Traveling Caravan: Growing Up Under the Big Top
By Kristin L. Schmdt Larson
This captivating non-fiction narrative takes you on a journey through the Midwest with a family steeped in the vibrant yet challenging world of traveling carnivals.
In the 1930s and 1940s, Harold Earl Schmidt, Kristin Schmidt's grandfather, traveled with his One-Man Band, eventually marrying Phyllis Maas and raising four children under the big top. The circus, transitioning into a traveling carnival by the late 1960s, became the backdrop for Kristin's teenage years. As she traveled the Midwest with her family's carnival, she experienced the hard work, the exhilaration, and the unique challenges of life on the road.
Through vivid storytelling, Kristin shares her family's history, their travels, and the sense of community and exclusion they faced as 'Carni people.' This compelling memoir offers an intimate glimpse into the lives of carnival workers, revealing the joys and perils of this unconventional lifestyle.
Traveling Caravan is a heartfelt tribute to a family's legacy and a testament to the enduring spirit of the carnival.
Softcover. 40 pages
