When the Turner sisters' father injures his hand and is unable to work, their mother propels the struggling family into the complicated world of performing. As the girls build their routine—teaching themselves to cartwheel in the backyard, and eventually adapting jokes and slapstick from friendly vaudevillians—they face new personal challenges as well, from youthful romance to unexpected tragedy. Told in alternating narration by sisters Winnie and Gert, this novel is a historical treasure trove that prompts peals of surprised laughter—and a few tears.