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Circus of Mirrors
'Julie Owen Moylan writes about mid-20th century women like no-one else' Laura PricePRE-ORDER the dazzlingly compulsive new novel from Julie Owen Moylan – perfect for fans of Cabaret and The Whalebone Theatre Berlin, 1926. After the death of their parents, sisters Leni and Annette only have each other. Dreaming of better days, but desperate, Leni finds work at a notorious the Babylon Circus. From the dancer’s barely-there costumes, to the glimmering mirrors that cover the walls, the Babylon Circus is a place 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… Twenty years later, the Babylon Circus is in ruins. Leni and Annette have a new mouth to feed. And Paul is nowhere to be seen. Once again, Leni and Annette must depend on each other. But one of the sisters is hiding a secret. And, sooner or later, it must come to light.PRAISE FOR JULIE OWEN '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
419 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 12, 2024
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487 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
April 24, 2024
4.5 rounded up
Berlin, August 1961
Annette needs to explain things to her sister Leni and the answers to this lie in the past. It all starts nearly forty years ago in 1926 at the Whalebone Theatre which features the Babylon Circus cabaret act. Leni works there as a cigarette girl, desperate to scrape a living to support her much younger sister Annette, after the death of their parents. Here, the extravagantly exotic mixes with fantasy and more, although the reality for most who work there is to pay their bills. Initially, Leni is a fish out of water but meeting handsome Paul, the theatre pianist will eventually change the course of their lives. The sisters have always depended on each other, even more so by 1961 with secrets being kept and desperate to keep it that way.
Julie Owen Moylan is a gifted writer and this is a saga in the best possible way spanning nearly four tumultuous decades. There are so many strong elements to the storytelling but maybe the standout feature is the evocative Berlin setting with the Babylon Circus mirroring the hope of the 20’s, offering signs of what’s to come and later is a symbol in more ways than one. There are vivid descriptions, it shimmers, glitters and shines but what lurks behind the glossy surface? Some scenes are so unusual they jump off the pages in full technicolour making me gasp, smile or my eyes boggle! Yet the building and its occupants will experience much over the next few decades…. what will its and their fates be?
The storytelling is excellent, it’s part Historical Fiction with the meteoric events woven organically into the plot, part romance, part character driven and part domestic drama. At its core is the sisters relationship which evolves into a novel of jealousy, sacrifice, guilt, survival and the need for forgiveness. It’s beautifully written, the characters are complex and well portrayed. It’s moving, packing an emotional punch which is poignant and thought provoking.
Overall, a stunning and gripping page turner from beginning to end and a novel I can happily recommend.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Penguin Michael Joseph for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
Berlin, August 1961
Annette needs to explain things to her sister Leni and the answers to this lie in the past. It all starts nearly forty years ago in 1926 at the Whalebone Theatre which features the Babylon Circus cabaret act. Leni works there as a cigarette girl, desperate to scrape a living to support her much younger sister Annette, after the death of their parents. Here, the extravagantly exotic mixes with fantasy and more, although the reality for most who work there is to pay their bills. Initially, Leni is a fish out of water but meeting handsome Paul, the theatre pianist will eventually change the course of their lives. The sisters have always depended on each other, even more so by 1961 with secrets being kept and desperate to keep it that way.
Julie Owen Moylan is a gifted writer and this is a saga in the best possible way spanning nearly four tumultuous decades. There are so many strong elements to the storytelling but maybe the standout feature is the evocative Berlin setting with the Babylon Circus mirroring the hope of the 20’s, offering signs of what’s to come and later is a symbol in more ways than one. There are vivid descriptions, it shimmers, glitters and shines but what lurks behind the glossy surface? Some scenes are so unusual they jump off the pages in full technicolour making me gasp, smile or my eyes boggle! Yet the building and its occupants will experience much over the next few decades…. what will its and their fates be?
