10
The Invisible Circus by Jennifer Egan (thelittlematchgirl)
thelittlematchgirl: both books tell the story of a young woman left behind by the death of an activist family member.

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The story of how one young woman's coming of age is shaped by her parents' 1960's radical activism. (

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thelittlematchgirl | Jul 5, 2012 |

I liked reading this book. It is different from any book I have ever read. The genre is realistic fiction and I would read another book by this author! (

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susanmaj67 | Mar 27, 2012 |

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“Céline Keating’s deftly plotted novel takes readers on a gripping journey along the underground railroad of post-’60s radicalism.”

added by Plain.View.Press | editDark, Larry

“Evoked in beautiful prose and telling details . . . [Layla] brings to life the complexity of family dynamics, with all its conflicts, dangers and rewards.”

added by Plain.View.Press | editRachlin, Nahid

“In Céline Keating’s auspicious debut, the political and the emotional collide, as one generation’s raison d’etre—the radical politics of the ’60s—becomes their offspring’s burden. What results is a wrenching look at the human costs of activism and the resiliency of love.”

added by Plain.View.Press | editSchulman, Helen

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Original title

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People/Characters

Important places

San Francisco, California, USA

Colorado, USA

Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

Important events

Antiwar Movement (Vietnam) of the 1960s (Vietnam)

Related movies

Running on Empty (1988 ∙ IMDb)

Awards and honors

Finalist, James Jones First Novel Fellowship for a work-in-progress

Epigraph

Dedication

For Mark and Merren, for who you are

For Chloe and Daria, for who you will become

First words

My name is Layla. My mother said my father insisted they call me that as soon as they knew I was a girl. He thought the song by Eric Clapton, when he was with Derick and the Dominos, was the best R&R single of all time. I loved knowing it meant so much to him to name me.

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Book description

A Huffington Post Featured Title:
On Our Radar: Best Books Just Out Or Coming Soon We Thought You Should Know About

A Poets & Writers Magazine “More Great Summer Fiction Debuts” selection

Layla James, a recent graduate and budding photographer, never knew anything about her father except that he named her for the iconic song by Eric Clapton. Her mother—steeped in a political activism that Layla rejects—kept their past shrouded in secrecy, and when she dies of cancer, she leaves only an enigmatic letter—the first in a series that will lead Layla through a cross-country network of ’60s radicals and closer to the bombshell at the heart of her parents’ past.

As Layla makes her way from the East Coast to a commune in the California desert, she discovers more about friendship, love, forgiveness, and the personal repercussions of political activism than she could ever have imagined. A stirring and panoramic story, viewed through the lens of the next generation, this exceptional debut novel brings the gestalt of the ’60s into focus and sheds new light on the era’s legacy in the new millennium.

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