![]() Though the historical details about the fair's construction 's the love story of a certain ventriloquist named Ferret Skerritt and an actress named Cecily that captivates, most especially when a wealthy rival to Ferret threatens to separate the two. Set during the 1898 Omaha World's Fair, this novel recreates the few months that Nebraska served as an international capital, complete with lavish temporary palaces and a cast of cynical hucksters, pickpockets and performers who earn their living on the midway. Schaffert’s characters come across as so vivid that I found myself wishing, almost to the point of believing, that Ferret Skerritt were real, if for no other reason than to prove that magic was at one time genuine. a believable, touching and occasionally maddening tale of love, loss, and life afterward. And if you’re like me, Timothy Schaffert’s The Swan Gondola may just be the perfect book for you. But throughout, Schaffert proves he knows how to find the quiet heart of a scene, of which none are better than the tender moments between August and Ferret, full of the love of friendship and the pain of one-sided romance. The Swan Gondola is loud and colorful and larger-than-life. It’s an entertaining and thoroughly researched book, particularly suitable for Americana buffs who want a taste of life in a western frontier town struggling to become a modern city at the turn of the century. Frank Baum’s classic, yet veers off on its own path of magic and deception. ![]() But it’s also the loose construct of Timothy Schaffert’s new novel, The Swan Gondola, which pays tribute to the L. The jaunty Victorian temperament of the prose rings true to the era, as do its thoroughness and attention to detail.Ī ventriloquist in a hot air balloon lifts off from Omaha, Neb., crashes in a strange land, and presides over an emerald cathedral. As a prose stylist, Schaffert leans toward the extravagant without crossing the line into purple. Beneath the intrigue, mystery and historical window dressings of The Swan Gondola beats the heart of a complicated love story. Ighly atmospheric entertainment, full of plot twists, historical flavor and paranormal romance. ( From the publisher.)Ģ005 - The Singing and Dancing Daughters of GodĢ002 - The Phantom Limbs of the Rollow Sisters Schaffert teaches creative writing and literature at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He is the author of four previous critically acclaimed novels, which have been among Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selections, Indie Next Picks, and New York Times Editor’s Choices. Timothy Schaffert grew up on a farm in Nebraska and now lives in Omaha. ![]()
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