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sambamfam's review against another edition
3.0
I really liked the story of this one. I liked our main character Michel and how he finds a family within a circus troupe during WW2. I love his bond with the animals and all the side characters. The characters within this story all felt so real and raw, especially Bertrand.
The love that bloomed between Freida and Michel was so precious! I loved that even tho it was set during dark times there was a little glimmer of hope. Honestly, I would have rated it 4 stars if not for the ending. I was heartbroken they finally escaped only for Frieda to die on the journey and for her to show up 5 years later not dead and Michel still having all this love for her and apparently the child he didn’t know about. Frieda seems hesitant and unsure if she still loves him when this man had pined for her for years. Over all, a solid 3/5 :)
The love that bloomed between Freida and Michel was so precious! I loved that even tho it was set during dark times there was a little glimmer of hope. Honestly, I would have rated it 4 stars if not for the ending. I was heartbroken they finally escaped only for Frieda to die on the journey and for her to show up 5 years later not dead and Michel still having all this love for her and apparently the child he didn’t know about. Frieda seems hesitant and unsure if she still loves him when this man had pined for her for years. Over all, a solid 3/5 :)
emmacr2024's review against another edition
3.0
The minute I saw the cover for Carly Schabowski’s debut novel The Ringmaster’s Daughter my interest was piqued as it reminded me of Water for Elephants and The Night Circus two books which I loved in the past. The cover for this book is absolutely stunning and it would make you want to buy the book just for the cover alone. I did think it would have some similarities to the books mentioned above but this was not the case at all so if you are expecting a comparable read it will not deliver the same sense of wonder and awe that a book specifically about circus may do. Instead this is a character driven story set during World War Two based around a travelling circus. I would never have given any thought as to how circuses and travelling shows would have coped with what the onset of war brought to them so this alone was an interesting focal point to the story as I had never read anything like this before.
The Ringmaster’s Daughter had a very strong opening with such fantastic vivid and descriptive writing and this very visual writing continued throughout and really helped me picture the various settings and dramatic scenes in my mind. As the story begins it’s Summer in Paris which should be a lovely and relaxing time for the residents but all is not as it seems, fear and danger lurk around every corner as the city is eerily empty. People have fled as the Germans draw ever nearer in their bid to claim the city for themselves. Michel Bonnet is returning home to his small apartment. He no longer has his job which was looking after horses and he wonders what is keeping him in a city that will inevitably dramatically change from what it once was but Paris has always been his home yet the adventurer in him is stirring. He does not wish to fight but where can he go? His neighbour Bertrand, himself a widow, made a promise to Michel’s mother that he would keep him safe. So a plan is set in motion to flee Paris. Michel is taken to the train station and through one thing and another he finds himself alone and on a train venturing to god knows where.
After such a strong and tense opening I was hoping things would continue in this manner but until the last quarter or so of the book things just seemed to go along at a slow pace with not much happening to move the story on. It didn’t grip me as much as it should have until I reached the final section. Michel soon discovers he has landed on a circus train. But this circus is not what it once was and all the glamour and amazing and magical acts have lost their sparkle. Instead fear and danger are common place as the troupe must travel to wherever they feel some form of safety can be found. They are all weary with little or no pay and food becoming ever scarcer to source. The circus has become more of a fairground than anything else with little or no animals and performers dropping out or disappearing off into the unknown. They are struggling to eke out an existence and feel they will all not last the war how ever long it may rage on for. By the time Michel arrives, the circus is reduced to pitching up in small villages and performing some tricks for a few coins. There was certainly a varied cast of characters amongst the troupe and you could tell once long ago that the circus was an exciting place to be and life on the road was wonderful and such an enriching experience for every member to showcase their unique talents but sadly this was not possible anymore.
Michel feels he was meant to meet this circus and that he is there for a reason which at the moment is unknown to him. After all he really has nowhere else to turn to so he may as well stay here as long as is possible. Michel is given the chance by the ringmaster Werner to prove his worth and talent with horses. If he can train a certain horse and maintain the care of the others he will be allowed to stay and travel with the troupe but at the same time he must keep to himself. Werner was a man not easy to work with or for and he was full of rage, angst and imposed many rules. Much later on the reasons for this became clear and everything made much sense and I saw a different side to Werner and my opinion of him quickly changed.
