Circus of Shadows - Lidia Brankovic

The second book by the acclaimed author of The Grand Hotel of Feelings about accepting the parts of us that we try to hide from...

Mostly shadows follow us, but occasionally it’s wise to follow your shadow. Because where there is darkness there is also light, and when the shadows dance it is always a good idea to join the fun.

Lika doesn’t give much thought to her shadow. Sometimes it’s long, sometimes it’s short… but it is never more than a shadow. Until one day it begins acting strangely. When Lika waves a hand, Shadow raises a foot. When Lika sits down, Shadow stands up. Lika hides in a darkened room, but the more she hides, the bigger Shadow becomes, until it picks her up and deposits her in a land of shadows, at the heart of which is a terrifying shadow circus. Lika must learn to listen to her shadow to find her way back.

A timely book that explores ways in which we must accommodate the parts of ourselves that are hard to look at, with Brankovic’s distinctive illustration style is filmic and evocative.