Title: The Circle Around the Wall: A Fictional Biography Inspired by Carl Jung (The Mind the Heart the Spirit)
Author: Suzanne Steinberg
Genre: Fiction, Alternate History, Women’s Literary Fiction
Year Published: January 28, 2023

Date Started: February 21, 2023
Date finished: February 26, 2023

This story is a twist on the famous psychologist, Carl Jung. Instead of Carl, the main character is a female named Carla Jung. The story is a combination of biography and third person limited following Carla through her youngers years to old age. Carla’s life is immersed in education (the biography side), but we also become acquainted with her personal life (the limited third person point-of-view). There are also characters thrown in with short clips of their stories and thoughts through the third point-of-view.

I really enjoyed this story. I liked the combination of the psychology world and Carla’s personal life. I thought the twist with Carl Jung being Carla Jung was a good take. It fit the women literary fiction style perfectly. There were a lot of characters, but it was done well. It started with just a few and then near the middle and end, more characters were thrown in. The pacing is on the fast side. There were lots of information thrown in as well as time jumps. Could be a little confusing if you prefer a slower storyline. I didn’t mind it because it was necessary to get Carla’s story and the people she loved stories across.

There were lots of really interesting and debatable/thought-provoking thoughts and theories in this story. I’m a fan of diving into the psych and learning/understanding the human mind and this book does it. On top of that, you get a woman’s story about her personal struggles through love and lost. If you’re looking for a book to keep you intrigued in humanity, the psychology of the human mind, and women’s lives, this book will do it.

Who should read this book: Anyone interested in the mind and relationships between women.