The Circus

When the German Army entered France at the start of WWII life changed for everyone. It was a life changer for Michel a twenty year old living in Paris. His mentor, Bertrand, a neighbor that helped him find a job and a place to live after his mother died, persuades him to leave Paris because the Germans were coming.

They go to the train station but it was so packed they couldn't get in , they went to a second station with no luck. Bertrand talked to a friend and was told about a train coming through that Michel could run and catch. He runs and catches the train not knowing it is a circus train. Michel joins the circus taking care of the horses. He falls in love with Freda, the ringmaster's daughter, and stays with the circus.

Unknown to him the circus was made up of a German man , the ringmaster, and a circus troupe filled with Jewish performers.

The story is about the circus, the performers, and their journey one step ahead of the Germans, sometimes performing for them in plain sight. The story is about the separate relationships between each of the performers and their stories. It is about the War, how they survive and what happens when they are finally betrayed.

The book was a good read and I would recommend it.

Thanks to Carly Shabowski, Bookouture, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of the book in return for an honest review.

I really enjoyed all the characters of the book and the writing style was easy to read and flowed nicely. The change of point of view in the end was super confusing and threw me off a little, though.

I really liked the atmosphere of the book - how the war and the fear always sort of loomed in the background but the story wasn't overburdened with it.

I didn't really get the book's title - it felt like the reveal of Frieda's identity was supposed to be a plot twist but because of the title it obviously wasn't that to the reader, so it felt odd how Michel never even thought of that before it was spelt out for him. And there was so much to the story than just Frieda, and her and Michel's romance.

I received a free digital copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Ringmaster's Daughter tells the story of Michel, a young French man, who leaves Paris just as the Germans arrive at the beginning of World War Two. He stows away on a circus train, is kicked off the train, but then brought back not much later. Werner, the ringmaster, forces him to promise that he will train a new stallion within a week in exchange for continuing to work with the circus. Though Michel doesn't quite get the horse trained in time, he manages to become part of the group and is allowed to stay. As he spends months traveling, he comes to know the performers and the workers.
I feel like I keep saying this about books that I get from here, but the pacing in this book was what kept me from truly enjoying it. Perhaps its the fact that the summary (and one of the goodreads subtitles) mentions that it's a World War II romance, but skirts around the war for the most part. Not to mention the minimal romance. The summary on Goodreads also makes it seem that Michel isn't allowed to see the performers,
" Why does the man with the performing monkey never speak, and the sword swallower turn his face away? Who are the silent, shadowy figures who flit like moths between the wagons when the sun is down? It’s clear that Neumann is keeping his performers hidden away… but why? And how can Michel win the love of the beautiful and exotic trapeze artist Freida – the graceful, green-eyed star of Neuman’s spectacular – when he’s been forbidden to even meet her gaze?"
To me, there was not the amount of mystery and suspense that seems promised in this excerpt. It was an okay read, but I don't know that I would read it again.

The Ringmaster's daughter is a story about a young man (Michel Bonnet) who flees Paris when the Nazi's are about to enter the city at the beginning of WWII. The train he jumps on turns out to be the train of a travelling circus troupe.
After he gets initially thrown out of the train he later rejoins the troupe when he meets them in a small village.
Slowly a bond develops between Michel and some of the members of the troupe and he discovers that almost all of the ill-matched circus members have their own secrets which make them vulnerable for discovery by the Germans.
Michel falls in love with Frieda, who turns out to be the ringmaster's daughter.

Although the circus members are all on the run for the war and the Germans in some way or other, the war stays something in the background until about three quarters into the story, From that moment onwards it becomes a major part of the story,
The book is well write and I really liked the story but unfortunately I found the end a bit weak. This started with the change in the penultimate part, winter, with a change of viewpoint (from third person to first person) and annoying leaps in time, like the writer didn't really know how to finish the story. I think there could have been a better and more coherent finale to the story. That's why I'll give it 3 stars while I was inclined to give it three stars initially.
I want to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I started this book a few times before I could get to the point of no return. If you can just ger through a third of the book, it picks up and you realize it is a wonderful historical novel of WWII times, that is not your ordinary tale. If you enjoy the circus then this is for you. Both educational (I learned several things) and entertaining.

