Tumbling Turner Sisters (Reprint) (Paperback) (Juliette Fay)

About the Book

"In 1919, the four Turner sisters and their parents are barely scraping along. Their father is a low-paid boot stitcher in Johnson City, NY, and the Turners are always one paycheck away from eviction. When their father's hand is crushed and he's forced to quit, their domineering mother decides that the vaudeville stage is their best--and only--chance for salvation. With everything at stake, the Tumbling Turners take to the road and the four young women, teenagers Gert, Winnie, and Kit, and Nell, a 22-year-old new mother and recent widow of the Great War, are soon immersed in the tumultuous world of American Vaudeville on a nine-city tour that will make or break them. Swindlers and ne'er-do-wells await in abundance, but so does kindness, and just maybe a chance at love. Equal parts heartwarming, charming, and reflective, The Tumbling Turner Sisters is the story of the sacrifices we make in the name of family, and how the most unlikely choice can ultimately be the one to lead us toward our truest selves"--

Book Synopsis

For fans of Orphan Train and Water for Elephants, a compelling historical novel from "one of the best authors of women's fiction" (Library Journal). Set against the turbulent backdrop of American Vaudeville, four sisters embark on an unexpected adventure--and a last-ditch effort to save their family.

It's 1919, and the Turners are barely scraping by. When their father loses his job, their irrepressible mother decides that vaudeville is their best chance to make the rent--and create a more exciting life for herself in the process.

Traveling by train from town to town, teenagers Gert, Winnie, and Kit, and recent widow Nell soon find a new kind of freedom in the company of performers who are as diverse as their acts. There is a seamier side to the business, however, and the young women face dangers and turns of fate they never could have anticipated. Heartwarming and surprising, The Tumbling Turner Sisters is ultimately a story of awakening--to unexpected possibilities, to love and heartbreak, and to the dawn of a new American era.