The Ladies of the Secret Circus
From the author of A Witch in Time comes a magical story spanning from Jazz Age Paris to modern-day America of family secrets, sacrifice, and lost love set against the backdrop of a mysterious circus. Paris, 1925: To enter the Secret Circus is to enter a world of wonder--a world where women weave illusions of magnificent beasts, carousels take you back in time, and trapeze artists float across the sky. Bound to her family's circus, it's the only world Cecile Cabot knows until she meets a charismatic young painter and embarks on a passionate affair that could cost her everything. Virginia, 2004: Lara Barnes is on top of the world until her fiancé disappears on their wedding day. When her desperate search for answers unexpectedly leads to her great-grandmother's journals, Lara is swept into a story of a dark circus and ill-fated love. Soon secrets about Lara's family history begin to come to light, revealing a curse that has been claiming payment from the women in her family for generations. A curse that might be tied to her fiancé's mysterious disappearance Praise for The Ladies of the Secret Circus: "At times decadent and macabre, The Ladies of the Secret Circus is a mesmerizing tale of love, treachery, and depraved magic percolating through four generations of Cabot women." --Luanne G. Smith, author of The Vine Witch "Fans of Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus will love this page-turning story of dark magic, star-crossed love, and familial sacrifice." --Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Ambitious and teeming with magic, Sayers creates a fascinating mix of art, The Belle Époque, and more than a little murder." --Erika Swyler, author of The Book of Speculation For more from Constance Sayers, check out A Witch in Time.
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Community Reviews
The Ladies of the Secret Circus by Constance Sayers was Pure Escapism Delight! It had magic and murder and mystery all rolled up into a mystical circus that can only be found if you're invited into the fold.
I find that the more I love a book, the harder it is for me to write about WHY I loved it so much. Was it the multiple strong female characters? Was it the traveling back and forth between past and present only to have them come together in the end? Or was it the magic that wove its way through from beginning to end? YES.
This is one of those books that will hold a special place on my bookshelves and be revisited many times when I am wishing for a way to escape into another world.
5 Solid Stars and wish I could give it more...
A HUGE Thank You to NetGalley and Redhook Books for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced copy to review. (Confession: I also bought it the day it was published.)
I find that the more I love a book, the harder it is for me to write about WHY I loved it so much. Was it the multiple strong female characters? Was it the traveling back and forth between past and present only to have them come together in the end? Or was it the magic that wove its way through from beginning to end? YES.
This is one of those books that will hold a special place on my bookshelves and be revisited many times when I am wishing for a way to escape into another world.
5 Solid Stars and wish I could give it more...
A HUGE Thank You to NetGalley and Redhook Books for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced copy to review. (Confession: I also bought it the day it was published.)
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