The events in the book take place in the 80s of the last century, in an era when the Soviet circus was rightfully considered the best in the world. When the circus art was loved and respected, covered in the romance of travel, surrounded by the magic of mystery. At that time, circus traditions were unshakable, the arenas were sawdust, and the circus people were considered a single family. It is into this mysterious world that the main character of the story “Heart in Sawdust”, Pashka Zharkikh, unexpectedly finds himself. He came here, as it seemed to him, for a short time, but stayed forever... The book vividly and truthfully describes the characters of the participants in the story, the life and conditions in which they lived and worked, their relationships, desires and emotions. In many cases, the vocabulary of some real characters remained unchanged. There is a lot of humor and various intricacies of everyday situations. Readers will find for themselves the answer to the question: “Who are circus people, what are they like?..” People who go out every evening to a floodlit arena in sequins and rich bright costumes, performing miracles in front of the public, find themselves in everyday life as ordinary people with their own problems, desires, weaknesses and passions. And only the playpen turns them into extraordinary people. Actually, that’s what they are...