too hyped up and then am disappointed. I honestly think that this was the best book-to-movie adaptation that I have ever seen!

The look of this film was so gorgeous! The circus, train cars, and costumes were spot on for the time period – they were gritty, patched up, used, Depression era. Everything was filmed in such a way that every scene took in the beauty and fantasy of the time.

The casting was supurb – I don’t think I could put it any other way. Rob Pattinson (as Jacob) and Reese Witherspoon (as Marlena) were great, but for me the best characters for me were Christoph Waltz (as August) and Hal Holbrook (as old Jacob). Waltz was awesome scary! By combining the characters of Uncle Al and August into the more complex character of August, Waltz had more evil and twisted to work with, but when there were times for compassion and sincerity, Waltz hit those marks too. If the scenes from the nursing home with old Jacob were included in the film, Holbrook would have stolen the show. He was funny and sarcastic and just awesome. As it was, the scenes he was in, he was phenomenal. And of course there was Tai who played Rosie the elephant. She was so comical and well trained – it was just beautiful!

The plot of the film followed very closely to the novel. There were of course bits and pieces left out, but overall I didn’t really notice anything missing. The movie totally evoked the feeling of the book and gave so much that you didn’t notice what wasn’t there. The characters of August and Uncle Al were merged so well that you really didn’t feel the need for two characters. I did miss the scenes in the nursing home with old Jacob, but the story was told fine without them. The only scene that I think I preferred from the book over the movie is the major climatic scene. It was still very well done in the movie but the book gave a more ambiguous, intense, drama. I was worried about the abuse scenes between August and Rosie and how they would play out on camera. The minor stuff was on camera and the major event was entirely off camera, but you certainly felt everything that you were meant to – I remember people in the audience gasping.

You could tell that this film was handled with love from the cast and crew. I absolutely enjoyed this film and will certainly be picking it up when it comes out on dvd release. I would recommend you to go see it!

There were two trailers released, so I thought I would post both of them here!

Trailer 1

Trailer 2

Copyright © 2011 by The Maiden’s Court

The Hartford Circus Fire - An Audio/Visual Experience

The Hartford Circus fire is the last major circus disaster to happen in the United States. There isn’t much footage of the fire, or too many photos for that matter, because circus personnel smashed cameras during fire aftermath hoping to stop the images from getting publicized. Below I am going to post several videos for you to peruse through that all pertain to the Hartford fire in many different ways.

First up is some actual footage from the fire’s aftermath. There is no sound in this one but you can get a good idea of the extent of the destruction (there are no gruesome images).

Some of you may know who Charles Nelson Reilly was. He was an actor (he passed away a few years ago), but he grew up in Hartford and attended the fire on that fateful day. During one of his comedy tours, The Life of Reilly, he did a segment talking about the events that day – it made me laugh and made me sad too. Here is that segment.

The below video footage is quite possibly the news footage that first brought my attention to the Hartford Circus Fire. This was from 2004 when the 60th anniversary of this tragedy was being marked and the ground was being broken for the memorial.

In 2005 the memorial for the Hartford Circus Fire victims was dedicated. It is located on the exact spot where the big top was located. The trees around the memorial mark the exits to the tent and the main monument is located where the main tent pole was situated. I haven’t had the chance yet to make it there, but it is in my plans for this year – I only work like 5 miles from the site. The below video is a walkthrough of the memorial site.

The final clip isn’t a video, but a radio interview. It is with a survivor of the fire and includes some of the old radio broadcasts about the circus. I think it is always most poignant to hear from those who lived through an event.

Hope these A/V clips helped to give a more well rounded view of this particular event in circus history.




Copyright © 2011 by The Maiden’s Court

Circus Disasters Throughout History in the US

There have been quite a few disasters in the history of the circus in the United States. Here I want to highlight a few of the most noteworthy and a few that are more obscure. There are many other disasters that have happened but I chose only a few of those that were the most disastrous (involving loss of life to animal or human but I won’t go into all the gory details).

Introduced in chronological order:

1916 – “The Day they Hanged an Elephant” – Erwin, TN

All the credit for finding out about this one goes to Librarypat as I had not come across this incident in my research. This event happened to the Sparks Brothers Circus – a small circus that was touring the southern US. A drifter, Red Eldridge, was hired by the circus that day to be an elephant handler (he had no prior experience of any kind, but apparently that didn’t matter). Claims as to what exactly happened on the evening of September 12, 1916 are confusing at best, but in some way while leading the elephant, Mary, down to get a drink from a pond, Eldridge ended up with his head smashed in by the elephant. Of course people were outraged and called for something to be done. Mr. Sparks decided that a public hanging of the offending Mary was necessary so that he would be able to carry on with his show. Over 2,000 people showed up. Mary was hanged by a railroad crane (twice actually because the first chain broke). This is one of the most prominent cases of animal cruelty in the circus. To read more about this incident, or to see the image which I won’t post here, you can visit the Blue Ridge Country website.

