Historical

Circus of Wonders

Circus of Wonders

  • Downloads：9165
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2022-03-03 11:21:40
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Elizabeth Macneal
  • ISBN：1797135996
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary

1866。 In a coastal village in southern England， Nell picks violets for a living。 Set apart by her community because of the birthmarks that speckle her skin， Nell’s world is her beloved brother and devotion to the sea。

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 who gets to tell Nell’s story？ What happens when her fame threatens to eclipse that of the showman who bought her？ 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？

Moving from the pleasure gardens of Victorian London to the battle-scarred plains of the Crimea， Circus of Wonders is an astonishing story about power and ownership， fame and the threat of invisibility。

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Reviews

Sarah O'Hara ，

I loved the story and the relation to PT barnum from the Greatest showman。

Menolly ，

Nope。 Didn't like this one even a little。 Forced myself to finish it。 Nope。 Didn't like this one even a little。 Forced myself to finish it。 。。。more

Kia Christensen ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Loved it but the ending left me a bit bitter。

Karen ，

Movie PLEASE！ I just couldn't stop myself。 HAD to finish。 Then， sad because I did。 Loved this story ~ Audio was Very good as well。 Movie PLEASE！ I just couldn't stop myself。 HAD to finish。 Then， sad because I did。 Loved this story ~ Audio was Very good as well。 。。。more

Shirley Jodouin ，

A fantasy/adventure about circus life。 It highlights how this industry could both exploit and empower a performer。 A story of greed， power and recognition。 Kept me turning pages late in the night。

Rebecca ，

So this was a good read…a little bit of a slow beginning but it kept me interested。 The characters were very well developed Nell truly grows into her own！！ My biggest critique would be the ending but only because I am a sucker for a neat and tidy happily ever after！！

Hanneke ，

A very enjoyable story about ambition， otherness， and belonging。

Athena ，

This was a great story。 It was whimsical， heartwrenching and an emotional rollercoaster。 There is such a strong connection to familial ties throughout the book， that brings the story together。 The story was really entertaining。 In this novel， family is everything whether they are your kin or your found family and that is so special and I loved reading about those bonds。

The Tea Tree Books ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Atmospheric and whimsical！ But if you’re looking for a happy ending， this is not it。 A story of how money and fame can swallow you whole， ruining everything you could have。 This book discusses themes of greed， individuality， and exploitation。 Highly recommend reading the authors note because it puts into perspective why the author chose to write about such a problematic part of history。 I felt lost between pages 270 and 320， but the ending picked up the pace and it ended well。

maddie （taylor's version） ，

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc！ 4。5 stars， rounded down。 Set in Victorian England， this story followed Nell， a nineteen-year-old girl who was born with birthmarks all over her， deemed a “freak of nature” by those in her home community。 When Nell’s father sells her to Jasper Jupiter’s Circus of Wonders， Nell is distraught。 Over time， she begins to love her performance and those in the circus， though。 She becomes bold and shining as she discovers what she was meant to do and Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc！ 4。5 stars， rounded down。 Set in Victorian England， this story followed Nell， a nineteen-year-old girl who was born with birthmarks all over her， deemed a “freak of nature” by those in her home community。 When Nell’s father sells her to Jasper Jupiter’s Circus of Wonders， Nell is distraught。 Over time， she begins to love her performance and those in the circus， though。 She becomes bold and shining as she discovers what she was meant to do and finds her place in the world。 I really enjoyed the setting of this book！ I love circus/carnival settings， so I thought it was great。 The characters were all very interesting， and very different。 I liked how they all had their own distinct thoughts and aspirations， and everything was very clear （nothing was very confusing surrounding the character’s motivations and thoughts）。 I especially liked Nell’s character; she really grew into herself， and I enjoyed watching her story play out。 Stella was also an interesting character， and I liked how she was protective over the other women in the circus。 There weren’t any female rivalries which I appreciated as well。 I initially was a bit disappointed by the end of the book， but after thinking about it a bit more， it's a pretty fitting ending for the story， and it makes sense for all of the characters。 The plot was very intriguing， and the book never really slowed down。 It held my attention all the way through to the end！ Everything felt very atmospheric， and over all， I really enjoyed this book！ 。。。more

