Set in a vanished time, and in the fantastically rich world of vaudeville, The Little Shadows revolves around three sisters: Aurora, the eldest and most beautiful, sixteen when the book opens; thoughtful Clover, who is fourteen; and the youngest, joyous headstrong sprite Bella, who is thirteen. The girls, overseen by their fond but barely coping Mama, must make their living as a singing act after the untimely death of their father. They begin with little besides youth and hope, but Endicott's genius is to show how the three girls evolve into true artists. In gorgeous prose and through unforgettable characters, Marina Endicott takes us onto the brightly lit stage and then into the little shadows that lurk behind the curtain, and reveals how the art of vaudeville--in all its variety, madness, melodrama, hilarity and sorrow--echoes the art of life itself.

 Back to top | e-mail or print this page

Praise for The Little Shadows
"The Little Shadows should come with a warning label: You will stay up too late at night reading this book. And in the morning, your first thoughts will be about its characters. Are they all right? How will they manage?"
—The Gazette

"Endicott catches the flavour of the times with her diction and attentiveness to sensory details, transporting readers to a harsh world mitigated only by personal connections and applause. . . . The bright lights of the stage also cast dark shadows, and Endicott explores both with gentle wisdom."
—Edmonton Journal

 Back to top | e-mail or print this page

MARINA ENDICOTT's previous novel, Good to a Fault, won the Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best Book, Canada and the Caribbean, and was a finalist for the prestigious Scotiabank Giller Prize. Her first novel, Open Arms, was shortlisted for the Amazon/Books in Canada First Novel Award. Endicott has been an actor, director, playwright and editor, and now lives in Edmonton, Alberta, where she teaches at the University of Edmonton and writes.

 Back to top | e-mail or print this page