The Catch Trap is a 1979 novel by American writer Marion Zimmer Bradley set in the U.S. circus world of the 1940s-1950s, centering on the professional and romantic partnership of two trapeze artists.
Tommy Zane, a lion tamerâÂÂs son with a gift for flying, becomes protege and catcher to star flyer Mario Santelli. As their act rises to fame, the pair navigate family tensions, risks of the âÂÂtriple,â and the constraints of mid-century morality on their secret relationship.
Critics highlighted BradleyâÂÂs detailed depiction of flying trapeze and the novelâÂÂs treatment of a same-sex relationship under mid-century norms. The book is sometimes recommended in lists of LGBTQ historical fiction.
Upon release, Kirkus Reviews described it as âÂÂhomosexual passion under the Big Top pursued with considerable verveâ praising the circus detail.