The Circus of the Earth and the Air

While on vacation on a small island off the coast of North Carolina, Alex and Iris Barton feel as if they are in a pleasant dream when they stumble across an odd circus. But the dream turns into a nightmare in this flawed but promising first novel when a conjurer makes Iris disappear. Alex's search for her takes him on a strange journey that leads to a small Mississippi church, an island devoted to the circus stage and into the darkness of his childhood. Along the way, he gets help from a cast of characters straight out of Wonderland: a contortionist, a sheriff of Indian descent, even the conjurer who caused him so much trouble. Many of the nightmarish situations the author employs to advance the plot are cliched and not particularly surprising. However, his writing is, for the most part, adequately lucid; he describes circus life vividly (having once worked for Ringling Bros.) and understands how its mystique operates in the American subconscious. Old, grainy photos of various circus performers scattered throughout the text enhance its slightly surreal mood. (Jan.)