Bartabas

Founder of the Zingaro equestrian theater, Bartabas' first novel plunges us into the world of acrobats. In the heart of the 70s, a young girl and her donkey flee the violence of men. She takes refuge in Paris, then becomes the princess of a street theater troupe.

In the same city, at the same time, Bartabas took to the streets and sidewalks to invent a theater without trestles. His beginnings inspired this novel, in which a troupe of actors and circus artists sets out to meet a new audience. They enchant a square in Montparnasse, then go begging. One day, a young mute girl appears with her donkey. Their elopement ends when they join them. Renamed Cascabelle, the teenager, as if out of a fairy tale, is adopted and welcomed into the troupe. She discovers freedom, and her donkey becomes a tightrope walker. They share an extraordinary life, punctuated by dreams and sorrows. Bartabas' lyrical, tongue-in-cheek novel of learning is as moving as his shows.