I thought this was a great and emotional read. I do wish that some of the varying points of view were a little more fleshed out, but it was overall a good book.

The Hidden Life of Cecily Larson tells the story of Cecily McAvoy, an orphaned little girl who becomes a circus star. At age 95 Cecily is injured in a fall and goes to the hospital. Her great-grandson is doing a family tree project for school and needs Cecily's DNA. What follows is a story of both genetic family and found family. The novel weaves back and forth between the 1930s of Cecily's youth and the year 2015, and the story of both Cecily in the past and her family in the future.

Cecily McAvoy was left at an orphanage when she was a little girl by her mother when her mother met a man who didn't want children. Cecily's mother promised to come back for her but never did. Cecily is sold to the manager of a circus because she can balance on a rail and do a somersault off. The circus owner thinks that she would be an excellent stunt rider and has her train with Isabelle du Monde, undisputed star of the circus. Rechristened Jacqueline du Monde, Isabel's "little sister," Cecily travels with the circus and finds an unconventional family in her fellow circus performers. When Cecily, a white girl, falls in love with a young black roustabout, she is forced to leave the circus and fend for herself.

I enjoyed the parts about Cecily's past and the circus far more than I did the modern day sections about Cecily's family and their lives. The more modern sections don't really pick up until the last third of the novel. The Hidden Life of Cecily Larson proves that trauma can be overcome, but also stays with us our entire lives. Humans are resilient and are a product of their past traumas, for better or worse. I wish the novel had been a little more complete in the resolution of the circus story, as I would have liked to have learned about how the circus fared after Cecily left. The story the novel tells is an important one of survival, family, and love.

A particularly good multi-perspective historical. The circus background made it especially interesting. Highly recommended.

The Hidden Life of Cecily Larson is full of interesting characters in a readable and intriguing storyline. It was an engrossing story which spanned different lifetimes very well.

A really great read. Baker deftly walks us through two timelines and converging families in this novel about love, family, and DNA surprises. I was more riveted than I expected as the story went on - and though the ending was not a surprise, it felt solid and inevitable. An enjoyable story.

“The Hidden Life of Cecily Larson” by Ellen Baker is a highly emotional story about a family’s trauma after receiving the results of a DNA test. The result is a fascinating, tragic and powerful story of what happens when generations of hidden secrets and true facts are finally revealed. The backdrop of the early days of circus life was super interesting and really kept the story moving for me. This book is about the power of love, family and the resilience of the human spirit. I truly enjoyed this novel!

Thank you NetGalley and Mariner books for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I truly enjoyed this heartfelt novel. I appreciate a book that can give me all three emotions. It will make you laugh, cry and rejoice.
Cecily is one amazing woman and one I loved in getting to know.
Her journey through life wasn't an easy one for sure. I think her story is unique in a way because of the hand she was delt.
I've never been to Minnesota before and this authors descriptions made feel like I was there. A beautiful and interesting place.
I loved the circus scenes of the book but not how that poor girl ended up there. I believe that's how she became the strong and stalwart woman of 2015.
I can't say enough on how much I enjoyed this story because I really did.
What a wonderful adventure and I highly recommend it!
You'll fall in love with Cecily just like I did.
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This was an amazing heart felt story. I cried, I laughed, and I stopped to hug the book a couple of times. Having been born and raised in Northern Minnesota it was so fun for me when the characters visited places I have grown up with. At one point one of the characters is standing under the Lift Bridge in Duluth MN having the same thoughts I always did about the bridge. It made the story so much more amazing. For the parts of this book that talk about the circus... I have always had an interest in the early days of the circus and enjoyed Bakers descriptions of the trains and the performers.

My suggestion to you, should you decide to read this book (and you should) keep track of the names and who was with who. It really helped me throughout the book since it bouces back and forth between the 1920's/30's and 2015.

I loved this book and will keep a copy when it becomes available on my shelf.