Description
Book SynopsisJ. R. Dawson is a writer and educator with shorter works in places such as
F&SF,
The Year's Best Science Fiction and Fantasy 2018, and
Lightspeed. Dawson lives in Omaha with a loving spouse and three dogs. Having earned a BFA from The Theatre School at DePaul and an MFA in Creative Writing from Stonecoast, Dawson works as a teaching artist with assorted nonprofits that bring the power of the performing arts to children in the Midwest. They are the author of
The First Bright Thing.
Trade ReviewMesmerizing and magical, The First Bright Thing gives friendship, love and found family top billing, puts the audacity of optimism on center stage and delivers a voice with artistry and flair worthy of the Ringmaster herself -- Rowenna Miller, author of
TornIf this circus were real, I’d be in the front row; it’s the found family so many of us crave.
Richly imagined and vividly depicted, The First Bright Thing shows both the joys and costs of power -- Sarah Pinsker, author of
A Song for a New DayThis magical novel will invite you into an astounding circus and carry you along on its wild journey through time, struggling to survive in the shadow of world wars and the sinister threat of their greatest competitor. The cast of colorful, endearing characters will make you glad to know that, as the Ringmaster says, ’Circus people never say goodbye’ -- Louisa Morgan, author of
A Secret History of WitchesThe First Bright Thing will break your heart and stitch it back together, again and again. A nearly perfect amalgam of
Mrs. Peregerine’s Home for Peculiar Children and
The X-Men, this story is inhabited by beautiful and imperfect characters. It is a delicious tale of magical outsiders, determined to find love and light, beauty and family, in a world that fears and often hates them.
It is a wonderful tale of hope and heart and perseverance -- Rita Woods, author of
The Last Dreamwalker