The storytelling is excellent, it’s part Historical Fiction with the meteoric events woven organically into the plot, part romance, part character driven and part domestic drama. At its core is the sisters relationship which evolves into a novel of jealousy, sacrifice, guilt, survival and the need for forgiveness. It’s beautifully written, the characters are complex and well portrayed. It’s moving, packing an emotional punch which is poignant and thought provoking.
Overall, a stunning and gripping page turner from beginning to end and a novel I can happily recommend.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Penguin Michael Joseph for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
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June 5, 2024DNF@15%
The blurb had a lot of promise but unfortunately aside from the setting there was nothing in this story holding my attention. Although what the author does isn't technically head-hopping, I found some of the constant shifts in POV jarring and unnecessary, which didn't help.
I still think this could be a great pick for lovers of historical fiction, but it wasn't for me.
Thank you NetGalley/Penguin Random House for the ARC.
The blurb had a lot of promise but unfortunately aside from the setting there was nothing in this story holding my attention. Although what the author does isn't technically head-hopping, I found some of the constant shifts in POV jarring and unnecessary, which didn't help.
I still think this could be a great pick for lovers of historical fiction, but it wasn't for me.
Thank you NetGalley/Penguin Random House for the ARC.
September 18, 2024
4.25 stars. This opens with a teaser from 1961, before going back and showing us Line and Annette’s lives in the 1920s, 1940s and then back to 1961 where we finish. I was thinking the Babylon Circus would be more of a feature, which meant I got pulled out a bit when that 1920s part of the book wrapped up and we only see it reappear in the later 1961 bit.
Fair warning, it is quite hard to like Annette - which probably explains a lot about certain events and relationships. After a strong start, the book waned a little for me when the focus switched more to Annette, but then it had a strong finish that really pulled a lot of things together (and saw Annette redeem herself quite a bit).
If you like historical women/romance, then this will be a great read for you. I’ve got one of her other books, so I will check that out soon hopefully.
I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review.
Fair warning, it is quite hard to like Annette - which probably explains a lot about certain events and relationships. After a strong start, the book waned a little for me when the focus switched more to Annette, but then it had a strong finish that really pulled a lot of things together (and saw Annette redeem herself quite a bit).
If you like historical women/romance, then this will be a great read for you. I’ve got one of her other books, so I will check that out soon hopefully.
I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review.
September 11, 2024
Two sisters, one city and the ever unstoppable passage of time. This gorgeous story is a moving look at life in post WW1 and WW2 Berlin through the eyes of two young women, alone, except for each other and follows them as they grow, struggle and survive no matter what life throws at them.
What can I say except I loved this book. I loved the 1920s section, and the glitz, glamour and seediness of the Babylon Circus was giving 'Cabaret' vibes that exuded life and vibrancy. I loved how it acted as a anchor point for each of the timelines of the story, its state mirroring in many ways that of our older sister Leni. Initially full of hope, dreams and a bright future, it, like her becomes run down, tired and loses its sparkle, just existing as a shell of its former self.
There's so much to love about Leni as you hope against hope that she will get her happy ending after fate seems to conspire to keep tripping her up at every turn. She's the responsible one and the one time she tries to act for herself and her own happiness it backfires and sets her on the path she follows throughout the book. Annette, the younger sister, is a complicated character to get along with, at once victim and a kind of villain. She's a complex whirlwind of emotions and it is difficult to sympathise with her until all starts to come clear and loose ends get tied up in the 1960s section.
This book vividly brings to life its setting and realistically flawed characters, it draws you into the story and doesn't let go. Fans of Lucinda Riley and the Neapolitan Novels from Elena Ferrante will likely love it, and for me, whilst it was my first work from the author, it certainly won't be my last.
4.5*
Thank you to Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House and Netgalley for providing an eArc of "Circus of Mirrors" in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.
