Synopsis
The Sunday Times bestseller from the bestselling author of The Doll Factory, Elizabeth Macneal.
Set in a spectacular circus in the pleasure gardens of Victorian London, Circus of Wonders is an addictive novel about power, fame, and a love that is threatened by a terrible secret.
'Glitters and gleams . . . utterly beguiling' – Daily Mail
1866. In a coastal village in southern England, Nell lives set apart by her community because of the birthmarks that speckle her skin.
But when Jasper Jupiter’s Circus of Wonders arrives in the village, Nell is kidnapped. Her father has sold her, promising Jasper Jupiter his very own leopard girl. It is the greatest betrayal of Nell's life, but as her fame grows, and she finds friendship with the other performers and Jasper’s gentle brother Toby, she begins to wonder if joining the show is the best thing that has ever happened to her.
In London, newspapers describe Nell as the eighth wonder of the world. Figurines are cast in her image, and crowds rush to watch her soar through the air. But what happens when her fame eclipses Jasper's own? And as she falls in love with Toby, can he detach himself from his past and the terrible secret that binds him to his brother?
Details
Reviews
“Elizabeth Macneal has done it again . . . Entrancing, tender, captivating. A marvel. I couldn’t put it down.”Sara Collins, author of Costa First Novel Award winner The Confessions of Frannie Langton
“An absolute triumph. Exquisitely written, intensely satisfying”Stacey Halls, author of The Familiars
“Dark but tender, evocative and compelling. I loved it”Laura Shepherd-Robinson, author of Blood & Sugar
“A tremendous read. Richly imagined, vividly rendered, each scene is like an old painting in which light gleams off the detail . . . The story is full-bodied and addictive from the outset, told with pace and verve but never compromising style . . . Circus of Wonders displays in abundance everything readers loved about The Doll Factory . . . an ambitious, enlightening novel”Emma Stonex, author of The Lamplighters
