it sucks you into the Carny world. When I was a teenager I was given the opportunity to work a carny for a summer. There I met the seal man, the hairy lady, the alligator man, Popeye, the snake women and others. I assisted in small ways and got to know the performers whose features and  disabilities would have them sent them to institutions rather then allowing them to make a living, performing.  Backstage is never glamourous but can be a rich experience. It took me back there a little. Although written about the turn of the century when carneys were much tougher and life was difficult (think Gangs of New York) it is not aimed at the seedy side, rather the living adventure of a time without government control.  A time of invention and discovery.  A time of hope and especially the building of Coney Island Amusement Park