Girl Clown [Paperback]

Mary R. Wise (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 22, 2004

In the summer of 1976, Mary Flynn ran away from home and joined the circus. Follow her down the road as she learns a whole new life as a circus clown, makes friends with circus folks, learns to cope with life on the road, and falls in love along the way. Note: This novel is not a children's book; it contains strong language and adult situations.

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

This novel -- or fictional memoir -- is based on my experiences as a circus clown in the mid-1970s. While many events are real and many characters based on real people, the story itself is fiction and the characters come from my own imagination.

About the Author

Mary R. Wise is a graduate of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus Clown College, class of 1975. She worked as a circus clown from 1976 through 1978, when she left the show business for a steady paycheck and a reasonably normal life. She writes the online journal, Red Nose, and holds a position with a large financial institution in Washington, D.C. She lives in Burtonsville, Maryland, with her husband and son.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 243 pages
• Publisher: Lulu.com (March 22, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1411605233
• ISBN-13: 978-1411605237
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,838,960 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great story of what we've all dreamed!, January 17, 2008

By 

Rebekah Sue Harris (West Haven, CT USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Girl Clown (Paperback)

I think we've all dreamed of running away from home; many of us go a step further, and add the glamor of the big top to our fantasies. That's what makes GIRL CLOWN so good.

Wise tells a fictionalized version of her true story: when she was 24, she ran away from home to join the circus. Sort of.

Being a clown is more than wearing a red nose. Her descriptions of the work will make you groan; her descriptions of her days will make you laugh and, at least once, scream in indignation.

Never in a million years could I have endured a day in her life. Not that I didn't respect clowns before, but I've got a new-found respect for them now, let me tell you.

While this is Wise's first book, readers will discover her talent in writing because, within this tale, she weaves not only the above but the story of Al, the gruff cook with the heart of gold, and ... even ... a romance!

While I wish she'd delved more into the characters because they were so wonderful, I think the tale is beautifully told. (I also wished for a bit less sex 'n' drugs. 1970s or not, I'd purchased the book for MY MOM! and, despite my own presence, I prefer to believe that she has no knowledge of such things.) I read nonstop, breaking occasionally to doze after midnight, then picked up the book and get back to the story.

GIRL CLOWN is a "quick read" but the story stays with me.

My only questions for the author would be, Where's the sequel! because I want more; and That romance ... what happened?

(Incidentally, sex 'n' drugs be durned, my mom LOVED it. The circus made us smile.)

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good vacation read, May 27, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Girl Clown (Paperback)

It's a fun and interesting story about a lifestyle that most people know little about. I found myself wanting to know more about what made the characters the way they were, to delve deeper into their psyches and histories. Tantalizing tidbits floated through the story, but were often not ever explained. However, after reading the story, I could picture the "backyard" of the circus and see the characters as they went about life on the road.

There were many amusing points, and some poignant ones. Most of us women who've lived a little have had "Larry"s in our lives...

I thought that it was well-developed, considering that Mary wrote it for the NaNoWriMo contest. Mary tells a good story and can always be counted on for a laugh.

4.0 out of 5 stars Engrossing, February 6, 2006

By 

M. Burke (Maryland, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Girl Clown (Paperback)

I was caught up in this look into the world of a travelling circus from the very start, and really enjoyed seeing the story unfold. It would have been very easy to bury the reader in cryptic circus jargon or to over-explain everything, but the unusual setting was handled well. The story and characters, while simple, were believable and consistent. A very nice book.