Hodder & Stoughton

THE SHOW WOMAN - Emma Cowing

''Gorgeously written, with twists and turns worthy of a circus trapeze'' JENNIE GODFREYTHE SHOW MUST GO ON ...1910. With the disappearance of her mother and the sudden death of her father, Lena instantly loses any security she has within the circus she has known all her life. She is advised to sell the carousel her father cared for like a child and look for a husband, or a job in a factory. Until flame-haired Violet, known to all in the fairgrounds as ''the greatest trapeze artist that ever lived'', suggests they go it alone with their own, all-female act. With her outspoken ways and her refusal to marry, Violet is as much an outcast as Lena. What do they have to lose? Recruiting new performers including bareback horse-rider Rosie, on the run from her abusive father, and Carmen whose rainbow ribbons hide the darkness in her past, the four women form an unbreakable bond.Thrust into a harsh and dangerous world that treats them with suspicion, disdain and even violence, they must forge their own path in search of freedom, security, and love.Deeply rooted in the Edwardian era, THE SHOW WOMAN is brilliantly realised and expertly interlaces strong female characters, deeply-woven family secrets and heartfelt love stories. ''I wanted to run away with this all-woman circus!'' C.J. COOKE''Beautifully written, engaging plot and thoroughly researched'' STYLIST''A very special debut'' JENNY COLGAN''Beautifully crafted, fast-paced and compelling ... easily the debut of the year so far!'' MIKE GAYLE''Suspenseful, authentic, sexy and uplifting. Beautiful writing plunges the reader into the showgrounds of Edwardian Scotland, sights, sounds, smells and all'' ERIN KELLY''A joy to read, so beautifully written, evoking the rich and often overlooked story of the travelling fairs of Edwardian-era Scotland'' SEAN LUSK''Absolutely loved soaking up the atmosphere of the circus and fairground in The Show Woman. There''s hardship and excitement and mystery and joy in this novel, and I couldn''t stop turning the pages'' SARAH L. BROOKS, author of The Cautious Traveller''s Guide to the Wastelands

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