***
I am lost to the thrills and magic of the circus. Please, don't send help. I want to stay here forever, trapped between the pages and avoiding the reality that I can't run off to the menagerie.
From the moment I opened this book I knew it was going to be special. I have long since been captivated by the circus and Kristy's fabulous writing drew to life every hope and dream within me. I saw the lights, smelled the molasses coated popcorn, and grew teary eyed at the stunning performances.
I loved the juxtaposition of characters from sweet and determined Lady Rosamund Easling and Irishman Colin Keary in all of his manly fastidious, to Mable and John Ringling and their unique relationship. It felt like a multitude of stories wrapped up into one that painted a beautiful picture of how the Lord orchestrates lives together in ways we would not suspect.
Being a lover of all things from the turn-of-the-century Jazz Age, I appreciated the thorough research Kristy put into this book. I loved the addition of Walt Disney (though brief) and the history of Ca D'Zan. It's now on my travel list.
I urge you all to read this book if for no other reason than to lose yourself in the vibrant world of the circus and how two women's lives were radically affected by grace, hope, determination, and the power of courage. The history is organic to the story, the romance sweet and natural, and the plot will pull you through until the very end. A must read! Brava!
Rating: 5*
Purchase: The Ringmaster's Wife
Book Description
(from Amazon)
An ounce of courage.
A leap of faith.
Together, they propel two young women to chase a new life—one that’s reimagined from what they might have become.
In turn-of-the-century America, a young girl dreams of a world that stretches beyond the confi nes of a quiet life on the family farm. With little more than her wit and a cigar box of treasures, Mable steps away from all she knows, seeking the limitless marvels of the Chicago World’s Fair. There, a chance encounter triggers her destiny—a life with a famed showman by the name of John Ringling.
A quarter of a century later, Lady Rosamund Easling boards a ship to America as a last adventure before her arranged marriage. There, the twenties are roaring, and the rich and famous gather at opulent, Gatsby-esque parties. The Jazz Age has arrived, and with it, the golden era of the American circus, whose queen is none other than the enigmatic Mable Ringling.
When Rosamund’s path crosses with Mable’s and the Ringlings’ glittering world, she makes the life-altering decision to leave behind a comfortable future of estates and propriety, choosing instead the nomadic life of a trick rider in the Ringling Brothers’ circus.
A novel that is at once captivating, deeply poignant, and swirling with exquisite historical details of a bygone world, The Ringmaster’s Wife will escort readers into the center ring, with its bright lights, exotic animals, and a dazzling performance that can only be described as the Greatest Show on Earth!
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I received a free copy of this book but was under no obligation to read the book or post a review. I do so under my own motivation and the opinions I have expressed in this review are honest and entirely my own.
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