THE RINGMASTER'S DAUGHTER

A classic Gaarder parable, in the tradition of 'Sophie's World' and 'TheSolitaire Mystery'. The theme of a father finding his long-lost daughterruns through the novel, which is narrated by Petter, described as "aNorwegian Billy Liar". A psychological portrait of an uncommon man, whichbuilds to a climax at the Bologna Book Fair, and which is lined up forswathes of media coverage. Panina Manina, a trapeze artist, falls andbreaks her neck. As the ringmaster bends over her, he notices an amulet ofamber around her neck, the same trinket he had given his own lost child,who was swept away in a torrent some sixteen years earlier. This tale isnarrated by Petter, a precocious child and fantasist, and perhaps JosteinGaarder's most intriguing character since Sophie. As an adult, Pettermakes his living selling stories and ideas to professionals suffering fromwriters block. But as Petter sits spinning his tales, he finds himself in atrap of his own making.