Kristin ，

The latest entry from the online Strangelings Book Club。 Well drawn characters although not always likeable at times。 If you watched the Greatest Showman or Barnum， give this a read。

Jennifer Sioui ，

I have said it before but I wish there was a a way to give half stars I loved this book ！ Being a fan of the circus and sideshows I always scoop up a book when I hear the topic。 Sadly I have been disappointed by many。 Every once in a while I find a treasure。 This is that time The book not only pays tribute to the victorian times and side show personas who became famous and also mentions the Queen Victoria's love for the performers It allows us to see thing from within the circus。 Many saw it as I have said it before but I wish there was a a way to give half stars I loved this book ！ Being a fan of the circus and sideshows I always scoop up a book when I hear the topic。 Sadly I have been disappointed by many。 Every once in a while I find a treasure。 This is that time The book not only pays tribute to the victorian times and side show personas who became famous and also mentions the Queen Victoria's love for the performers It allows us to see thing from within the circus。 Many saw it as a way to freedom This was a great book where there was a lot of character build up At the end you feel you know these people Great great job on the book I loved it 。。。more

Aisha ，

In a coastal village in southern England， Nell picks violets for a living。 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's father sold her， promising Jasper Jupiter his very own leopard girl。I really enjoyed this novel， it was a great surprise。 There was the circus element but we also post traumatic stress disorder。 The bond between the brothers and Nell and her brother。 The world set up for th In a coastal village in southern England， Nell picks violets for a living。 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's father sold her， promising Jasper Jupiter his very own leopard girl。I really enjoyed this novel， it was a great surprise。 There was the circus element but we also post traumatic stress disorder。 The bond between the brothers and Nell and her brother。 The world set up for the circus was great as well。 The pacing was great and you really understand what is at stake。 。。。more

Lauren ，

This was slow for me until the last third and then I couldn’t put it down。 Love story？ Coming of age？ All the fairy tales retold？ It does a lot and still leaves questions open for your imagination。

Jade ，

I enjoyed this， but I really hated the choices of most of the characters， most of the time。 Their personalities were more irritating than endearing （in the places where the personalities were strong enough to grab my attention）。 The story was good， but I just wish there had been more character depth and a bit less emotionless drama。

Debbie ，

Set in 1866， the book follows Nell， a young girl who is sold to Jasper Jupiter’s Circus of Wonders by her father。 Nell is covered in birthmarks and is deemed ""leopard girl" for the circus where she quickly becomes the star attraction and finds a new family with her circus friends who understand her uniqueness。 The story is told in the perspectives of Nell， Jasper and Jaspers brother Toby。 I liked the circus setting and the variety of characters。 The book was well written and I enjoyed reading i Set in 1866， the book follows Nell， a young girl who is sold to Jasper Jupiter’s Circus of Wonders by her father。 Nell is covered in birthmarks and is deemed ""leopard girl" for the circus where she quickly becomes the star attraction and finds a new family with her circus friends who understand her uniqueness。 The story is told in the perspectives of Nell， Jasper and Jaspers brother Toby。 I liked the circus setting and the variety of characters。 The book was well written and I enjoyed reading it。 Bonus points for the amazing cover – it is so beautiful and fitting for this book。 。。。more

Brandi Pearl Reynolds ，

This one didn't grab my attention like The Doll Factory did （It is well-written， though）。 I may try re-reading it at a later date。。。 This one didn't grab my attention like The Doll Factory did （It is well-written， though）。 I may try re-reading it at a later date。。。 。。。more

