Author Spotlight: Bobo’s Daughter by Bonnie Barnett

Bonnie Barnett first met her father, Bobo the clown, at the circus when she was 4 years old. Raised by her single mother, the circus’ first girl clown, Bobo was absent from Bonnie’s young life. From their first meeting at the circus to their emotional reconnection shortly before Bobo’s death, Bobo's Daughter: One Woman's Journey to Find Hope, Healing, and the Father behind the Face Paint, recounts Barnett’s struggles growing up without a father and the peace and forgiveness she found in finally meeting the “father behind the face paint.” Now a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Barnett shares her story, set against a unique and flamboyant backdrop, to encourage the importance of reconciling with and forgiving others.

Read the Reviews!

“Chester ‘Bobo’ Barnett is a legend in the world of circus clowns. His performances still bring laughter and warm memories to those who were lucky enough to witness them. Bonnie takes us behind the curtain and shows us the man behind the greasepaint. With all his strengths and weaknesses as a dad, husband, and person, we still see what defines him as a human being and the impact he had on everyone from his worldwide audiences to his daughter.”

—Greg DeSanto, executive director, International Clown Hall of Fame and Research Center, Inc.

“I have worked with hundreds of memoirists, and I learn something from each, but no life story has taught me more about how to heal yourself through love than Bonnie Ann Barnett’s. Her father was literally a clown, and as clumsy at fatherhood as they come. If she could do the work of making a relationship with her parent, any of us may find a way.”

—Tristine Rainer, author of Your Life As Story and The New Diary, Director of Center for Autobiographical Studies

“This is a heart-griping story of one woman’s search for her roots simply begun, yet unfolding through twists and turns in the exciting circus world. You will laugh and cry as you walk thorough this heart-rending, yet thrilling journey with the author. You rejoice as you discover that the real purpose of the odyssey was ordained by God to bring the writer to the real meaning and purpose of life.”

—Pastor Jim Nelson, Associate Pastor, The Church on the Way, Van Nuys, CA



Bonnie Barnett currently lives in Durham, N.C., where she owns a private, in-home outpatient therapy practice. She also works at Agape Corner where she helps at-risk children and families living below the poverty line. She holds a bachelor’s degree in fine arts with a minor in psychology from California State University at Los Angeles and a master’s degree in clinical psychology from Pepperdine University. Barnett and “Bobo’s Daughter” will be featured on Lifetime Network’s “The Balancing Act” in September.

Visit Bonnie online at http://www.bobosdaughter.com/