Title: The Key to Circus-Mom Highway
Author: Allyson Rice
Publisher: The Total Human
Genre: Travel Fiction, Contemporary
First Publication: 2022
Language: English
Book Summary: The Key to Circus-Mom Highway by Allyson Rice
In an attempt to secure an unexpected inheritance–and hopefully find a few answers–two estranged sisters and their newly discovered brother embark on a comically surreal trip through the Deep South to retrace the life of the mother who abandoned them.
On a Tuesday afternoon, sisters Jesse Chasen and Jennifer McMahon receive a phone call notifying them that the birth mother they had no knowledge of has died, leaving behind a significant inheritance. But in order to obtain it, they must follow a detailed road trip she designed for them to get to know her–and that includes finding a brother they never knew existed.
For the next week, this ill-assorted trio treks across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia to meet their mother’s old friends, from circus-performers to a juke joint owner, each of whom delivers a shocking vignette into the life of a young mother traumatized by loss and abuse. Along the way, these three siblings–Jesse, whose fiery exterior disguises a drifting musician stuck in a rut; Jennifer, whose carefully curated family life is threatened by her husband’s infidelity; and Jack, whose enigmatic Jackie, Oh! persona in the New Orleans drag queen scene helps him escape the nightmares of Afghanistan that haunt him–must confront their own demons (and at least one alligator). But in chasing the truth about their real mother, they may all just find their second chance.
This uproarious debut novel is a reminder that sometimes, the family you’d never have chosen may turn out to be exactly what you need.
Book Summary: The Key to Circus-Mom Highway by Allyson Rice
When you are reading a book, there are moments when you get the feeling that you want to join the characters, have some tea and cookies with them, share their joys and tears, and cheer them on as they travel; in other words, you want to be a part of their journey and spend time with them. When you reach the last page of the book, read the last line, and see the words “THE END,” you are left with the sinking realisation that it is now time for you to say your goodbyes. The same emotion swept over me as I closed Allyson Rice’s The Key to Circus-Mom Highway.
The Key to Circus-Mom Highway is an enthralling novel that places family ties, healing, and reconciliation right at the heart of the narrative. The travel across the Deep South to retrace the steps of their mother following her death serves as the impetus for the reunification of the separated siblings. Jennifer McMahon and Jesse Chasen, who are sisters, have had vastly diverse experiences in life. While Jennifer has a comfortable middle-class life as a housewife and mother of two in the suburbs, Jesse faces challenges to make ends meet and works two jobs as a bartender and freelance tattoo artist.
After learning of their biological mother’s death and the considerable inheritance she has left for her children, Jesse persuades Jennifer to visit Florida with her. The sisters find out, however, that in order to claim their fortune, they must take a certain road trip and learn about their mother’s past. During the course of their adventure, they are united with their brother Jack. They had no idea that their brother even existed when they met him for the first time on their journey. Understanding their mother’s tragic history brings Jesse, Jennifer, and Jack closer together, and this strengthens their relationship with one another.
There have been numerous novels written about a protagonist who receives a large fortune from mysterious benefactors, but Allyson Rice has definitely poured her heart and mind into this story and given it soul, making it stand out from the rest. Even though I had a very good idea of how the story would end, I was still completely immersed in it. The author did a fantastic job of weaving together the stories of the three protagonists we followed.
This wonderful yet, in many ways, depressing narrative contains a plethora of important life lessons for its readers. There is an incredible amount of love, but also an incredible amount of suffering. Each character has a number of different things that they wish they had done better. Then there is acceptance and the hope for healing. Allyson Rice provides the intricate layering of different times and places in a masterful manner, gifting the reader with a story that captures the imagination and heart completely. The vivid narrative of Allyson Rice is mesmerizing and replete with awe-inspiring feelings of sublime mystery. This is a moving story with many facets: family, love, friendship, adventure, being different in a world that doesn’t always understand you, and the heartbreak of tragedy.
The Key to Circus-Mom Highway by Allyson Rice is a madcap adventure story about retribution, forgiveness, and missed connections, and is populated with some outstanding characters. It’s an ode to the joys of reading, travel, and the family we have and the family we make. The intricate web of truths and falsehoods will have you debating what is good and wrong, and the rich descriptions and attention to detail will have you living and breathing those places with the siblings. The twists and turns of family secrets are well described throughout the novel, making it difficult to put down. This book will pierce your soul and stay with you long after you’ve finished reading it.
