The bear in a muddy tutu

The Bear in a Muddy Tutu is a beautifully written novel about parental abduction of a child, the life of a traveling circus, and humanity in general. Mix in some real magic and a few talking birds, and the result is a story that will tear at your heart and lift your soul with each turn of the page. Highly recommend, although you might want to reconsider reading it on a plane.

Our monthly book club members were pretty much unanimous in their opinion of Cole Alpaugh's The Bear in a Muddy Tutu. It was a huge success, perhaps benefiting from Jean M. Auel's disappointing unveiling of The Land of Painted Caves. Alpaugh's novel wanders early and you are left uncertain as to the true main character and which storyline is going to take you to the finish. But there is a purpose to the meandering and you are left rooting and cheering for the most unlikely of characters, both human and human-like. The most wonderful moment of our fifty minute discussion occurred when one of our senior ladies volunteered to read us several pages of curse-laden prose in the roustabout vernacular. I'd have given a thousand dollars to have had a video camera! This novel is a beautiful read and is destined to be a classic.

Ellen Baker, Reference Librarian

Our second book choice was The Bear in a Muddy Tutu, which was chosen by Rosa. This book was not entirely appropriate for some of our extremely conservative members because of language (F word used among circus workers) and some situations (not graphic sex, but present nonetheless in one chapter), but it was still a big hit. The story is lovely, something I can only sum up as believable magic.

The Bear in a Muddy Tutu was our book club selection for April. It was a big hit across a wide range of tastes (we read quite a few mysteries, with sprinkles of romance). As a reviewer wrote, the main character is reminiscent of A Confederacy of Dunces, but the writing here is much more thoughtful and much more intelligent. There is no loathing of Billy Wayne, even if there is no deserved compassion. It is the dancing bear and the stolen child who steal the show in this story. They are beautifully written, almost lyrical, even when the toothless bear is scavenging dead crabs. Cole Alpaugh takes numerous chances, bringing the reader right to the edge of believability, from the sideshow freaks to the crashing airplanes. It's a tool that was unique for our diversified reading group and became the center of discussion. The art of taking a perfectly mundane person sitting on a bale of hay and making them slowly become invisible. And to make it perfectly natural to the reader. I have read thousands of books for work and pleasure, and The Bear in a Muddy Tutu may have touched me the deepest. A beautiful novel.