The Juggler

By: John Morressy

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Synopsis: Beran found himself juggling cubes and rings, daggers and spinning halls of colored flame, sacks of coins, crowns and scepters, rubies and diamonds and skulls, and other things not easily described. And then, at last, only four shining black balls. Beran will never be able to leave his peasant village; surely he will forever till fields and serve his master, much like his parents before him. But he can still dream of being a juggler. When a mysterious old man offers Beran the one thing he wants most, asking only a "trifle" in return, Beran must make the most important decision of his life: should he sell his soul to the Devil to become the world's greatest juggler? Master storyteller John Morressy has crafted a mesmerizing tale about lies and the Father of Lies, about relentless ambition and the power of the human heart. Set in a nameless but accurate medieval landscape, The Juggler vividly describes life in the age of faith. Beran's travels take him to bawdy inns and crowded marketplaces, lavish weddings and royal courts. Then, in his most difficult journey of all, Beran undertakes a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, where he must fight for his soul, with no promise of salvation. Tracing one man's quest for true meaning, and the price he must pay to achieve it, this gripping Faustian novel challenges all readers to question the nature of guilt, the power of belief, and the strength of the human soul.