We Walked the Sky

By: Lisa Fiedler

Age: 13+

In the summer of 1965, 17yr old Victoria has just done something daring- she has run away and joined the circus. Desperate to escape an unhappy home, she intends to use the circus to bring her to a new city far away from home where she can start a better life. But the home of the lion tamers, roustabouts, and trapeze artists have different plans for Victoria.

Callie is less than thrilled about her mother pulling her from the circus life she has always known to live at an animal sanctuary in Florida. Her dreams always had her flying high as a world famous tightrope walker, not trudging through classrooms at the local high school. But as she is unpacking, she discovers notes that her grandmother wrote while she was living at the circus. Emboldened by the snapshots of the circus life beginnings her grandmother didn't tell her about, Callie decides to use these words or wisdom to help her navigate her new life, and help her find a home.

I loved this book. It reminded me a bit of "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen for a younger audience. It had just the right dose of romance and whimsy, but at its core it was about the power of family- both the ones you are born into and the ones you carve out for yourself. Told in alternating perspectives, I loved getting to know a teenage Victoria- discovering her hopes, her dreams, and her history, while at the same time learning about who her granddaughter is and how the two of them shaped each other. This was a charming story, full of heart, and some good laughs and I highly recommend it.

Five stars!