Traveling Caravan: Growing Up Under The Big Top

Step into the extraordinary life of Kristin L. Schmidt Larson in TRAVELING CARAVAN: Growing Up Under The Big Top, a captivating non-fiction narrative that 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'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.

Now, as a successful businesswoman running Simple Kindness and Kind Skin, Kristin remains a 'carni' at heart, cherishing her roots in the Dakotas and the wide-open spaces that shaped her memories. TRAVELING CARAVAN is a heartfelt tribute to her family's legacy and a testament to the enduring spirit of the carnival.