1918 – “Great Circus Train Wreck of 1918” – Hammond, IN

This circus disaster happened to the Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus – it toured the country and was the second largest circus, right behind Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey. In the very early hours of June 22, 1918 the train carrying the cars of the Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus had pulled over to the rail side waiting for a track switch. Problem One: the Hagenbeck-Wallace train had not pulled completely off of the main track, leaving a few of its cars still on the track. Problem Two: the military troop train that was following behind the circus train did not see that the train was still on the tracks because the engineer had fallen asleep at the controls. The two trains collided – right into the sleeping cars of the performers. The circus train was quickly engulfed in flames – due to the kerosene lanterns used to light the cars. 86 performers were killed and another 127 were injured. In a great show of circus camaraderie – other competing circuses donated equipment and performers so that the show would go on, only missing their immediate next two engagements. You can read more about this disaster on the Hammond, Indiana website.

1942 – “Circus Animals Perish in Costly Fire” – Cleveland, OH

This is the first of two circus disasters that we will look at that happened to Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. Occurring just 2 years before the Hartford Circus Fire this incident is looked upon as a great foreshadowing of events to come. The source of the fire is not known, but a fire started near the menagerie tent. All spectators were able to get out and circus workers fought against the flames to save as many of the caged animals as possible before it was too late. Even with all of the efforts approximately 100 animals died during this quick moving fire – the camels, zebras, and elephant groups taking the most damage. As you can imagine there was chaos – mostly from the animals that were unable to get to safety or just were so spooked that they would not cooperate with the handlers that were trying to save them. At least 26 animals had to be put down by police with machine guns because their injuries and burns were too extreme to be saved. Some of these very same animals would go on to survive the Hartford Circus Fire. You can read more about this disaster at the GenDisasters website.

1944 – “The Day the Clowns Cried” – Hartford, CT

This is the worst circus disaster in the history of the circus in the US – and the only one I know of where there was a loss of spectator life. As we have seen above there were losses to performers and circus animals, but during this one, not one single animal or performer was lost. This disaster happened to the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey circus on July 6, 1944. During the matinee show a fire broke out along the side wall of the tent and within just a couple minutes had spread to the top of the big top. The aerialists were up on the high wire, the two circus performers with their cages of big cats had just finished their performances and were trying to get the cats out of the ring, and the band reacted and began to play the disaster march, Stars and Stripes Forever. Spectators panicked and fled for the only exit they knew of, others were too shocked to move. The whole tent burned to the ground in approximately 10 minutes. 168 spectators died – mostly women and children since it was a weekday matinee, over 700 people were treated for some sort of crush injury or burn. You can read more about this disaster at Circus Fire 1944. This website has lots of links to photos, videos, and additional historical content.


I thoroughly recommend the books below for additional reading about various circus disasters:

** The Circus Fire by Stewart O’Nan ** (I don't think I can recommend this book enough!)

A Matter of Degree by Don Massey and Rick Davey

Cleveland’s Greatest Disasters by John Stark Bellamy II

Worlds Afire by Paul Janeczko (YA)





Copyright © 2011 by The Maiden’s Court

Spring's Serenity Read-A-Thon

Ok, so I am participating in my first read-a-thon!  Way to go me!  Although, it will be only to a small degree, but participating none the less.  I have a super busy work week but I am hoping to finish the book I am reading (which, let's all give a cheer, is actually a personally owned book and not a review copy!!!) Mistress of Rome by Kate Quinn.  I am about halfway through it right now, so I think I should be able to finish it this week.  If I do accomplish that, I think I will start on Daughters of Rome also by Kate Quinn.  I'm also continuing the seemingly never-ending audiobook New York by Edward Rutherfurd - I should be finishing that up by the very end of the week.

You can find out more information about the Spring's Serenity Read-A-Thon (or sign up!) by visiting Michelle at The True Book Addict.  It will go all week, from April 25th to May 1st and there will be a couple mini-challenges and giveaways.  Go check it out.