The Ringmaster's Daughter is a historical fiction set in France during WW2. With the imminent invasion of the German army, Michel is forced to escape Paris and finds himself about a circus train. Michel discovers a whole new life whilst trying to hold onto the one he left behind.

Having read some other books based on WW2, I was intrigued by the story-line and I have to say, I wasn't disappointing. I was engaged from the first chapter and instantly felt a connection with the characters. The story unfolds gradually and with it each character's secrets are told. There were some twists towards the end which I enjoyed.

This book was heart warming and a beautiful tale of love and friendship.

Thank you to Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for a review.

This was such a wonderful story! Not at all what I expected, but beautiful all the same. It was almost as if Alice Hoffman had written Water for Elephants. An epic tale filled with wonderful characters that you come to love and really care for.

In many ways, this is your standard World War 2 novel. It’s quite nicely written, but rather slow. I was 57% through (thanks, Kindle) before it got truly interesting. And then I felt like the end was rushed. I have a lot of questions about the very end. Not a bad read, but also not great.

I honestly wanted to read this book because i found the cover to be captivating. However, I couldn’t really get into the story. I think I would have preferred a circus story or a WWII story, but the combination didn’t work for me. I thought the change to first person at the end of the book was strange.

This was mostly a love story with a smattering of history. A new take on the ever so popular WWII novels, I loved that this story mostly took place on the road with a traveling circus in France. While the author didn't detail all the ins and outs of the circus, she still did a great job of creating this surreal environment where the characters, living their nomadic life, could escape some of the despair of war-times and be part of bringing joy and wonder to the people they visited.

And isn't that what love does? At times love is this 'other world' that distracts you from pain and fear and makes your heart do flips. It gives you something to believe in and hold onto. I think the author created a brilliant juxtaposition of the love and danger, wonder and fear, good and evil that could be found during that time.

It is a story with a little bit of everything- it's humorous, mysterious, emotional, historical. It's not a life-changing book, but with something for everyone, it's one I highly recommend.

**I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

I was so excited about this book and the title, I loved water for elephants and I’m a huge historical fiction fan but this boom didn’t live up to my expectations. There were many errors but this wasn’t a finished copy so I figure those will be fixed with time, this didn’t have much to do with WW2 like I thought it would. It mentioned it here and there but I wouldn’t classify this as historical fiction. The story was good just very confusing and I was expecting more. Also this has nothing to do with the ring masters daughter, it’s the ring masters lover

If you’re looking for a story about the glitter of the circus this one is not for you. If however you’re looking for a story about the bond among circus people and are into historical fiction then I’d say you found your book. Like all world war II historical fiction this book has some inspiring and despairing moments. The characters overall are interesting, but I do wish their background stories were a little bit fuller. This book is being recommended for fans of Water for Elephants but I think that’s a little off the mark as this book is a little sweeter.
#TheRingmastersDaughter #NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Set during World War 2, this work of historical fiction is highly entertaining. It's a fun novel to get lost in while everything else in the world is difficult - there is romance and suspense, as well as some beautifully painted scenes that allow you to get a little lost. The characters are well developed, and felt to me to be one of the strongest pieces of this book. While I occasionally felt that the pacing of the story was off, the characters pulled you through.

There is a shift of perspective for the last third of the book or so, and this gave me pause - it felt hard to adjust back in to the flow of the tale. Overall, however, I appreciated the warmth and friendship between the characters as they work to navigate dark and unprecedented times.

* Thanks to Bookouture, via NetGalley, for this ARC!

I would like to thank Bookouture for asking me to read and review this book and to be apart of the blog tour.
What initially got me interested in this read was the cover, it is beautiful. The other was it was based in WW2 and I was intrigued about the circus element. After reading the blurb I was excited to get started.
This was a story based on true events which I always find gives me a feeling of being in ore of the characters and thinking about the real life events. It gives an added depth to the story. Just as the Nazis are invading Michel finds himself becoming a horse handler for the circus and this could be his lucky break as he also finds love with the ringmasters daughter. This story is about hope, love and heartbreak during the war with Michel being intrigued by the mystery and secrets that the circus people are hiding.
This was a lovely read and one I enjoyed. It has a lighthearted feel to it despite it being set during WW2. I will be looking for more by this author in the future.

