Circus of Wonders by Elizabeth Macneal

Author: Elizabeth Macneal

Title: Circus of Wonders

Publisher: Picador 

Published: 2021

Pages: 384

Genre: Historical Fiction 

     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.

     Mcneal was an author I first came to in her debut novel The Doll Factory, it was a captivating work of fiction that kept me thinking about its pages long after I put the book down. So when Circus of Wonders came up for pre-order you can bet your bottom dollar that I added it straight to my cart. The signed edition no less. For me, it is not often that I come across an author whose work appealed to me after just one outing. But after having loved her first book so much I was hoping that this one could live up to my expectations and at least match the joy I had in reading The Doll Factory.

     Once again she has managed to capture that era in British history when things were so noticeable changing. The cities were on the rise and populations were booming. But there are still very strong streams flowing into this future from social norms of the past. For us looking back, the world Nell finds herself thrust into would be horrifying if we were to see it advertised at your local co-op. For people of the 1800s thought it was a good Saturday night out. Why not sit and watch the freaks, to laugh and joke about their physical appearance. To think better them, than me. It's something humans have done for thousands of years. And if we are honest I think many people still do this, after all, what is reality t.v if not the freak show of the modern age. We have just managed to give it a less shameful name and tell ourselves they know full well what they were getting themselves into.  So why not join in in the mocking right?

     Macneal has this way of creating microcosmos of worlds for her books. They seem to come alive dancing and tripping off the page and into the reader's minds in glorious technocolour. So tangible that they are you can almost smell the blood sweat and tear of her heroes. Within these pages I could see every aspect of Nell's world, it is an amazing feat to be able to write in such a way that allows the outside world to melt away and to be lost in this dream-like state. But do not be mistaken for thinking she has painted this circus life as some beautiful Disney version of its self. There is still the very harsh reality of what took place to these performers back then. We are treated to a pulling back of the curtain in all its horrific glory. To see them treated as no more than things to be exploited, we as the reader are left with no doubt as to not only how those who ran these circuses saw them but also those of the great British public. But we can live safe in our worlds knowing this author gave them back their humanity lost to the poster and the laughter. 

     When it comes to her heroes and villains the work is no less impeccable. To me, they felt like living breathing people. We quickly come to care deeply for Nell and her plight, as her life gets turned upside down, we are swept up in her riptide. But as with her previous book, it isn't just her lead that we form the emotional attachments to. Each of her supporting cast seems to be just as worthy of our time as each other. Maybe this is why her world-building comes off as so amazing. what you are getting here is the whole package. To me, it seems she captures the ups and downs this very dysfunctional family goes through. And that to me is what swirls at its center. Because whether they hate or love each other they are for the most part stuck together. For some this means looking out for those less fortunate than them selves and for others what can be extracted from them to make money. But nevertheless what we a presented with is very human and whilst at times we might want to look away from their terrible action, collectively we are given a beautiful story of a girl trying to make the best of her lot in life. 

     There is a lot to take in, in this world of wonders and horrors. And much like its predecessor, I'm sure its content will stay with me for some time to come. Mcneal has once again crafted a complex and fascinating novel. I'm sure that a great deal of time and effort has gone into researching not only the world she chose to show us but also in making sure her cast of characters lived up to their full potential. It is I believe a tricky feat to pull off but one in which this author has managed to pull off twice now. So it is safe to say that for me there was no drop-off between her first and second outing. She constantly knocks it out of the park so with works like this, I live in hope of more to come.