January 1932: Ben MacCarthy and his father watch a vagabond variety revue making a stop in the Irish countryside. After a two-hour kaleidoscope of low comedy, juggling, tumbling, and other entertainments, Ben€s father, mesmerized by Venetia Kelly, the troupe€s magnetic headliner, makes a fateful decision: to abandon his family and set off on the road with Miss Kelly and her caravan. Ben€s mother, shattered by the desertion, exhorts, €œFind him and bring him back,€ thereby sending the boy on a Homeric voyage into manhood.
Interweaving a host of unforgettable creations€"€œKing€ Kelly, Venetia€s violent, Mephistophelean grandfather; Sarah Kelly, Venetia€s mysterious, amoral mother; and even a truth-telling ventriloquist€s dummy named Blarney€"Frank Delaney unfurls a splendid narrative that spans half the world and a tumultuous decade.
