Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this ebook, free of charge ,from Atria Books ,via #Netgalley for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it. All opinions are my own.
From the #1 internationally bestselling author of the “lush, evocative Gothic” (The New York Times Book Review) The Doll Factory comes an atmospheric and spectacular novel where one woman’s life is transformed by the arrival of a Victorian circus of wonders.
Synopsis
Step up, step up! In 1860s England, circus mania is sweeping the nation. Crowds jostle for a glimpse of the lion-tamers, the dazzling trapeze artists and, most thrilling of all, the so-called “human wonders.”
When Jasper Jupiter’s Circus of Wonders pitches its tent in a poor coastal town, the life of one young girl changes forever. Sold to the ringmaster as a “leopard girl” because of the birthmarks that cover her body, Nell is utterly devastated. But as she grows close to the other performers, she finds herself enchanted by the glittering freedom of the circus, and by her own role as the Queen of the Moon and Stars.
Before long, Nell’s fame spreads across the world—and with it, a chance for Jasper Jupiter to grow his own name and fortune. But what happens when her fame begins to eclipse his own, when even Jasper’s loyal brother Toby becomes captivated by Nell? No longer the quiet flower-picker, Nell knows her own place in the world, and she will fight for it.
A gorgeously wrought exploration of celebrity, power, and belonging, this is a historical novel unlike any other, with an unforgettable heroine at its heart.
Review:
In this charming novel, the author lets the settings fill the readers imagination, bringing smells, aromas, and touch, to just as important as seeing the words on the page. Her vibrant settings are their own unique character. Then add in a twisted tale of brotherly devotion, the starting of the term dysfunctional,to the Victorian need for oddities, and a teen finding her way out of the shadows and into the bright light of stardom, and you have a classical tale, but with some subtle twists.Once senses what will have to Jasper's elaborate plans, long before the characters do, and it's like watching the proverbial 'train wreck'- you just can't look away (do we get that from our Victorian ancestors??). This is sure to be the talk of the reading club, so don't miss this new book!
About the Author:
About the Author: Born in Scotland, Elizabeth Macneal is a writer and potter based in London. The Doll Factory, Elizabeth’s debut novel, was an international bestseller, has been translated into twenty-nine languages, and has been optioned for a major television series. It won the Caledonia Novel Award 2018. Circus of Wonders is her second novel.
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