CIRCUS OF WONDERS BY ELIZABETH MACNEAL

From the #1 internationally bestselling author of the lush, evocative Gothic (The New York TimesBook Review)The Doll Factorycomes an atmospheric and spectacular novel about a woman transformed by the arrival of a Victorian circus of wondersas moving as it is deeply entertaining (Daniel Mason,New York Timesbestselling author).

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 Jupiters 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, Nells fame spreads across the worldand 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 Jaspers 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.

Circus of Wondersis a beautiful story about the complex dance between exploitation and empowerment, and the question of what it really means to have control over your own life (Naomi Ishiguro, author ofEscape Routes).

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