Circus of Wonders

 Circus of Wonders by Elizabeth Macneal 368 pages

 

When Jasper Jupiter (not his real last name), was a child, he dreamed of someday being an important person that others admired. One of his favorite dreams was owning a circus. Toby, his younger, slower brother, shared his dream. It was what kept them sane during their stint in the Crimea War (1853-1856).

 

After their service, each man was haunted by what they had seen and done. They were especially disturbed by the accidental death of Jasper’s best friend. The brothers began to form their circus, travelling the United Kingdom in search of, what Jasper believed would set their show apart—human oddities. Victorian England was fascinated by the bearded lady, the trapeze artists, the lions, and other wild animals.

 

As they rambled along, they set their circus up in small towns, making a decent living. One evening, they discovered a young girl, Nell, swimming in the ocean. A shy youngster, Nell’s body was splotched with brown birthmarks. Jasper wants her for his show! He purchases Nell from her father for twenty pounds.

 

Jasper re-creates Nell as Nellie, Queen of the Sun and Moon. Thanks to Toby’s engineering skills, he creates a harness that allows Nellie to soar above the crowds. The crowds cheer and applaud, and Nellie Moon becomes the toast of London, even enticing Queen Victoria to attend the show. This was quite the feat as the Queen had not attended a public event since the death of Prince Albert in 1961.

 

But nothing lasts forever, and eventually Nellie Moon is no longer a star. As Jasper continues to look for new acts, disaster awaits.

 

I really enjoyed the novel. I have only begun to scratch the surface of this richly layered novel. It is an intricate tale of exploitation, human dignity and the right to self-determination. My issue with the novel is that when flashbacks to the Crimea war occurred, they were jarring and left me slightly confused for a few minutes. Therefore, Circus of Wonders receives 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.