*Updates*


Mini Challenge 1 "Pg 69 Challenge"- Hosted by My Book Retreat
My current read is Mistress of Rome by Kate Quinn. Page 69 is essentially about the central gladiator character drowning himself in wine after a great battle and the main slave girl character coming in to deliver a message to him. I think this works well with what I have read so far because these types of scenes between the two characters seem to happen often and you get to see a little heart in the characters.

Mini Challenge 2 "Make a Short Paragraph" - Hosted by The True Book Addict
I was thinking, man, these books are never going to make a good sentence, and then - wow did it come together! Check this out!

"A hand. I opened my wrist with one firm stroke of the knife, watching with interest as the blood leaped out of the vein. So this was freedom."

Sentence 1 - Daughters of Rome by Kate Quinn.

Sentence 2 - Mistress of Rome by Kate Quinn.

Sentence 3 - New York by Edward Rutherfurd.

I'm pretty impressed!



Copyright © 2011 by The Maiden’s Court

Audiobook Review: The Circus Fire by Stewart O’Nan

The Circus Fire: A True Story of an American Tragedy

by Stewart O’Nan

Unabridged, 11 hr. 17 min.

Brilliance Audio

Dick Hill (Narrator)

November 25, 2004

★★★★★

Genre: Non-Fiction

Source: Downloaded the audio from my library

“The acclaimed author of A Prayer for the Dying brings all his narrative gifts to bear on this gripping account of tragedy and heroism-the great Hartford circus fire of 1944. 

Halfway through a midsummer afternoon performance, Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus's big top caught fire. The tent had been waterproofed with a mixture of paraffin and gasoline; in seconds it was burning out of control, and more than 8,000 people were trapped inside. Drawing on interviews with hundreds of survivors, O'Nan skillfully re-creates the horrific events and illuminates the psychological oddities of human behavior under stress: the mad scramble for the exits; the hero who tossed dozens of children to safety before being trampled to death.

Brilliantly constructed and exceptionally moving, The Circus Fire is history at its most compelling.”

Growing up in Connecticut I have been interested in the Hartford Circus Fire since I first found out about it. It was surprising to me that at the time I had first learned of this disaster there were no books published that were just about this incident. Stewart O’Nan, a well known novelist, took on the grueling task of writing this non-fiction account of the historic circus disaster and hit it out of the park!

The first thing that really catches the eye of the reader in this book is the forward by the author. He proceeds to explain exactly why he decided to write this book and what the story means to him. This instantly connected my experience to that of the author – being unable to find any books about this subject and living in the close vicinity of the disaster itself. It really helps the reader to understand how important it was for him to tell this story.

I also really liked the layout of the book. The author brings you through the history of previous circus disasters and uses this to really set the tone and in a way foreshadow the events that would take place in Hartford on June 6, 1944. It also opened a whole new world of historical information and events that I just had to go check out after. He then spends time really helping you get to know many of the people who would eventually become victims, survivors, and heroes of this tragic day. By spending time connecting the reader to these people their ultimate fate during the fire becomes important to you and makes you feel the event more than just reading some statistics. O’Nan then takes you through the events of the fire as seen from different perspectives and then moves into the aftermath at the hospitals, the morgue, police station, fairgrounds. He then continues the story up until the time the book was written following the mystery of Little Miss 1565. I really don’t think that the author missed any angles at which to look at this event – you get a completely well rounded view of the fire.

★★★★★

Reading this on audiobook ended up making this such a surreal experience for me. I work just a couple of miles from the site of this disaster and as I would be driving along to or from work it would happen that the narrator would be talking about sites that I was driving past (various hospitals, the armory, various streets) and it made it so easy to connect with the world of this book. And if I thought it was surreal seeing the places that I was hearing about, imagine my shock when my place of employment ended up in this book! I also seemed to have a physical reaction every time the narrator said the words “Stars and Stripes Forever” – I would just get a shiver. This certainly speaks to the power of the narrator. Dick Hill put a lot of emotion into the words he was reading and at times it felt like I was listening to a well written news account. I could see the world vividly in front of me. The only thing that I think would have made this audiobook better would have been if they could have included the song “Stars and Stripes Forever” – it would have completed the experience.

I whole-heartedly recommended this book or audiobook to all (I have both copies myself)!

You can listen to a sample of the audiobook below (links to Audible):

Reviews of this book by other bloggers: 

• Caroline Bookbinder
• Rick Librarian

Buy the Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | RJ Julia

Also by Stewart O’Nan

Stewart O’Nan has written several books, both non-fiction and novels, some of those include:

West of Sunset

The Good Wife

Songs for the Missing

Find Stewart O’Nan: Website | Facebook | Twitter

Copyright © 2011 by The Maiden’s Court