VERY soap opera-y. I tried to read this one at least 4 times and each time I just couldn't get into it. There was so much drama and a few too many characters for me to be able to keep up with who was who and how they were all intertwined.

I was getting a lot of Water for Elephants vibes from this story, but because of the jumping timeline, I didn't get attached to any of the characters.

This is so heartwarming! It’s very hard to keep up with “who is who and who belongs to who “! I wish I had made a chart!

From Goodreads:
In 1924, four-year-old Cecily Larson’s mother reluctantly drops her off at an orphanage in Chicago, promising to be back once she’s made enough money to support both Cecily and herself. But she never returns, and shortly after high-spirited Cecily turns seven, she is sold to a traveling circus to perform as the “little sister” to glamorous bareback rider Isabelle DuMonde. With Isabelle and the rest of the circus, Cecily finally feels she’s found the family she craves. But as the years go by, the cracks in her little world begin to show. And when teenage Cecily meets and falls in love with a young roustabout named Lucky, she finds her life thrown onto an entirely unexpected—and dangerous—course.

In 2015, Cecily is now 94 and living a quiet life in Minnesota, with her daughter, granddaughter, and great-grandson. But when her family decides to surprise her with an at-home DNA test, the unexpected results not only bring to light the tragic love story that Cecily has kept hidden for decades but also throw into question everything about the family she’s raised and claimed as her own for nearly seventy years. Cecily and everyone in her life must now decide who they really are and what family—and forgiveness—really mean.

Sweeping through a long period of contemporary history, The Hidden Life of Cecily Larson is an immersive, compelling, and entertaining family drama centered around one remarkable woman and her determination to survive.

This summary is based on the review. This book has been compared to Water for Elephants and Before We Were Yours, and I loved both of those books. I'm really into historical fiction and modern-day DNA uncoverings, and this one seems like it'll deliver.

I appreciate the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

What an amazing story. I loved learning more about Cecily’s life. The modern parts were tough to get through at times. I found Cecily’s family annoying. All they did was think about how worried everyone was and how they wanted to protect each other from being more worried and the word worry appeared in some variation twice per page during those chapters, it felt like. Call me insensitive, but they drove me crazy.

But CECILY. Her life. Her story. The pacing so satisfyingly revealed every secret in its time and kept suspense high until the moment was just right. It kept me eager to read more. The story took many turns I didn’t expect at all, and some surprises came up that there was no way of anticipating. Overall a great story that I would recommend.

This novel is filled with drama, trauma, and navigating life’s challenges in a harsh and cruel world. As the title implies, the reader will read to discover Cecily’s secrets – but one has to be patient; it is a deliberate and slow reveal which pulls on the reader’s empathy and sympathy – making this an emotional journey. Not only do we get Cecily’s perspective from her experiences over her nine decades, we get views from her relatives/multi-generations throughout the years. Each provides insight into life’s curveballs and lessons on how to face challenges and losses.

I recommend patience because there are a lot of characters, details, and measured reveals which provide motivation/justification for character actions. I also enjoyed the historical aspects of the novel.

Thanks to the publisher, Mariner, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review.

This book is a multigenerational, multiple perspective historical fiction novel that delves into the 9 decades of life, love, and loss of main character Cecily Larson. This book is complex, weaving together complicated family storylines, revealing how kept secrets eventually come out and most importantly, how to persevere through loss and misfortune and trauma, to still open your heart to love.

I enjoyed being part of Cecily’s journey as her life story unfolded throughout this book. Historical Fiction is a genre I really enjoy reading, and this story felt unique and well thought out. The book is full of characters for readers to root for and love, tons of detail and history too. Grateful to have had the chance to read this ARC from Mariner Books!

This story covers the life of a young child, abandoned at an orphanage, and her struggle to survive. There’s a lot to unpack here…almost too much…but the author is able to keep the various plot arcs and difficulties from bogging down. I don’t do spoilers, so I won’t list the multiple heavy topics touched upon over the years covered, but I commend the author for exploring these issues so deftly. Despite the many dark turns, this is ultimately a lovely book of family and hope.

I really struggled with this book in the beginning. I considered DNFing, but really felt like it was me so I set it aside until I was in a better place to receive the story. I’m so glad I did, because I ended up LOVING this book. My only complaints were that all the different characters were hard to differentiate. I think the story could have used more unique names, or a better description of who was who. A family tree would have been amazing, but I realize that would likely be a huge spoiler. I was really hoping there would be one at the end of the story, but it wasn’t. I also wish there had been some better transitions within the chapters; even if these were just a decorative live to indicate the story was jumping to a new spot. Several times I had to scroll backwards and see if I missed something.
I loved the way the story was laid out predominantly from Cecily’s POV, but that we also got glimpses of other characters. All the different storylines were really confusing, but have trust that they will all fall into place and it will make sense. I love that even though parent “abandonment” was a center theme, the author didn’t fall into the cliché of DNA being more important than love. Without spoilers, I loved that people gained new family and perspective, but were still able to appreciate what they had grown up with. As the story came to a close, I was worried that there were still a few plot holes, but everything was neatly explained in the epilogue. I would HIGHLY recommend this book!

While sometimes books that go between the past and present can be confusing at first, I enjoyed the back and forth as we learned more about the title character. In the end, Baker weaved together and intriguing story filled with love, loss, lies, and redemption.

