This clashing of worlds in the face of societal pressures is what makes Jenoff’s story come alive. She does not see herself as a true member of the circus, and neither do the other performers, artists who devote their lives to their craft and know no other kind of existence. While Noa is hesitant and unprepared, she has no other place to go, so she begins training. In exchange for performing, Noa and the baby, whom she names Theo and claims is her brother, are allowed to stay. Added now is the constant stress of war and ever-present military personnel.Īstrid is assigned the task of training Noa to be an aerialist. She and all the members of the circus, including the ringleader, Herr Neuhoff, and Astrid’s partner, Peter, a Russian clown, reflect years of hardship and suffering from the lifestyle of traveling, rehearsing, and performing. She meets Astrid, a middle-aged, petite picture of grace, strength, and perfection. Winter is as unforgiving for Noa as it was for the boxcar of children just when she thinks she’s failed herself and this child she’s rescued, she is rescued herself by a member of the nearby traveling circus. When she discovers a train car filled with Jewish infants, Noa’s instincts take over and a decision is made: She reaches for the baby boy closest to her, one of the only ones still alive, and runs. After running away from home, Noa works a menial job at a train station in Germany.

The story centers on two protagonists, a young Dutch girl named Noa and a Jewish trapeze artist called Astrid.

In her newest novel, The Orphan’s Tale, she works her style in and around a rather nuanced subject: the circus. Pam Jenoff is known for her historical fiction set during World War II.

The Orphan's Tale by Pam Jenoff