Bookreporter。com Historical Fiction ，

Elizabeth Macneal， the internationally bestselling author of THE DOLL FACTORY， returns with CIRCUS OF WONDERS， an atmospheric and spellbinding novel of identity， perception and truth。In 1860s England， the “deformitomania” craze has swept the continent， and circuses boasting acts like Stella the Songbird， bearded like a bear; Minnie， the famed behemoth; Brunette， the Welsh giantess; and even the world’s smallest museum of curious objects tour the countryside， delighting guests with their show-sto Elizabeth Macneal， the internationally bestselling author of THE DOLL FACTORY， returns with CIRCUS OF WONDERS， an atmospheric and spellbinding novel of identity， perception and truth。In 1860s England， the “deformitomania” craze has swept the continent， and circuses boasting acts like Stella the Songbird， bearded like a bear; Minnie， the famed behemoth; Brunette， the Welsh giantess; and even the world’s smallest museum of curious objects tour the countryside， delighting guests with their show-stopping performances， occasionally picking up new acts along the way。 None of this is known to 19-year-old Nell， who lives with her father and brother in a small coastal farming village。Born covered in constellations of birthmarks， Nell is the bane of her father’s existence and the joke of the town。 Only her brother seems to see her clearly， and even he is a little too forceful in his claims that he loves her even though she is spotted…not because she is， or even just because she is her， spots and all。 When Jasper Jupiter’s Circus of Wonders comes to town， Nell is shocked to see people like her not only accepted by the townsfolk， but celebrated for their differences and gazed upon with love and adoration。 Her drunkard father， seeing a chance to free himself from her， sells her to Jasper for 20 pounds， but this is only the beginning of Nell’s story。Although Nell initially bristles at her gilded prison --- a carriage that Jasper has decorated in peacock feathers， expensive leather-bound books and various curiosities --- she soon begins to see salvation in Jasper， someone who can turn her， a hated leopard girl， into a star。 As she meets and learns more about the other performers， she sees not freaks or monsters， but ordinary people who have taken their physical deformities and， combined with the act of performance， turned them into something extraordinary。With Jasper set on turning her into his star attraction， the Queen of the Moon and Stars， Nell learns to unlock her own personality and take pride in her differences。 Very quickly， she realizes that her father’s cruel sale of her might be the best thing to ever happen to her。 The freedom is intoxicating， but so too is the chance to discover her own voice and use it to make friends and even find love。The object of Nell’s interest is none other than Jasper’s brother， Toby， the circus’s photographer who creates dazzling cartes de visite of each of the performers to be shared with guests and would-be guests。 He is a large man， but not so large as to be celebrated as the world’s fattest anything， and he is quietly competent， perfectly happy to live in his ringmaster brother’s shadow。 Nell alone seems to spot something magical within Toby， but even she cannot see the dark shadows of his past。In alternating chapters， Macneal walks readers through countless performances， bumpy cross-country carriage rides， and all the whimsy and magic of a night at the circus， as seen through the eyes of growingly independent Nell; gentle， bumbling Toby; and manic， fame-obsessed Jasper。 As tensions rise between Jasper --- desperate to become the next Barnum --- and his star， who is steadily outshining him， Macneal digs deeper into the relationship between them， which comes with its own competitiveness and dangerous repercussions。 With each of these fully realized， hopelessly relatable characters wanting to secure their place in the world， their ambitions， alliances and betrayals cross and circumvent one another for a plot that is every bit as enticing as the greatest show on earth。Returning once again to Victorian England， Macneal has created a totally immersive novel in which the time and place feel so real that you can hear the roar of the lion and smell the roasting chestnuts as you make your way to your （fictional） seat。 It is difficult not to make comparisons to Sara Gruen’s WATER FOR ELEPHANTS when you first pick up the book， but Macneal has really made the circus tent her own here。 She goes beyond the macabre idea of deformitomania to explore what it would really feel like to be ogled at and displayed like a trained monkey。 She also unpacks the fine line between experiencing the greatest amount of power and control you have ever had and recognizing that it comes at the cost of your pride and humanity。Nell is tenderly written， and the choices she faces， as well as her responses to them， are unforgettable。 Her slow realization that she may have traded one prison for another， albeit gilded， is among some of the most heartbreaking arcs I have ever read。 Through Nell， and then through Toby’s steady growth away from his controlling brother， Macneal dives deep into the notions of identity， ownership and exploitation。 I cannot say much about Jasper’s storyline for fear of ruining the plot， but here too the author excels， crafting a thoroughly wicked and arrogant villain whose rise and fall are shocking， horrifying and so very satisfying。Perfect for readers of WATER FOR ELEPHANTS， SIN EATER and THE 7 ½ DEATHS OF EVELYN HARDCASTLE， CIRCUS OF WONDERS is a soaring， moving story with a heroine you won’t soon forget。Reviewed by Rebecca Munro 。。。more