This is a hard book to review. I feel like there were a lot of lovely elements, but I'm not quite sure they all came together. This novel takes place in 1940, when the Nazis are beginning to invade Paris. Michel escapes and ends up on a train owned by a circus, which then employs Michel as the horses' caretaker.

Two major reasons I was interested in this book were the historical element and the wondrous, circus element. But it felt very jarring to go from the bleak reality that Nazis are closing in--and the knowledge of what will happen to so many Parisians as the Nazis take over France--to the wonderment and silliness of the circus. And with the immediate threat of the war sort of removed from the characters, it honestly felt like this novel could have (and perhaps should have) taken place at any other point in history. I certainly don't think it's fair to compare it to The Nightingale or The Tattooist of Auschwitz, as it really doesn't stack up other than the wartime setting. I also really struggled to connect with the wide cast of characters, even Michel himself; there simply wasn't enough depth given.

All in all, not really what I expected. I think there was a lot of potential here, and two great threads to pull readers in. I just don't think enough was done. Unfortunately, a pass from me.

This is the best book I have read this year, it is beautiful and atmospheric. The story really draws you in and you find yourself really caring about all of the characters and their battle for survival as outsiders in occupied France.

When the Germans make their way to Paris in 1940, Michel Bonnet and his friend and neighbor, Bertrand, try to flee the city that they love. In the end, Bertrand decides to stay but secures Michel passage on a train as a stowaway. What Michel quickly discovers is that this is no ordinary train, it belongs to a circus. Ringmaster Wernher allows him to stay to work with the horses which is Michel's specialty but gives him strict rules and guidelines. Michel quickly falls in love with Freida, the raven haired trapeze artist who seems to belong to the ringmaster. There is something else going on within this group of misfits that Michel can't quite put his finger on but with war all around them, will their lives or their secrets stay safe?

I love historical fiction especially stories that take place in Paris and France. Set all that up against the backdrop of a circus and you have a winning recipe for a great book. I fell in love with the characters that Carly Schabowski created. I was enthralled from the beginning just by imagery alone which she does very well. There were plenty of times that the plot wasn't very deep but the story moved along based on her characters and setting. Rarely, do you get a historical fiction novel that leaves you with a truly happy ending but this one does. If WWII fiction can be lighthearted, this one is it.

The Ringmaster's Daughter surprised me in many ways! The way the stories within kept unfolding was a pleasure to read. I loved how with the well written imagery, I was able to place myself in all of the different settings. I was also pleasantly surprised by the ending. I loved how this mixed a circus troupe with WWII happenings.
I highly recommend this book for anyone that enjoys reading historical fiction, about the circus, or love stories. I look forward to reading more by Carly Schabowski!

I was initially attracted by the beautiful cover and soon found myself swept up in a historical fiction tale set in World War 2. It was a fantastic take on evading the Nazis and even more so given the events were based on real events.
The central character is Michel, a drifter who becomes a horse handler at a circus in Paris just as the Nazis are invading. Travelling with the circus brings love, heartbreak and ultimately hope. . Although I loved this book the sudden switch in narration style affected the pace and flow of the story and I struggled to get back on track. However, it has a beautiful ending so is ultimately satisfying.

I have always been interested in the circus and Water for Elephants was one of my favourite books so when i found that this novel is interweaved with the circus I was desperate to read it right away, this twinned with the gorgeous cover, I couldn’t wait to dive into this magical world!

This book starts in France with the German occupation of the country and begins with our protagonist, Michel fleeing from Paris and is inadvertently thrown in with a circus troupe.

Through many obstacles Michel is allowed to tend to the performance horses within the circus but it intrigued by his fellow circus members secretive pasts.

This novel was a little hard to get into at first, the strong descriptive prose is excellent however I felt it took a while for Michel to join the Circus which left the plot open to being lost. However Schabowski builds a vivid and well crafted world, the background development is strong throughout and you really feel you are with Michel in his Circus setting.

Michel is a likeable characters, however I felt some character development was a little weak and could have been more well rounded.

I felt the romance was predictable but heartfelt and I enjoyed the build up.

Overall I think this is a strong debut novel. I enjoyed the setting and the premise but felt it lacked a little emotional depth.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookoture for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.