Book review: I want to run away and join the circus. Specifically @emmacowing’s ladies circus, touring the show grounds of Edwardian Scotland - because I loved the characters in this novel *so much*.

‘The Show Woman’ tells the story of 21-yo Lena and her ‘sort-of-sister’, trapeze goddess Violet, who daringly decide to run their own, all female, circus. As their wagon rolls around Scotland’s show circuit, Lena also finds clues to the whereabouts of her mother, who vanished a decade previously. Not everyone, however, is happy about their new venture and they soon realise just what they’re up against.

The characters leapt, cartwheeled, and cantered off the page (bareback, of course). I cared about them deeply. With tears. There may be a pink tent on the front, but there’s no sugarcoating here: some heavy themes are woven into their stories with great compassion. It’s clear how tragically tough things are, not to mention how unfair, but it never feels like a pity party.

The plot kept me hooked so much that I read it in a day. It’s full of fascinating details of show life and gorgeous vignettes of places on the show circuit, wild swimming, and whisky. The twists and turns were as brilliantly executed as Violet’s trapeze routines.

I’m lucky enough to have known Emma since Sara at @cheshirenovelprize brought us and the other long listers together in 2023 and have been itching to read this ever since. She’s a wonderful, generous, wise human being, and I’m not surprised she’s written such a stunner.

I absolutely loved it (in case you couldn’t tell) and can’t wait to be able to talk about Lena, Violet & Co, plus the weeping and *the twists* when it’s published on 1 May.

Roll up, roll up and pre-order now.

Big thanks to @hodderfiction and @netgalley for the advanced copy.

A captivating story to start 2025. This is a descriptive tale of family and friends, fairgrounds and circuses. Rich storytelling and evocative descriptions meant that I stayed up well past my bedtime to finish it.

Be aware that the book includes mentions, of sexual assault, child sexual assault, and murder. None of which is gratuitous or glamourised.

I received this book as an advanced reader copy via NetGalley.
This review is wholly my own words and opinions.

Lena's father has died and left to her the circus carousel which has seen better days and is really fit for nothing.

Then Violet arrives... sassy and brilliant and life starts to breathe again

What a glorious read this is . It is richly told and descriptive and clever and OMG I LOVED IT..

1910 and Lena is adrift after the death of her father, left with only his dilapidated carousel ride and the mystery of where her mother disappeared to years before.
Violet may be one of the best trapeze artists around, but slapping the circus owner wasn't the best idea, and she's unemployable.
The two childhood friends team up, and with the help of a nervous young trick horse rider and a Spanish acrobat, they start an all female travelling circus. But the past isn't keen to stay put.

This is an evocative romp of a story. I loved the characters and the atmosphere. I'm a fool for a circus story and this is a hell of a story.

The spotlight on the way women had to and still have to fight for space is skillfully depicted This is a book of strong female characters (which I love).

You'll love this if you have fond memories of seeing the circus as a child or ever threaten your colleagues/family with quitting and running away to join the circus.

THE SHOW WOMAN by Emma Cowing was so so good. I couldn't stop reading this book. It's so well written and the characters are fantastic.