Circus of Wonders: A Novel

By Elizabeth Macneal

For fans of Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus, Sara Gruen’s Water for Elephants, and Diane Setterfield’s Once Upon a River, an atmospheric and spectacular novel in which one woman’s life is transformed by the arrival of a Victorian circus of wonders.

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 Jupiter’s 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, Nell’s fame spreads across the world—and 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 Jasper’s 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.

A gorgeously wrought exploration of celebrity, power, and belonging, this is a historical novel unlike any other, with an unforgettable heroine at its heart.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Release date: Feb 15, 2022
• ISBN: 9781982111960

Elizabeth Macneal

Elizabeth Macneal is the author of two Sunday Times-bestselling novels: The Doll Factory, which won the 2018 Caledonia Novel Award and has been adapted into a major TV series on Paramount+, and Circus of Wonders. Her work has been translated into twenty-nine languages. Born in Scotland, Elizabeth is also a potter and lives in Twickenham with her family.

Reviews for Circus of Wonders

[bookappeal · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A sense of dread, sorrow, guilt and worry permeates this story, tainting even the triumphant moments. The historical detail of circus performers in this era is interesting but it's not a joyful life. The underlying mystery of one of the characters is too drawn out and not surprising when revealed but Nell's ultimate journey of self-discovery is told well.

[wagner5sarah35 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It took me a little while to get into this story, but I stuck with it and was rewarded with a compelling and compassionate tale of a 19th-century circus. Jasper Jupiter, a British veteran of the Crimean War and now ringmaster, wants his small circus to be bigger and better. Unfortunately, this desire leads him to borrow money from an unsavory characters and, even more chilling, to "purchase" people with deformities and unique features. Nell, whose body is birthmarked, is one of Jasper's purchases and yet she discovers an enjoyment in performing, if not necessarily for Jasper. An interesting story that captures the spirit of a 19th-century circus in both good and bad ways.

[reader1009-863136 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

adult fiction - 1860s Victorian circus kidnaps/adopts 19 y.o. Nell (born with birthmarks covering her body) and separating her from her 20 y.o. brother and the father who sold her away; she meets Toby (Tobias Brown), the brother of the ringmaster Jasper Jupiter, haunted by his memories of the Crimean war and the role the brothers may have played in the death of their friend/acquaintance Edward Dashwood.a fast, engrossing read with vivid, layered characters.

[perednia_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A lovely, harrowing story of illusion and hiding the truth from oneself, of inseparable siblings, of makeshift families living in circus caravans and dreaming of playing before royalty in post-Crimean war Britain -- Circus of Wonders is a fascinating, bewitching novel of promise and regret.

[desiree_reads · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Simply magnificent. So absorbing - I totally fell down the rabbit hole and sunk right into this story. Beautiful, wonderful, and heart-wrenching. Bravo!