What can I say except I loved this book. I loved the 1920s section, and the glitz, glamour and seediness of the Babylon Circus was giving 'Cabaret' vibes that exuded life and vibrancy. I loved how it acted as a anchor point for each of the timelines of the story, its state mirroring in many ways that of our older sister Leni. Initially full of hope, dreams and a bright future, it, like her becomes run down, tired and loses its sparkle, just existing as a shell of its former self.
There's so much to love about Leni as you hope against hope that she will get her happy ending after fate seems to conspire to keep tripping her up at every turn. She's the responsible one and the one time she tries to act for herself and her own happiness it backfires and sets her on the path she follows throughout the book. Annette, the younger sister, is a complicated character to get along with, at once victim and a kind of villain. She's a complex whirlwind of emotions and it is difficult to sympathise with her until all starts to come clear and loose ends get tied up in the 1960s section.
This book vividly brings to life its setting and realistically flawed characters, it draws you into the story and doesn't let go. Fans of Lucinda Riley and the Neapolitan Novels from Elena Ferrante will likely love it, and for me, whilst it was my first work from the author, it certainly won't be my last.
4.5*
Thank you to Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House and Netgalley for providing an eArc of "Circus of Mirrors" in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.
November 14, 2024
Set in 1930s Berlin - the stylish writing makes you feel you’ve stepped right into the era with characters taking centre stage
After the death of their parents, Leni and Annette only have each other
Leni is so selfless and ends up being the mother figure to Annette, their relationship was complex as they are total opposites
“Of two sisters one is always the watcher, one the dancer”
Leni finds work at the notorious cabaret - Babylon Circus where reality and fantasy merge and there she meets Paul, the pianist and a tentaive romance starts
So heart-wrenching and atmospheric, yes there was lots of sadness but the romance that spanned 40 years shone through, you were rooting for them all the way
Thanks @julieowenmoylan @michaeljbooks & @netgalley for the gut wrenching historical read
After the death of their parents, Leni and Annette only have each other
Leni is so selfless and ends up being the mother figure to Annette, their relationship was complex as they are total opposites
“Of two sisters one is always the watcher, one the dancer”
Leni finds work at the notorious cabaret - Babylon Circus where reality and fantasy merge and there she meets Paul, the pianist and a tentaive romance starts
So heart-wrenching and atmospheric, yes there was lots of sadness but the romance that spanned 40 years shone through, you were rooting for them all the way
Thanks @julieowenmoylan @michaeljbooks & @netgalley for the gut wrenching historical read
March 30, 2024
Wow. Julie Owen Moylan can do no wrong. She has a way with words that just get me completely lost in her books, and I'm hooked until the very end. Once again, I can't put into words how much I enjoyed this.
The most exciting ARC I have received to date. Thank you so much to NetGalley/the publisher for my copy
The most exciting ARC I have received to date. Thank you so much to NetGalley/the publisher for my copy
August 27, 2024
Circus of Mirrors is set in early to mid-20th Century Berlin and follows the lives of two sisters as they navigate their lives through the ever-changing political landscape. It starts in the 1920’s and the story checks in with the sisters’ stories through time up to the 1960’s and the building of the Berlin Wall.
Julie Owen Moylan has a way of describing a scene so vividly, even if it is as mundane as a shop, or a street. I can smell the smells, feel the atmosphere and hear the music as I read. Coupled with the strong female characters, she writes a very good story. I wish we had learned more about the club and the people who worked there, but perhaps that’s another story.
*Thankyou to #NetGalley and the publisher Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for the advance copy of #CircusofMirrors
Julie Owen Moylan has a way of describing a scene so vividly, even if it is as mundane as a shop, or a street. I can smell the smells, feel the atmosphere and hear the music as I read. Coupled with the strong female characters, she writes a very good story. I wish we had learned more about the club and the people who worked there, but perhaps that’s another story.
