'Compulsive, heartbreaking' Clare Leslie Hall
'Gorgeously written' Jennie Godfrey
'A tale of dazzle and determination' Daily Mail
FOUR WOMEN. A MILLION DREAMS.
Scotland, 1910. Born into the world of the circus, Lena now stands at a crossroads. With the sudden death of her father, she faces a stark choice: get married or get a job. The fairgrounds are no place for a woman to go it alone.
Until flame-haired Violet, known to all as 'the greatest trapeze artist that ever lived', suggests they do exactly that. With her outspoken ways and her refusal to marry, Violet is as much an outcast as Lena. What do they have to lose?
Recruiting new performers including bareback horse-rider Rosie and acrobat Carmen, the four women take charge of their own show, their own finances and their own destinies.
But the fairgrounds are a dangerous place: misogyny is rife, violence a continual threat, and buried secrets are beginning to threaten all they hold dear. Together, they must forge their own path to freedom.
FOR THEY ARE THE SHOW WOMEN. AND THE SHOW MUST GO ON.
READERS LOVE THE SHOW WOMAN
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Held my interest to the very last page'
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Complete sensory immersion, such is the depth and breadth of the descriptive narrative'
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Beautifully written, lovable characters, gripping narrative'
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'This extraordinary debut is bursting with energy and imagination'
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'A terrific read'
"A marvellous tale of a gang of brave and brilliant women touring the country in the first all-women circus . . . The Show Woman will both uplift and break your heart - there's romance, real camaraderie and heaps of sawdust atmosphere, while the betrayals, tragedies, and truths uncovered will make your stomach flip. Cowing has given us a cast of characters you will really care about" - Scotsman
"Sequins and spite collide in this gorgeous novel . . . A tale of dazzle and determination [. . .] Cowing is sure-footed on the tempestuous dynamics of their friendships and the dark secrets that drive their ambition" - Daily Mail
"Beautifully written, engaging plot and thoroughly researched" - STYLIST
"Compulsive, heartbreaking " - Clare Leslie Hall, author of million-copy-bestselling Broken Country
