SuitabookBelonging among outsiders
Ray joins a travelling medicine show and feels at home among performers described as strange, while their unusual talents become part of the adventure.
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Book details
John Claude Bemis - Author
A myth-rich adventure about an orphaned boy finding allies among travelling performers while uncovering links between his father, legendary heroes and an ancient threat. Expect historical atmosphere, supernatural elements and rising suspense.
What if John Henry had a son?Twelve-year-old Ray is haunted by the strangest memories of his father, whom Ray swears could speak to animals. Now an orphan, Ray jumps from a train going through the American South and falls in with a medicine show train and its stable of sideshow performers. The performers turn out to be heroes, defenders of the wild, including the son of John Henry. They are hiding the last of the mythical Swamp Sirens from an ancient evil known as the Gog. Why the Gog wants the Siren, they can't be sure, but they know it has something to do with rebuilding a monstrous machine that John Henry gave his life destroying years before, a machine that will allow the Gog to control the will of men and spread darkness throughout the world.From the Hardcover edition.
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Sign in for personalised guidanceA myth-rich adventure about an orphaned boy finding allies among travelling performers while uncovering links between his father, legendary heroes and an ancient threat. Expect historical atmosphere, supernatural elements and rising suspense.
Ray joins a travelling medicine show and feels at home among performers described as strange, while their unusual talents become part of the adventure.
Ray leaves the orphan train after deciding that his younger sister may have a better chance of adoption without him, while memories of his father remain important.
An ancient evil seeks to rebuild a machine that would control people’s wills and spread darkness; the performers defend the mythical Swamp Sirens.
The opening may require patience: several characters and their connections are introduced before the pace quickens. The story also involves orphaning, separation from family, a feared parental loss and a force seeking control.
This is a grounded book brief while Suitabook strengthens the analysis: the book’s treatment of its main themes is not yet firm enough; some draft conclusions still depend on unresolved evidence.
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