A Girl Made of Air: a mesmerising, magical read to escape with this summer by Nydia Hetherington

A lyrical and atmospheric homage to the strange and extraordinary, perfect for fans of Angela Carter and Erin Morgenstern.

This is the story of The Greatest Funambulist Who Ever Lived...

Born into a post-war circus family, our nameless star was unwanted and forgotten, abandoned in the shadows of the big top. Until the bright light of Serendipity Wilson threw her into focus.

Now an adult, haunted by an incident in which a child was lost from the circus, our narrator, a tightrope artiste, weaves together her spellbinding tales of circus legends, earthy magic and folklore, all in the hope of finding the child... But will her story be enough to bring the pair together again?

Beautiful and intoxicating, A Girl Made of Air brings the circus to life in all of its grime and glory; Marina, Manu, Serendipity Wilson, Fausto, Big Gen and Mouse will live long in the hearts of readers. As will this story of loss and reconciliation, of storytelling and truth.

About the Author

Originally from Leeds, Nydia Hetheringtonmoved to London in her twenties to embark on an acting career. Later she moved to Paris where she studied at the Jacques Lecoq theatre school before creating her own theatre company. When she returned to London, she completed a creative writing degree at Birkbeck.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Quercus; 1st edition (3 Sept. 2020)

Language ‏ : ‎ English

Paperback ‏ : ‎ 384 pages

ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1529408881

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1529408881

Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 15.4 x 3.2 x 23.4 cm

Customer reviews: 4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars    357 ratings

Review

"A captivating tale of love and loss and finding connection in the most unexpected places"

―Nikki Marmery, author of On Wilder Seas

"Hetherington tells her captivating tale from deep within the sequinned heart of the circus, with characters as darkly flawed as they are brilliantly talented. A Girl Made of Airis a poignant story of regret and redemption, brilliantly interlaced with magic and folklore"

―Sonia Velton, author of Blackberry & Wild Rose

"Tells a story about stories in rich, lyrical magic realism . . . the language is elegant and beautiful and an atmospheric success in itself"

―Starburst

"An enchanting tale steeped in circus legend -a truly magical debut!"

―My Weekly

"She weaves together tales of circus legends, magic and folklore, in the hope of finding the child... Spellbinding!"―Candis

"Page-turners, gut-punchers and eye-openers"―Irish Tatler

"An enchanting, lyrical and atmospheric tale that brings the circus to life"―Publishing Post newsletter

"A dreamlike delight."―Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

A captivating tale of love and loss and finding connection in the most unexpected places ― Nikki Marmery, author of ON WILDER SEAS

Hetherington tells her captivating tale from deep within the sequinned heart of the circus, with characters as darkly flawed as they are brilliantly talented. A Girl Made of Air is a poignant story of regret and redemption, brilliantly interlaced with magic and folklore ― Sonia Velton, author of Blackberry & Wild Rose

Tells a story about stories in rich, lyrical magic realism . . . the language is elegant and beautiful and an atmospheric success in itself ― Starburst

An

enchanting tale

steeped in circus

legend - a truly

magical debut!

― My Weekly

Fantasy,folkloreandfunambulism tread an impressive line in this richly imagined debut.Hetherington spins a kaleidoscopic patchwork of memory and magic, secrets and lies, ideal for fans of The Night Circus ― Emma Stonex, author of THE LAMPLIGHTERS

This novel had me under its spell from start to finish, each page conjuring up such vivid imagery that I was utterly captivated. Breathtaking ― Emma Cooper, author of IF I COULD SAY GOODBYE

Spellbinding! ― Candis

There's a glamour and grimness in this captivating novel . . . a vivid tale of regret and redemption ― Psychologies

Several fairy tales intertwined into one, this captivating novel tells the story of love and loss . . . A pacey and entirely enthralling read ― Independent online

For fans of Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus and The Binding by Bridget Collins, this magical debut from actress-turned-writer Nydia Hetherington is just the kind of book to curl up and escape to as the days get shorter ― Huffington Post, Super Thursday round-up

Be prepared to be dazzled by this debut novel . . . As strange and spectacular as the world it is set in, this narrative is lyrical storytelling at its most brutal and beautiful ― My Weekly

An enchanting, lyrical and atmospheric tale that brings the circus to life ― Publishing Post newsletter

An immensely assured first novel ― Guardian

You'll find yourself completely immersed in this story of circus folk and magic ― Woman's Weekly

A spellbinding piece of escapism that's perfect for autumn evenings ― Stylist

There are sequins and suspicion in this captivating circus novel . . . a richly imagined debut ― Sunday Express S magazine