Tina Shaw — Dreams of America

David Ling 1997 Paperback, 192pp. Girly Moran dreams of riding in the great circuses of the world. Angelo Delgardo dreams of crossing the Niagara Falls by tightrope, just as his hero Blondin once did. Sly McGee wants to be Gene Autry. It is New Zealand, 1953. Hanging is still in force and it is illegal to wear a mask in public. In Auckland, the first Easter Show is held, mostly in the rain. Angelo and Sly are the Fabulous Funambulists, and Girly, disguised as a boy, rides the motorcycle Wall of Death. It is Girly who provides the catalyst for Angelo and Sly to perhaps realise their dreams, but casting a shadow over them all is Madame Soukowsky, a mafia-like show figure whose reputation goes back to Blackpool of the 1930s. (ISBN: 9780908990474). Good.