Paris, 1940, and the city of lights has gone dark.

Twenty-year-old Michel Bonnet earns a living breaking and caring for horses on the outskirts of the city. But as the Nazis invade, Michel flees Paris and takes refuge as a stowaway on a train headed for the rural South…and so begins the journey that will change his life.

Th train belongs to a travelling circus whose Ringmaster, Werner Neumann, is a troubled and irritable man. Neumann offers Michel a job caring for the troupes horses, an opportunity that comes with some unusual conditions. Michel must keep to himself and never speak of what takes place behind the glittering curtain.

But as Michel finds himself pulled into the wondrous world of the great spectacular he begins to doubt if he can keep his word. Especially, when it comes to the beautiful trapeze artist Frieda - the graceful, green-eyed star of the show.

I have always loved historical fiction, especially those set during WWII. Usually those I read are set in the UK, depicting the home front and full of the British blitz spirit. But lately, I’ve found myself reading novels set in different countries that were affected by the war, particularly those that were under occupation.

This is one such novel, starting in Paris and moving through several rural French villages. This is a story of romance, friendship and hope, set against the captivating and colourful backdrop of the circus.

Michel is a wonderful main protagonist, he is kind and gentle, and his scenes with the horses and Bertrand are so heartwarming. The whole cast are enticingly eclectic, each with their own story of what brought them to the circus, shrouded in an air of mystery and magic.

This book, this story, had me entranced from the beginning. Even under the shadow and trials of war the reader is swept along on the characters journeys, celebrating every high and feeling every low.

However, I do have just a few tiny negative points, which is so disappointing as this was a 5-star read for me all the way through. Firstly, the title is a major plot spoiler, which I won’t go into in detail. Secondly, the last two chapters are changed from a third person narrative to first person, which I found caused somewhat of a jarring effect on my reading; and lastly, the ending felt rushed and just a tad too conventional after such a whimsical tale.

That aside, this is a truly sensational debut novel. Carly Schabowski is definitely one to watch out for, I certainly will be.

I loved this take on WWII with a circus element. I was so shocked at how easily this time period and this circus trope worked together. I was fascinated with how this was going to go and it was such an excellent surprise. Wonderfully written and easy to read and follow.

This was my first book by this author, It was pretty enjoyable. I would give this book a 4.5 star rating! It was a pretty Quick and easy read!

I love all things circus in books - I think it's such a fun atmosphere for a story - so it's absolutely heartbreaking that I couldn't love this story more.

I have been trying to think of what it was that prevented me from giving this 5 stars and I think it's just a bunch of little things. The writing feels a bit disjointed at times with irregular pacing, there are so many characters thats it's difficult to form meaningful connections with all of them, there isn't enough circus, but there also isn't enough WWII, and I didn't really feel the romance.

This not a terrible book my by any means - there were just many little things that added up to a lesser reading experience for me personally.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. This book is set in the 1940's and has a great storyline and I really enjoyed it and liked the characters. I can remember going to a circus when I was young with my parents and how much I loved it this brought back happy memories for me.

The story allows us to be taken on protagonist, michel’s journey among the setting of World War Two. Michel finds himself having to fee from his hometown due to a nazi invasion where he finds himself on a circus troupes train. Along the way michel forms beautiful friendships, falls in love with the ring masters daughter & puts his life at risk to save those he has met. We soon discover why the characters of the circus troupe are wanting to lay low.
A lovely story about the effects of France throughout the nazi invasion & above all, how love conquers all.
This story was such an enjoyable read however there were moments where I felt the pace slow down a little. For me, there were too many characters to follow all the way through but I did enjoy following the main characters, that I soon bonded with. This book focuses more on the characters, their backgrounds and relationships rather than a set, solid storyline. If you like a light hearted read & want to escape, I definitely recommend this story.
I gave it a ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 💕

Carly Schabowski is a welcome new voice. The Ringmaster's Daughter, with just a few corrections, could be a solid 4 Star review. She writes beautifully and could be both a best-seller and "soon to be a major motion picture". My two major suggestions: (1) Why give away the surprise 60% into the book with the title? (2) The final chapter is rushed and trite and spoils what could be a truly wonderful reading experience.

This historical novel begins in 1940 Paris just before the Nazi invasion. Bombs have fallen and Gestapo uniforms are on the ground. People are trying to escape. Michel, a young orphan has been living hand to mouth with help from friend and neighbor, Bertrand and the local café owner. Here's the first suspension of disbelief: As her runs to catch a slowing train, Michel ends up on a circus which has seen better days. Coincidentally enough, Michel is a horse trainer and the circus has a massive, untrained and somewhat crazy stallion. And that's how Michel finds a job. Schabowski does wonderful descriptions of the circus crew from the bearded lady, the sword swallower, the accordion player and his monkey, to Frieda (the gorgeous trapeze artist, malnourished triplets and Werner, the curmudgeonly ringmaster.