*Thankyou to #NetGalley and the publisher Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for the advance copy of #CircusofMirrors
September 4, 2024
Circus of Mirrors is set in Berlin, beginning in 1926 and spanning several turbulent decades through to the 1960s. It follows two sisters, Annette and Leni, as they navigate the changes in the country and endure hardships, and do what it takes to survive. The Babylon Circus, where Leni works as a cigarette girl, plays a crucial role in the story. While working there, Leni meets Paul, her first love, and the story unfolds from this point.
I enjoyed this book. It is a work of historical fiction with an expansive plot, given that it covers such a long period of time.
The writing is immersive and easy to read. All the characters have their own distinct stories and experiences. The author is clearly very talented, effectively conveying the individual struggles of the characters over time. I was fully absorbed in the different stories of the different characters. My only criticism is that there are some characters I wish I'd found out more about as the book progressed.
Annette is a very well written character. Her choices and actions throughout are confusing as to what here reasons are. However, they made sense by the end. The book feels quite long but never dull. Exploring the relationship between the two sisters was a clever way to structure the story. While character-focused, the book also offers plenty of plot, conflict, and romance. I found myself emotionally invested and rooting for the characters to achieve the outcomes they wanted and deserved. This is a heavy read at times, with themes of war and the tragedies that accompany it. I would check trigger warnings for this book. It is a clever, well-planned, and emotional story, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction and exploring the impacts of historical events on individuals' lives.
Release date: 12/09/24
Thank you to NetGalley and Michael Joseph at Penguin Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed this book. It is a work of historical fiction with an expansive plot, given that it covers such a long period of time.
The writing is immersive and easy to read. All the characters have their own distinct stories and experiences. The author is clearly very talented, effectively conveying the individual struggles of the characters over time. I was fully absorbed in the different stories of the different characters. My only criticism is that there are some characters I wish I'd found out more about as the book progressed.
Annette is a very well written character. Her choices and actions throughout are confusing as to what here reasons are. However, they made sense by the end. The book feels quite long but never dull. Exploring the relationship between the two sisters was a clever way to structure the story. While character-focused, the book also offers plenty of plot, conflict, and romance. I found myself emotionally invested and rooting for the characters to achieve the outcomes they wanted and deserved. This is a heavy read at times, with themes of war and the tragedies that accompany it. I would check trigger warnings for this book. It is a clever, well-planned, and emotional story, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction and exploring the impacts of historical events on individuals' lives.
Release date: 12/09/24
Thank you to NetGalley and Michael Joseph at Penguin Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 18, 2024
Actual rating 4.5.
It’s no secret that I love Julie’s books, and this latest one still has all the elements that I enjoy so much - namely strong female characters, great historical detail and a brilliant sense of place! This time we’re off to Berlin, spanning decades from before the Second World War all the way to the Berlin Wall as we follow two sisters and their turbulent lives.
I especially enjoyed the opening chapters at the Babylon Circus (not that kind of circus!) as we’re introduced to quite the cast of colourful and compelling characters, and as Leni and Paul first fall in love. When there’s so much sadness and tragedy all around, the love story is what gives the reader a glimmer of hope - but of course it’s not plain sailing. Annette is at that age where she wants Leni all to herself and can’t stand the idea of losing her to Paul.
I really struggled with Annette as a character as I just couldn’t find any redeeming qualities to her, although the reader is given an insight into some of her behaviour right at the end of the book, which helped me empathise but felt a little too late to the opinion I had of her. For me, Leni was the unsung hero of this story, and I was in awe of how much she gave up and went through to protect and care for her family.
This is definitely an emotional novel, given the period in history which it spans, but it’s also a different look at sisterhood and motherhood which was so compelling, infuriating and occasionally joyful! The writing is spot on as always with Julie, and I absolutely think she writes some of the best women out there 🙌
It’s no secret that I love Julie’s books, and this latest one still has all the elements that I enjoy so much - namely strong female characters, great historical detail and a brilliant sense of place! This time we’re off to Berlin, spanning decades from before the Second World War all the way to the Berlin Wall as we follow two sisters and their turbulent lives.
