The Great Southern Circus

In The Early Summer Of 1859 An Alabama Farm Boy Named James Johnston Had No Idea That His Life Was About To Change Forever. The Clouds Of Civil War Were Gathering When He Met Miranda Randi Madderra A Beautiful Young Bareback Rider With A Small Traveling Circus. In The Great Southern Circus A Riveting First Novel By Nick West You Will Ride With The Performers As They Traverse The Southeastern United States During These Uncertain Times.In A Little Over Two Years The Circus Traveled Miles Equal To A Journey From The Atlantic To The Pacific And Back Through Frontier Country Where There Were No Paved Roads Few Bridges And Poor Directions Between Towns. They Braved Bad Weather Illness Outlaws Accidents And Fire With Every Day Presenting A New Challenge.Despite These Difficulties From 1859-1861 Orton And Older'S Great Southern Circus Completed An Extended Tour That Began In Portage Wisconsin And Traveled South Through Eighteen States Crossing State Lines Thirty-Seven Times In One Hundred And Twenty-Three Weeks. In Horse-Drawn Wagons They Would Traverse The Great Smoky Appalachian And Blue Ridge Mountains Twice. The Great Southern Circus Tells The True Story Of One Circus Family Who Made That Tour.