Crystal Haggart ，

This was a book that came in my Once Upon a Book Club subscription。 I would have never chosen to read it on my own。 I did not love it。 It was hard to get into and I took a break at one point almost not finishing。I liked that it was told through the eyes of 3 people。 I was satisfied with how it ended。I did not like how it made me feel sad throughout。

Amy ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Meh， a woman empowerment story with very unlikable characters and motivations。 This book is about the "freak" mania in the 18th century and the power imbalance between performers and circus owners。 In the end， each character chooses their own path in life。 The story highlights how the circus both abused/used its performers and empowered them at the same time。 Meh， a woman empowerment story with very unlikable characters and motivations。 This book is about the "freak" mania in the 18th century and the power imbalance between performers and circus owners。 In the end， each character chooses their own path in life。 The story highlights how the circus both abused/used its performers and empowered them at the same time。 。。。more

Beyondthebookends ，

Nell has always been different because of the birthmarks on her skin but she never expected that her father would use that difference to make a profit。 When Jasper Juniper’s Circus of Wonder comes to town， Nell’s father sells her to Jasper as a leopard girl。Jasper sees Nell and sets about making her into the star of his show and his ticket to stardom。 When Nell starts to find friendship in her fellow performers and fall in love with Jasper’s brother Toby， the question is whether Toby can separat Nell has always been different because of the birthmarks on her skin but she never expected that her father would use that difference to make a profit。 When Jasper Juniper’s Circus of Wonder comes to town， Nell’s father sells her to Jasper as a leopard girl。Jasper sees Nell and sets about making her into the star of his show and his ticket to stardom。 When Nell starts to find friendship in her fellow performers and fall in love with Jasper’s brother Toby， the question is whether Toby can separate himself from Jasper and his past and whether Nell will take control of her story。Thanks to Atria for my review copy of this book。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more

Carolynn ，

3。5 stars rounded up for the writing quality。Nell is ostracized by her small town because of the birthmarks that cover her skin。 Jasper Jupiter's Circus of Wonders comes to town and her father sells Nell to Jasper。 Taken against her will， Nell hopes for rescue from her beloved brother。 She soon realizes that she likes her role in the circus and the other "freaks" she works with。 She feels comfortable with her body for the first time and she enjoys the fame。It's been the dream of Jasper and his b 3。5 stars rounded up for the writing quality。Nell is ostracized by her small town because of the birthmarks that cover her skin。 Jasper Jupiter's Circus of Wonders comes to town and her father sells Nell to Jasper。 Taken against her will， Nell hopes for rescue from her beloved brother。 She soon realizes that she likes her role in the circus and the other "freaks" she works with。 She feels comfortable with her body for the first time and she enjoys the fame。It's been the dream of Jasper and his brother Toby to run a circus since childhood。 After the war， Jasper sets up the circus， but does not include Toby as an equal partner。 This novel's story follows the relationship between the two brothers and how Nell comes between them。The writing is beautiful。 The descriptions are so well-written that it was easy to imagine all the characters and scenes clearly in my mind。 The reason I did not give this book a higher rating， is due to my finding the main three characters more annoying than anything else。 I could not connect with any of them。 When reading a good story， it usually does not matter to me if the characters are likeable or not， but it did affect my enjoyment of this novel。I know readers often like to have a nice conclusion to know what happened to everyone。 This one does have a nice tidy wrap-up in the epilogue， but honestly I liked the openness of the end of the story before the epilogue。 I think that would have been the perfect ending。Thank you to Edelweiss+ and Simon & Schuster for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Kristina Harper ，