"The Hidden Life of Cecily Larson" by Ellen Baker is a fascinating story that spans multiple generations and timelines. It tells the story of Cecily Larson, an abandoned child who becomes a circus performer, leading to a series of secrets and lies meant to protect loved ones.

The book is full of twists and covers many life issues such as cancer, divorce, old age, adoption, abandonment, tuberculosis, teen pregnancy, and involuntary sterilization. The sections about circus life are especially interesting and add a unique element to the story.

There are many characters in each timeline, making the story rich and detailed. Baker does a great job of tying up all the loose ends when modern technology helps bring a divided family back together.

Ellen Baker’s writing style is friendly and engaging, like listening to a friend tell a story. This makes the book enjoyable and easy to read. Even with the serious themes, the story is told with warmth and care, leaving a positive impression.

Overall, "The Hidden Life of Cecily Larson" is a well-written novel that explores important themes through the life of a unique and interesting character. It’s a great read for anyone who enjoys stories about family, secrets, and history.

Really enjoyed this book by Ellen Baker!

What I liked:
1. The themes were interesting: DNA/Family Genealogy, hidden family secrets, and the complexities of adoption and family drama
2. I love a multi-generational story and particularly ones about the families we make!
3. Loved the overall writing style.

What I wanted to be different:
1. There were so many characters, and their stories were in so many timelines that I got overwhelmed at times. (I know I should expect this in a multi-generational story, but it can be done a little better)



Thanks to Net Galley and Harper Collins Publishing for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

As this story unfolded, I was truly engrossed in learning the interconnections between the characters. This book gave me vibes similar to The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, with the way it was formatted with multiple timelines and perspectives. As things came together further I didn’t want to put it down!

Although I wasn’t able to completely finish this book due to running out of time, I’ll likely purchase the e-book so that I can see how it ends. Overall this was an enjoyable read! Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review.

Wow what a beautiful journey to family this book has weaved. Whether biological ties, adoption and love, I enjoyed following the storyline of Cecily Larson, who was left at an orphanage by her mother. As Cecily grows, she is sold to the circus and slowly finds her way in life. The characters were real and easy to know. The author did a great job building a realistic plot line to follow these characters. At times the abrupt change in timeline made it a little confusing where we were in the story but the plot helped guide well. I would give this 4.25 stars if I could on goodreads. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this lovely story. I will be recommending to others! Congrats to the author on the success this will definitely have

In this complex historical fiction novel, readers follow Cecily, her daughter, and her granddaughter’s perspectives over nearly a century of history. Searching for answers and a lost family history, readers follow this family as they seek to rebuild relationships and discover their place in their family story. Alternating between several different characters, readers explore several different challenges from a divorced couple co-parenting a teenager across the country to a cancer diagnosis and a lost family history, all of which come with their own generational traumas. When these different challenges and emotional strain come together, readers must cope and grow as the characters do. The differences in the individual perspectives are fairly clear, so readers should be able to keep the characters separate from each other, though the chapters do often overlap in the narrative (so look for the year at the beginning of each chapter). The complexity of this novel is really interesting, and readers are sure to enjoy the discovery of Cecily’s family history as they embark on it with this hurt but not broken family. The complexity and depth of the characters are sure to keep readers invested in this book and the incredible details which Baker brings to this historical fiction novel.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. I was intrigued by the description of this book and excited to get a copy. The storyline was well researched and the multiple POV/timeline really moved the story along. Overall a good read especially for historical fiction fans.

If you're seeking an immersive journey through generations, The Hidden Life of Cecily Larson by Ellen Baker delivers a poignant tale of resilience, love, and family secrets. Set against the backdrop of a traveling circus in the 1920s and spanning to modern-day Minnesota, Cecily Larson's life unfolds with heart-wrenching authenticity. Abandoned as a child and finding solace under the big top, Cecily's story is a testament to the human spirit's endurance through trauma and loss. Baker's masterful storytelling, rich in detail and emotion, brings Cecily's world to vivid life, though the multiple timelines and vast cast of characters may occasionally challenge readers. Nevertheless, Cecily's unwavering strength and the novel's exploration of forgiveness and identity make it a compelling read for fans of historical fiction and family sagas alike, leaving a lasting impression long after the final page.

I found The Hidden Life of Cecily Larson difficult to follow with all the characters introduced and the slow pacing of the story. While her story is filled with heartache and deception, triumph and recovery, it was challenging to continue to root for her when I didn't feel that connected to her. However, it is evident that Baker researched extremely well for this book, and it is well-written overall!

Thank you to Mariner Books and NetGalley for providing an ARC!

DNF around 64%. I liked this book. It brought in family history and drama and it was on track to end well! My attention is just not being held. I want to love this book and see it through, but I can’t keep forcing myself when I’m just not interested.

I am sad to DNF, but maybe I’ll be able to go back and finish another time.

I do recommend this one if you enjoy:
🤫 Family secrets
✌🏼 Dual timelines
🧬 Multiple POVs
👍🏼 Positive outcomes after life struggles

Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the author and publisher for a digital ARC of this title via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I was pleasantly surprised by this title, a book and author I had never heard of before. I liked the dual narrative between the past and present, getting to learn her story as an orphan in the circus while also learning about her posterity as they search for family history.