In this special series, we asked writers we admire to share a book they're giving to their friends and family this holiday season. Check back daily to see the books your favorite authors are gifting.÷ ÷ ÷
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern is a fantastically poetic tale of both magic and illusion, of destiny and decision, and is one of those rare books that I just can't stop thinking about. The setting for the book is Victorian England and centers around a magical circus that appears one night in a field and stays for several days and then overnight disappears again. There is a whole cast of quirky characters, but two of the main players are Celia and Marco, second generation magicians, who are embroiled in a magical duel that is supposed to carry on until one has died, and the other is the victor. And then they fall in love.
While I tend to read fairly quickly, this was one of those books that I consciously tried to read as slowly as possible, aware that with every page turned, I was getting closer to the end of the book. I'm giving this book to my best friend and my mom. They both love to read, and I think the poetic way Morgenstern writes will appeal to them:
There's magic in that. It's in the listener, and for each and every ear it will be different, and it will affect them in ways they can never predict. From the mundane to the profound. You may tell a tale that takes up residence in someone's soul, becomes their blood and self and purpose. That tale will move them and drive them and who knows what they might do because of it, because of your words. That is your role, your gift." ? Erin Morgenstern, The Night Circus
A book is an adventure, an escape, a dream. It can inspire us and shape the way we think. Like the above quote, a book has magic in it.