Michel was good with the horses but I felt he didn’t make as much of an effort to interact with the different people he encounters despite the warnings Werner had given him. I thought he could have stepped outside his comfort zone just that little bit more and played a bit of a game whilst keeping on the good side of Werner if this was at all possible. I felt we never got below the outer layer of Michel or indeed many of the other characters we meet. Things felt superficial at times and I thought more in-depth exploration of characters was needed so the reader could identify with them more. There was so much potential to learn more of the backstories to the different characters and how they came to be in Werner’s circus but we were only given tantalising little titbits. Towards the end I understood why this was the case as there was a major surprise which I should have seen coming but didn’t and I came to appreciate why lots of things throughout the book were so secretive but still just a little bit more information and more page time for perhaps the likes of Odelie and the giant Jean Jacques and dwarf Giordano would have been great.
The Ringmaster’s Daughter did have some intrigue which intensified in the latter half and of course love and romance did feature too. A line on the cover says it is heart-breaking love story and I really did feel this in the very last section as then I did really identify with what Michel was going through when it came to the more personal romantic side of his life. I couldn’t believe after everything he had been through that it had come to this and I really felt his despondency and devastation. To say anymore would be to give things away but the last quarter or so the action really ramped up big time and I got what I had been longing for throughout the entire story. There was drama, tension and nervous energy and a sense of everyone working together. Good against evil but what possible outcome could there be?
The author has shone the spotlight onto a little known aspect to the war as inspired by the true story of an Austrian circus owner during World War Two. She has done so to great effect in some parts but in others the story felt a bit flat as if it didn’t quite know what it wanted to be. Was it a World War Two story or was it a story about the circus? For me, it lost its way for the mid part before finding its path towards the end.
Carly Schabowski is a bright new talent and it’s clear to see what fantastic potential she has writing in this genre if perhaps there was more of a clear focus as to what the book overall wanted to be it would have turned this into an outstanding read. I’ll definitely be eager to see in what direction the author will venture next and what more wonderful characters and settings she will create. The Ringmaster’s Daughter is a good read that for the most part I did enjoy but it didn’t have me as hooked as I had expected to be but still it is well worth the read.
The Ringmaster’s Daughter had a very strong opening with such fantastic vivid and descriptive writing and this very visual writing continued throughout and really helped me picture the various settings and dramatic scenes in my mind. As the story begins it’s Summer in Paris which should be a lovely and relaxing time for the residents but all is not as it seems, fear and danger lurk around every corner as the city is eerily empty. People have fled as the Germans draw ever nearer in their bid to claim the city for themselves. Michel Bonnet is returning home to his small apartment. He no longer has his job which was looking after horses and he wonders what is keeping him in a city that will inevitably dramatically change from what it once was but Paris has always been his home yet the adventurer in him is stirring. He does not wish to fight but where can he go? His neighbour Bertrand, himself a widow, made a promise to Michel’s mother that he would keep him safe. So a plan is set in motion to flee Paris. Michel is taken to the train station and through one thing and another he finds himself alone and on a train venturing to god knows where.
After such a strong and tense opening I was hoping things would continue in this manner but until the last quarter or so of the book things just seemed to go along at a slow pace with not much happening to move the story on. It didn’t grip me as much as it should have until I reached the final section. Michel soon discovers he has landed on a circus train. But this circus is not what it once was and all the glamour and amazing and magical acts have lost their sparkle. Instead fear and danger are common place as the troupe must travel to wherever they feel some form of safety can be found. They are all weary with little or no pay and food becoming ever scarcer to source. The circus has become more of a fairground than anything else with little or no animals and performers dropping out or disappearing off into the unknown. They are struggling to eke out an existence and feel they will all not last the war how ever long it may rage on for. By the time Michel arrives, the circus is reduced to pitching up in small villages and performing some tricks for a few coins. There was certainly a varied cast of characters amongst the troupe and you could tell once long ago that the circus was an exciting place to be and life on the road was wonderful and such an enriching experience for every member to showcase their unique talents but sadly this was not possible anymore.
Michel feels he was meant to meet this circus and that he is there for a reason which at the moment is unknown to him. After all he really has nowhere else to turn to so he may as well stay here as long as is possible. Michel is given the chance by the ringmaster Werner to prove his worth and talent with horses. If he can train a certain horse and maintain the care of the others he will be allowed to stay and travel with the troupe but at the same time he must keep to himself. Werner was a man not easy to work with or for and he was full of rage, angst and imposed many rules. Much later on the reasons for this became clear and everything made much sense and I saw a different side to Werner and my opinion of him quickly changed.
