“This imaginative fictional memoir of an aristocratic young ballerina who becomes a fortune teller in a circus after her world falls a part swallowed me. I couldn’t put it down. Audrey Berger is an extraordinary writer and Circus of the Queens, simply put, is wonderful! I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves language, history, magic and the joy of being swept into the life of a complex and riveting female character.”
—SARA DRIVER, writer, producer, director
From Imperial Russia to Savannah, Georgia and beyond, a circus family, a once aspiring ballerina, and a scorned lover, set the stage and then draw the curtain to this saga of identity, fate, and the steps we take to find who we are in this world.
Donatalia dances at the Winter Palace just as the Russian Revolution of 1905 tears apart the life she thought she would have. Forced to leave her dreams behind, she must move for her safety to the new world and begin a new life. Having lost family, fortune and country, she unexpectedly finds herself reuniting with Vladimir, heir to the most celebrated Russian circus, dazzling high-wire walker, and the object of a long-forgotten crush she harbored as a child.
Both struggling to let go of the past, they reconnect and share an intimacy only they can understand. Donatalia follows Vladimir and becomes the circus fortune-teller and it is through her eyes this story is told.
A poetic adventure of revenge, love, and loss, Circus of the Queens: The Fortune-Teller’s Fate is a stunning debut from an exciting new talent and begs the question how does one define themselves when their whole world is lost.
Available at independent bookstores as well as Amazon and Kindle.
BOOK READING ABOARD THE VIKING JUPITER, AUGUST 2019
INTERVIEW WITH AUDREY ABOARD THE VIKING JUPITER, AUGUST 2019
I’M ALWAYS CHASING RAINBOWS
When writing Circus of the Queens: The Fortune-Teller’s Fate, this old jazz tune came to me repeatedly and I found myself intertwining the opening of its chorus into the storyline. This is a recording of me reading the first chapter of the book and singing a portion of the song as an intro and outro, accompanied by my friend Hendrik on guitar.
“I’m Always Chasing Rainbows” 1917 public domain
CIRCUS OF THE QUEENS: THE FORTUNE-TELLER’S FATE ADDED TO RECOMMENDED READING LIST FOR VIKING HOMELANDS CRUISE
Available at independent bookstores as well as Amazon and Kindle.