You have either got it or you haven’t. You can hula hoop or you cannot. Judith Lanigan, first-time author of The True History of the Hula Hoop, can swirl up to 30 hula hoops at one time!

This book is clearly based on many of Judith’s own experiences. Using the nomadic life of female circus performers as a base for two stories set in different eras, Judith also manages to record the long international history of the hula hoop.

The two stories, which run parallel to each other, follow Catherine, a hula-hooping performance artist and Culumbina, a female clown from the sixteenth century. Showing humour and wonderful insight into a tantalising world, this novel is a swirling journey of two women and their quest for independence. It proves that Judith’s talent lies in telling a story, either on the stage or in her writing. It has inspired me to buy my own hoop and start to twirl. How hard can it be?