Circus of wonders - Elizabeth Macneal

The Sunday Times bestseller from the bestselling author of The Doll Factory, Elizabeth Macneal.

Set in a spectacular circus in the pleasure gardens of Victorian London, Circus of Wonders is an addictive novel about power, fame, and a love that is threatened by a terrible secret.

'Glitters and gleams . . . utterly beguiling' - Daily Mail

1866. In a coastal village in southern England, Nell lives set apart by her community because of the birthmarks that speckle her skin.

But when Jasper Jupiter's Circus of Wonders arrives in the village, Nell is kidnapped. Her father has sold her, promising Jasper Jupiter his very own leopard girl. It is the greatest betrayal of Nell's life, but as her fame grows, and she finds friendship with the other performers and Jasper's gentle brother Toby, she begins to wonder if joining the show is the best thing that has ever happened to her.

In London, newspapers describe Nell as the eighth wonder of the world. Figurines are cast in her image, and crowds rush to watch her soar through the air. But what happens when her fame eclipses Jasper's own? And as she falls in love with Toby, can he detach himself from his past and the terrible secret that binds him to his brother?