Michel was good with the horses but I felt he didn’t make as much of an effort to interact with the different people he encounters despite the warnings Werner had given him. I thought he could have stepped outside his comfort zone just that little bit more and played a bit of a game whilst keeping on the good side of Werner if this was at all possible. I felt we never got below the outer layer of Michel or indeed many of the other characters we meet. Things felt superficial at times and I thought more in-depth exploration of characters was needed so the reader could identify with them more. There was so much potential to learn more of the backstories to the different characters and how they came to be in Werner’s circus but we were only given tantalising little titbits. Towards the end I understood why this was the case as there was a major surprise which I should have seen coming but didn’t and I came to appreciate why lots of things throughout the book were so secretive but still just a little bit more information and more page time for perhaps the likes of Odelie and the giant Jean Jacques and dwarf Giordano would have been great.
The Ringmaster’s Daughter did have some intrigue which intensified in the latter half and of course love and romance did feature too. A line on the cover says it is heart-breaking love story and I really did feel this in the very last section as then I did really identify with what Michel was going through when it came to the more personal romantic side of his life. I couldn’t believe after everything he had been through that it had come to this and I really felt his despondency and devastation. To say anymore would be to give things away but the last quarter or so the action really ramped up big time and I got what I had been longing for throughout the entire story. There was drama, tension and nervous energy and a sense of everyone working together. Good against evil but what possible outcome could there be?
The author has shone the spotlight onto a little known aspect to the war as inspired by the true story of an Austrian circus owner during World War Two. She has done so to great effect in some parts but in others the story felt a bit flat as if it didn’t quite know what it wanted to be. Was it a World War Two story or was it a story about the circus? For me, it lost its way for the mid part before finding its path towards the end.
Carly Schabowski is a bright new talent and it’s clear to see what fantastic potential she has writing in this genre if perhaps there was more of a clear focus as to what the book overall wanted to be it would have turned this into an outstanding read. I’ll definitely be eager to see in what direction the author will venture next and what more wonderful characters and settings she will create. The Ringmaster’s Daughter is a good read that for the most part I did enjoy but it didn’t have me as hooked as I had expected to be but still it is well worth the read.
kayspurlock's review against another edition
4.0
After first starting this book I was not sure about it. It has a very slow beginning. It really takes you through the journey of the main character. It is a nice slow pace for the first half of the book in my opinion. The reader gets to learn about the journey of Michel and all the people he meets on his journey. I slowly started to fall in love with the characters. And towards the end of the book I was so attached to them! The plot starts to pick up after about 150 pages and you begin to realize there may be more to the story. It was a great story that made you feel like you were actually in the circus.
jess_mango's review against another edition
3.0
It is 1940 on the eve of the Nazi troops arriving in Paris. 20-year old Michel lives alone in the apartment he once resided in with his now deceased mother. His neighbor convinces Michel to board a train to escape Paris. The train Michel stows away on happens to belong to small circus troupe. The circus is run by the ringmaster, Werner. Werner agrees to allow Michel to temporarily tag along working as a horse trainer, as long as Michel keeps to himself and doesn't talk to the circus performers. Michel finds himself drawn to Freida, the beautiful trapeze artist.
This book was a slow burn. We are pulled into this traveling band of outcasts slowly working their way across France under the shadow of the Nazis. We meet the various members of the circus troupe. None of the characters are developed very deeply and I didn't get that circus atmosphere felling as much as I'd hoped. The title of the book threw me off a little and was a bit of a spoiler. We don't learn who the titular character is until about 60% of the way through the book. This is the point where the action also picks up.
I recommend this book to historical fiction fans particularly those that involve a circus or carnival.
I received an advanced review copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This book was a slow burn. We are pulled into this traveling band of outcasts slowly working their way across France under the shadow of the Nazis. We meet the various members of the circus troupe. None of the characters are developed very deeply and I didn't get that circus atmosphere felling as much as I'd hoped. The title of the book threw me off a little and was a bit of a spoiler. We don't learn who the titular character is until about 60% of the way through the book. This is the point where the action also picks up.
I recommend this book to historical fiction fans particularly those that involve a circus or carnival.
I received an advanced review copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
didorn's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
aprilcote's review against another edition
4.0
The Ringmaster’s Daughter….Don’t Judge This One by It’s Cover
Carly Schabowski
I received this book with gratitude from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The cover is what caught me- I’m not one to normally judge based on what I see, but in this case, I did just that, and was very surprised.
This book is not so much about a circus, but about a man named Michel who was orphaned at a young age and finds himself fleeing Paris during WWII. He is encouraged by his only “family,” a dear friend and neighbor, Bertrand, to run from the war and find safety. He finds himself aboard a train- his ticket, some whispers and money exchanged in the shadows. It doesn’t take long for Michel to realize that he is not on just any train, but Le Cirque Neumann, a traveling circus led by Ringmaster Werner. Michel is fascinated by the characters he meets- the bearded lady, the giant, a lion, a fortune teller a monkey and many more. But the one person he wants to get to know, Frieda, the astoundingly beautiful trapeze artist, is untouchable and under the control of the fierce and unforgiving Ringmaster.
