The Ringmaster's Daughter

Panina Manina, a circus trapeze artist, falls and breaks her neck. As the ringmaster bends over her he sees around her neck an amber charm, just like the one he gave to his own child before she was swept away in a torrent sixteen years ago.
The theme of a father finding a long-lost child runs through this magical novel, The tale is narrated by Petter, Jostein Gaarder's most intriguing creation since Sophie, a precious child and fantasist who grows up to be a storyteller of disturbing mischief.
Rather than be the author himself, Petter makes his living selling stories and ideas to professionals suffering from writer's block. It's a lucrative trade. But as he sits like a spider in the center of his web, Petter finds himself in a trap of his own making.