Ephemia Rimaldi: Circus Performer Extraordinaire

by Linda DeMeulemeester

Overview

Ephemia Rimaldi is an irrepressible girl thrust into challenging circumstances. Effy's Great-aunt Ada has died, and her other relatives, a committee of vultures, are bent on stealing her education trust fund for themselves. Twelve-year-old Effy's only hope is to locate her long lost poppa—who has control of her fortune—before time runs out. But Phineas Rimaldi, the ringmaster of a travelling circus, seems an unlikely ally. Can Effy dazzle the ringmaster so he'll help her save her trust fund and her new friend—a circus elephant?

Set on the eve of the 20th century, when female performers were one of the earliest groups to demand equal pay for equal work, this historical adventure offers important themes for today's readers. The suffragist movement and early circus life serve as a backdrop for a feisty heroine who champions equality for all.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780889957527
Publisher:	Red Deer Press
Publication date:	05/28/2024
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	248
File size:	669 KB
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Linda DeMeulemeester is the author of many notable middle grade books, including the best-selling Grim Hill series which includes The Secret of Grim Hill, a Silver Birch winner. Linda has worked in the fields of literacy and education for many years as a teacher and program advisor. She lives in British Columbia.

Editorial Reviews

"Ephemia Rimaldi is a wonderful mix of adventure (Let's run away with the circus!), mystery (WHERE is the cursed sapphire?), and historical novel ('Circus workers were one of the first groups to demand equal pay for equal work').
"I'm loath to add the word "educational" to the mix, as that seems just too dry for this bit of fun. But as with all my favourite reads as a young person, I always appreciated those I learned from, especially when the learning was absorbed with a spoonful of story-sugar.
"Ephemia Rimaldi illustrates friendship and connection, not to mention valuing and honouring others."
— The British Columbia Review

"Linda Demeulemeester explores many interesting topics in this novel, including: feminism, suffrage for women, protest movements, circus life, grief, education, family relationships, friendship, animal rights, and courage. Ephemia Rimaldi: Circus Performer Extraordinaire has a powerful message for readers, "Everyone needed to be listened to and respected, not just people in refined society."
Highly Recommended"
— CM Magazine

From the Publisher

2024-01-05
A spirited young suffragist runs away to join the circus.

Twelve-year-old Ephemia Rimaldi, abandoned by her parents and bounced around among relatives, has been living in Toronto with her stern activist Aunt Ada, who gets her involved with the women’s suffrage movement. After Aunt Ada dies, Effy, seeking to escape the “Rimaldi vultures” who want to claim the trust fund her aunt left her, runs away to find her father’s circus; his legal guardianship will protect the money intended for her education. Phineas Rimaldi frowns upon her attempts at trapeze and riding a bicycle, but Effy perseveres. Little does she know that a couple of trapeze artists, a bearded lady, a woman tiger tamer, and an elephant handler’s nephew will teach her to prove her worth and confront her own relative privilege of class, race, and nationality. Effy, along with her new acquaintances, must find a missing sapphire whose sale could fund the failing circus and send beloved circus elephant Balally to retire in a sanctuary in Ceylon. Effy, who reads white, actively seeks ways to promote women’s equality. Her antics realistically reflect the limitations placed on women and girls at the turn of the 20th century, while highlighting the fact that circuses were among the first environments where equal pay was achieved and women’s courage was embraced. The fast pace and pithy chapter headings propel the narrative.

A well-written and informative novel filled with exciting twists and turns. (author’s note, interview with the author) (Historical fiction. 9-13)

Kirkus Reviews