Michel is hired after some trials to train the circus horses. The train the the performers travel from town to town where they pitch tents, put on a show, which is getting increasingly harder as the war goes on, then back to the train again for the next town. After while, the circus sort of fades into the background of the story and the tale of WWII and the need to hide from the Nazis takes hold.
This is where the cover comes in- this story may be premised on a travelling circus, but it’s not really about the circus or the performers so much as it is a sad tale of love and loss during an unthinkable time in our history. Families torn apart, Jewish people in hiding and running, and those that helped them along the way. This is not the uplifting and fun trapeze/clowns/elephant style read that you would think without reading the jacket copy (which I tend not to do purposefully).
I appreciated that this book was based on the true story of a Ringmaster in the 1940s who sought to protect Jewish people from the Nazis by hiding them in plain sight as his circus performers. For me, the story was well written and enjoyable. But do not be mistaken- this is not a lighthearted fun book about the glamour of the circus, but more about the dark underbelly of WWII and the plight of the people and the lengths they would go to to seek safety in a time of fear.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys WWII Historical Fiction with a bit of a romantic underpinning.
Carly Schabowski
I received this book with gratitude from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The cover is what caught me- I’m not one to normally judge based on what I see, but in this case, I did just that, and was very surprised.
This book is not so much about a circus, but about a man named Michel who was orphaned at a young age and finds himself fleeing Paris during WWII. He is encouraged by his only “family,” a dear friend and neighbor, Bertrand, to run from the war and find safety. He finds himself aboard a train- his ticket, some whispers and money exchanged in the shadows. It doesn’t take long for Michel to realize that he is not on just any train, but Le Cirque Neumann, a traveling circus led by Ringmaster Werner. Michel is fascinated by the characters he meets- the bearded lady, the giant, a lion, a fortune teller a monkey and many more. But the one person he wants to get to know, Frieda, the astoundingly beautiful trapeze artist, is untouchable and under the control of the fierce and unforgiving Ringmaster.
Michel is hired after some trials to train the circus horses. The train the the performers travel from town to town where they pitch tents, put on a show, which is getting increasingly harder as the war goes on, then back to the train again for the next town. After while, the circus sort of fades into the background of the story and the tale of WWII and the need to hide from the Nazis takes hold.
This is where the cover comes in- this story may be premised on a travelling circus, but it’s not really about the circus or the performers so much as it is a sad tale of love and loss during an unthinkable time in our history. Families torn apart, Jewish people in hiding and running, and those that helped them along the way. This is not the uplifting and fun trapeze/clowns/elephant style read that you would think without reading the jacket copy (which I tend not to do purposefully).
I appreciated that this book was based on the true story of a Ringmaster in the 1940s who sought to protect Jewish people from the Nazis by hiding them in plain sight as his circus performers. For me, the story was well written and enjoyable. But do not be mistaken- this is not a lighthearted fun book about the glamour of the circus, but more about the dark underbelly of WWII and the plight of the people and the lengths they would go to to seek safety in a time of fear.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys WWII Historical Fiction with a bit of a romantic underpinning.
whovianjen1980's review against another edition
3.0
Entertaining, good writing, great characters. The story at times felt disjointed. The ending leaves you wanting though as you don’t know if Frieda is married or if she stays with Michel. That’s annoying.
librarytech4's review
3.0
This historical fiction novel is based on the true story of a circus who hides Jews unsung their employees during the holocaust and World War II. The author specifically highlights the story of a couple meeting and falling in love while working together at the circus, one of them being the ringmaster’s daughter. The author tells their story about how they grew closer to each other was well as parts where they grew farther apart before growing closer. I did enjoy the ending where the couple ended up on a ship to America to freely live their lives, no longer worrying about Nazi persecution.
This book had a good story line but got slow at times and gave more detail than was needed, or helpful to the story. Overall it was a good book, but it probably could have been shorter. The chapters were also very long and hard to stay focused during the entire span of one since there were often no break points for 20-30 pages at a time.
This book had a good story line but got slow at times and gave more detail than was needed, or helpful to the story. Overall it was a good book, but it probably could have been shorter. The chapters were also very long and hard to stay focused during the entire span of one since there were often no break points for 20-30 pages at a time.