so what’s the book about?

I’ve had a lot of people ask me what the book is about.

I rather like the very long sentence that Publisher’s Marketplace used in the deal announcement:

Erin Morgenstern’s THE NIGHT CIRCUS, set at the turn of the 19th century, which tells the story of two young magicians, pawns in an age-old rivalry between their mercurial, illusionist fathers, and the enchanted circus where their competition (and romance) plays out, leaving the fates of everyone involved – from creators and performers to patrons – hanging in the balance.

I also applaud the use of the word mercurial, which is one of my favorite words.