Circus of Wonders is the story of a traveling freak show in England during the 1800’s， when Queen Victoria—who was fascinated by human “oddities” and invited many， many of them to Buckingham Palace—ruled and people with differences were bought， sold， and exploited for profit and without apology。 Nell， a young girl with birthmarks that mark her like stars in the sky， is sold by her father to Jasper Jupiter， who runs a traveling “circus of wonders，” and the fame he brings her transforms her shame Circus of Wonders is the story of a traveling freak show in England during the 1800’s， when Queen Victoria—who was fascinated by human “oddities” and invited many， many of them to Buckingham Palace—ruled and people with differences were bought， sold， and exploited for profit and without apology。 Nell， a young girl with birthmarks that mark her like stars in the sky， is sold by her father to Jasper Jupiter， who runs a traveling “circus of wonders，” and the fame he brings her transforms her shame at being different into pride and confidence。 Meanwhile， Jasper’s brother Tony falls in love with Nell but suffers quietly in his brother’s shadow。 The lives of Jasper’s performers and accounts of some actual historical figures such as Joice Heth and Julia Pastrana are told with such compassion that the book is a joy to read。 The conclusion is completely gratifying—this is one of the most satisfying stories I’ve ever read， beautifully written and told。 。。。more

Nancy Green ，

This was a sad story but it was bad。 I am just finding circus books may not be my thing。

Mary ，

Nell’s dark birthmarks， making her skin look spotted， made the other residents of their small village uneasy。 Her brother Charlie was her biggest supporter， and his dreams of sailing to America and having a farm of his own always included Nell。 The family farm， consisting of the edible flowers the Queen loved， required a lot of care， and Nell’s talent for making candied violets kept her constantly busy。 When the traveling circus came through town， with the usual collection of oddities， Nell’s fa Nell’s dark birthmarks， making her skin look spotted， made the other residents of their small village uneasy。 Her brother Charlie was her biggest supporter， and his dreams of sailing to America and having a farm of his own always included Nell。 The family farm， consisting of the edible flowers the Queen loved， required a lot of care， and Nell’s talent for making candied violets kept her constantly busy。 When the traveling circus came through town， with the usual collection of oddities， Nell’s father saw his opportunity， and sold Nell to Jasper Jupiter。Even though the villagers stared， it was nothing compared to being expected to perform in front of hundreds of strangers。 Nell was marketed as Nellie Moon， and she flew across the top of the tent on ropes， opening and closing the heavy iron wings she was forced to wear。 Surprisingly， Nell found she enjoyed performing， and took comfort from the other troupe members， feeling that she had found a new family。 I enjoyed the storyline， the descriptions of Victorian England were fascinating， and I loved seeing Nell evolve into a strong and confident woman。 Still， I’m conflicted， and I can’t pin down my discontent。 I can’t even figure out what I didn’t like about the book， and yet I’m left feeling a bit off=balance。My thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher and author for providing this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Melanie ，

A wonderful read！ Full of circus intrigue and mystery and the ending was full of emotion。 Story as acrobatic as the performers！

Suzanne ，

3。5 stars。

Kris ，

3。5 stars rounded up。

Rachel ，

Imaginative plot that somehow lacked the depth and magic I was expecting。 I didn't connect with the characters and found that I really didn't care what happened to them。 The only time I felt anything during this story was the end， and it wasn't pleasant！ Imaginative plot that somehow lacked the depth and magic I was expecting。 I didn't connect with the characters and found that I really didn't care what happened to them。 The only time I felt anything during this story was the end， and it wasn't pleasant！ 。。。more

Ruth ，

Een fictief verhaal gebaseerd op de human freakshow uit de 18e en 19e eeuw。 Een boeiend en tegelijkertijd een bizar onderwerp。

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Circus of Wonders

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Circus of Wonders&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Circus of Wonders&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0