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Circus of Mirrors by Julie Owen Moylan
£9.99
Available
Product Ref. (e.g. ISBN, SKU)
9781405957731
Published:
10 Jul 2025
Format:
Paperback
Number of pages:
368 pages
Dimensions:
198x129x35mm
Weight:
0.500kgs
Author:
Berlin, 1926: After the death of their parents, sisters Leni and Annette only have each other. Desperate, but dreaming of better days, Leni finds work at a notorious cabaret: the Babylon Circus. From the dancer's barely-there costumes, to the glimmering mirrors that cover the walls, the Babylon Circus is where reality and fantasy merge. For Leni, it's an overwhelming new world, and she's happiest hiding in the shadows. Until she meets the cabaret's resident pianist, Paul. And so begins a tentative love affair that will play out over the next forty years. But, in a city whose divisions will define a century, can a love born within the feverish walls of the Babylon Circus ever survive? And can the bond between Leni and Annette - tugged in opposite directions of their own - also endure? In Berlin, two sisters dared to dream of a better life - but where in this dark and dazzling city will they find their true home?
Discover the dazzling new historical novel from the author of That Green Eyed Girl and 73 Dove Street
Perfect for fans of City of Girls, Cabaret and Sunday Times bestseller, The Whalebone Theatre - available to pre-order in paperback!
'Sexy, electrically stylish, and beautiful - a gorgeous story about sisterhood, and a glamorous, evocative passport to a period we all long to get lost in' Daisy Buchanan, award-winning author of Insatiable
'Julie's best novel yet' Georgina Moore, bestselling author of The Garnett Girls
'Ladies and gentlemen,
welcome to the Babylon Circus . . .'
Berlin, 1926: young Leni finds work as a cigarette girl - wide-eyed, dodging stray hands - as the painted dancers and revellers party the nights away. It's all for her little sister Annette - to put a roof over their heads, food in their bellies. Because the two sisters have no one but each other.
Then Leni meets pianist Paul, and embarks on a passionate, all-consuming love affair. But for Paul, Berlin is a dangerous place to be. If he and Leni are to have a future together, they must flee the city.
For Leni, it's an impossible choice: her sister or the love of her life?
The consequences of her decision will ripple through the next four decades . . .
***
'Immersive, tender, simmering with secrets' Alex Hay
'A tale of two sisters and a city, all three of them so vividly drawn, I felt I knew them. Superbly atmospheric, with convincingly flawed characters that just leap off the page' Frances Quinn, author of The Bonesetter Woman
'An all-singing, all-dancing, moving and masterful book about two complex sisters living in incredibly complex times. Brilliant.' Anna Mazzola, author of The Clockwork Girl
'Bold, brave and absorbing' Elizabeth Buchan, author of Bonjour, Sophie
'With hints of Atonement, this is an epic novel' Louise Fein, author of Daughter of the Reich
Praise for Julie Owen Moylan
'Touching, entertaining and hopeful' Sunday Times
'Dazzling' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING
'I was gripped from the first page' SARA COX
'Psychologically astute and emotionally absorbing,' DAILY MAIL
'A wonderfully evocative, immersive novel that brings 50s London to life, from the smog and the nightlife to attitudes towards women' SUNDAY EXPRESS
'Emotional, immersive and utterly absorbing' JENNIFER SAINT
About the Author: Julie Owen Moylan is the author of three novels: That Green Eyed Girl, 73 Dove Street and Circus of Mirrors. Her debut novel That Green Eyed Girl was a Waterstones' Welsh Book of the Month and the official runner up for the prestigious Paul Torday Memorial Prize. It was also shortlisted for Best Debut at the Fingerprint Awards and featured at the Hay Festival as one of its 'Ten at Ten'. 73 Dove Street was a Waterstones' Books of 2023 and a Daily Mail Historical Fiction Book of the Year. As a filmmaker Julie won the Celtic Media Award for her graduation film "BabyCakes" before going on to win Best Short Film at the Swansea Film Festival. Her writing and short stories have appeared in a variety of publications including Sunday Express, The Independent, New Welsh Review and Good Housekeeping. She has a Masters in Filmmaking and an additional qualification in Creative Writing & English Literature. Julie is an alumna of the Faber Academy. Julie can be found on Instagram: @JulieOwenMoylan and her website: JulieOwenMoylan.com
| Number of pages | 368 |
|---|
We will despatch your order as quickly as we can. If, for whatever reason, a product is out of stock we will contact you to discuss the likely delivery time or an alternative product.
| First Item | 2 Items & Over | |
|---|---|---|
| UK | £3.75 | £5.00 |
| EU | £15.00 | £30.00 |
| USA & Canada | £30.00 | £50.00 |
| Rest of the World | £45.00 | £60.00 |
| Collect in Store | free | free |
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First Item @ £45.00
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