The story develops with intrigue from a jealous horse dancer and the inevitable encroachment of the Nazi soldiers. All is well researched and exciting as the troupe loses its train and becomes increasingly ragtag.
Miraculously, there is always rescue from unexpected sources and people who warm to Michel's looks and charm to help him. All in all, this first novel a significant start to what is sure to be a successful career for Schabowski.

Many thanks to Net Galley, the author and Bookouture for the chance to read and review.

I was drawn to this book due to the time period of the book. This was a new and interesting perception of the times. I enjoyed the characters and you will learn to love them as well. The main character accidently becomes part of a circus, and this books not about circus life, but instead what the circus life provded for its participants.

This story starts in 1940 in Paris.
As the WW2 rages and threatens the capital of France, Michel flees and joins the Le Cirque Neumann.
There he finds refuge, friends, trouble, and love. We follow not just his story but also the story of his friend Bertrand, whom he left behind in Paris, and all the other colorful characters Michel meets in the circus.

This is a historical novel written in the hard and dark times of war filled with heartache, hardship but above all hope. I love that in the end, this was a book that left me with feeling satisfied after reading it. I liked that it has a happy end. It is also a story that focuses more on the characters' journies and what they are going through. I like that war is not the main topic of this novel.

I didn't understand choices to switch narration from third to first-person towards the end. My personal choice would maybe be that first-person narration was from the beginning.

The cover of this book is absolutely beautiful.
I would rate this book somewhere between three and four stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
I will be sharing it on Goodreads, Twitter, and Amazon.

I love it! This book is so heartwarming! After reading The Dutch House, and tell to myself lets read another fictional, historical based book and then i saw this and got intrigued! And liking everything about this book! From the start it keeps me going! Get interested of Michel’s life, his choices and a just go with the flow principle at that time of his life... I love the connection of Michel and Bertrand, like a father and a son, and friend at the same time, i really love their conversation that makes my heart mushy and swell. I have a soft spot when it comes to family stories, and dont forget about his adventure and find friends along the way... and i hope at this time, there’s still people who will willingly to help you without anything in return like Jean, Lucien and the gang. Im like in that place and part of the crew. There’s some phases of the story where for me is just a filler that makes some dull moment. ( im not a professional reviewer but thats what i felt). It is a lovestory of Freida and Michel that gives me gasps and oooohs (while reading especially the last part if the book my heart at that moment!) and also celebration of life, friendship and family! Im so happy with this book, touching, heartwarming and magical that needs no spell to feel.

I was initially drawn to this book because of the stunning cover. It starts out in Paris during WWII following main character, Michel, while he makes his way out the the city. He stows away on a train and later finds out it is a circus train. This story follows Michel’s journey through the struggles of WWII, love, and what being in the circus is all about. The book has several twists and turns that I didn’t see coming. I truly enjoyed this book from beginning to end and would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

I was a bit disappointed by The Ringmaster’s Daughter. It started promising. I liked the first chapters set in Paris, and then when Michel leaves and joins the circus. Then something shifted strangely, and it quickly started to bore me.
The story itself wasn’t anything new, it follows the more or less same plot as so many other books.
The writing style didn’t flow, it felt very stiff and that may be part of why I wanted to stop and not continue. I liked the characters though, they were interesting and that was what mainly kept me continue reading.
All in all, it wasn’t a bad book, but it wasn’t a good book either.

The author of this book weaves a marvellous story together, set against the backdrop of the German occupation of France in WW2.
It is also an epic historical romance story that plays out subtly over time during the course of the book which is mainly set within a travelling circus. It is both a thought provoking and, at times, emotionally punching read.
All the characters are exceedingly well drawn and I will look out for more of this writer's work as I'm hooked.
I devoured 'The Ringmaster's Daughter' in two sessions.
Brilliant story.

The Ringmaster's Daughter by Carly Schabowski is a warmly-written WWII tale centering on Michel Bonnet, a young, driftless but kind Parisian who finds himself attached to a struggling circus as their horse handler. As Michel finds his place among the secretive and odd group of performers and outcasts, the circus stays just ahead of the Nazi invasion of France - until it doesn't.

I enjoyed this book. There was a little romance, a little intrigue, a little history and a little darkness. The author did a great job of fleshing out the main characters while surrounding them with a full stable of interesting sub-characters. The plotting was well-paced and complex enough to challenge the reader. That said, it was a fairly quick read, but one that kept my attention.

My only complain came at the end, as the author switched from the third-person to first-person voice, which i thought was unnecessarily jarring and skipped over large chunks of time. It felt like she'd run out of energy, like she wanted to arbitrarily extend the storyline out a few more years without putting out a lot of words or effort. The conclusion itself was satisfying, if a wee bit tired, but the change of pacing was disappointing and left me with a less-than-great-ending feeling.

This review is based on an advance copy read.