The Tumbling Turner Sisters is a historical fiction novel by Juliette Fay. The author has family members who were in the vaudeville circuit and some of the characters are based on her family members but the Turner sisters are fictional. Set in 1919, the mother of sisters Kit, Gert, Winnie and Nell decide to try vaudeville after their father's hand is crushed and he can no longer work as a boot stitcher. The decide on acrobatics, find an agent, and off they go. They tour small towns in upstate New York. Along the way the meet fascinating people and gets tips to improve their act. The story is told by Gert and Winnie. I thought it was interesting to read Winnie's "glass half full" side of the story followed by Gert's cynical view of the same events. Earning a living on the vaudeville circuit was grueling, interesting, rewarding and sometimes dangerous work.
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