by M. O. Walsh
First published 2010
The residents of Fluker, Louisiana know their town for one thing: crickets. Nothing else happens in this forgotten corner of the South until a traveling carnival rolls into town. The carnival operators promise spectacle and wonder, but their venture collapses quickly. Instead of packing up and moving on, the carnival people stay put. Their broken rides and faded tents become permanent fixtures. The townspeople must navigate this strange new reality as outsiders settle into their community. Old routines crumble while new relationships form between locals and the stranded performers. The carnival's failure becomes something unexpected: a chance for both groups to discover what home really means when everything familiar gets turned upside down.
Genres: fiction, contemporary, magical-realism
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Fluker, Louisiana, South
Period: 21st-century
160 pages · Paperback · Livingston Press