I especially enjoyed the opening chapters at the Babylon Circus (not that kind of circus!) as we’re introduced to quite the cast of colourful and compelling characters, and as Leni and Paul first fall in love. When there’s so much sadness and tragedy all around, the love story is what gives the reader a glimmer of hope - but of course it’s not plain sailing. Annette is at that age where she wants Leni all to herself and can’t stand the idea of losing her to Paul.
I really struggled with Annette as a character as I just couldn’t find any redeeming qualities to her, although the reader is given an insight into some of her behaviour right at the end of the book, which helped me empathise but felt a little too late to the opinion I had of her. For me, Leni was the unsung hero of this story, and I was in awe of how much she gave up and went through to protect and care for her family.
This is definitely an emotional novel, given the period in history which it spans, but it’s also a different look at sisterhood and motherhood which was so compelling, infuriating and occasionally joyful! The writing is spot on as always with Julie, and I absolutely think she writes some of the best women out there 🙌
July 7, 2025
4,5 ⭐️
U tejto knihy som sa dala zlákať obálkou, ktorá vo mne evokuje príbeh plný tanca, nespútanej zábavy a lásky. Bolo to však niečo úplne iné, ale o dosť lepšie. Život sestier Leni a Annette nemôžem nazvať zábavný, ani veľmi láskyplný. Prišli o svoju jedinú rodinu, prežili vojny a jediné, čo hľadali, bol spokojný život. Pre každú to však znamenalo niečo iné. Leni sa chcela cítiť milovaná, v bezpečí a žiť po boku láskavého muža. Annette chcela vždy niečo viac. Viac slobody, viac zábavy, viac peňazí a ideálne bez akýkoľvek záväzkov. Aby sa nemusela nikomu podriaďovať a robiť si len to, na čo má zrovna chuť. Hoci sa dlhé roky mohli spolahnúť len samé na seba a boli si verne po boku, kvôli úplne odlišným povahám žili neustále v krivde.
Čítanie vo mne vyvolávalo množstvo emócii. Už iba kvôli ťažkému životu a neustálemu nedostatku po vojne. Ale najmä pre správanie ako Leni, tak Annette. Jedna rada strkala hlavu do piesku, len aby boli ostatní spokojní a tá druhá myslela iba na seba, bez ohľadu na ostatných. Aj napriek tomu to však bolo skvelé čítanie. Autorka píše ozaj pútavo o živote, zložitých vzťahov, nenaplnenej a stratenej láske, ale aj o vzácnych momentoch šťastia.
U tejto knihy som sa dala zlákať obálkou, ktorá vo mne evokuje príbeh plný tanca, nespútanej zábavy a lásky. Bolo to však niečo úplne iné, ale o dosť lepšie. Život sestier Leni a Annette nemôžem nazvať zábavný, ani veľmi láskyplný. Prišli o svoju jedinú rodinu, prežili vojny a jediné, čo hľadali, bol spokojný život. Pre každú to však znamenalo niečo iné. Leni sa chcela cítiť milovaná, v bezpečí a žiť po boku láskavého muža. Annette chcela vždy niečo viac. Viac slobody, viac zábavy, viac peňazí a ideálne bez akýkoľvek záväzkov. Aby sa nemusela nikomu podriaďovať a robiť si len to, na čo má zrovna chuť. Hoci sa dlhé roky mohli spolahnúť len samé na seba a boli si verne po boku, kvôli úplne odlišným povahám žili neustále v krivde.
Čítanie vo mne vyvolávalo množstvo emócii. Už iba kvôli ťažkému životu a neustálemu nedostatku po vojne. Ale najmä pre správanie ako Leni, tak Annette. Jedna rada strkala hlavu do piesku, len aby boli ostatní spokojní a tá druhá myslela iba na seba, bez ohľadu na ostatných. Aj napriek tomu to však bolo skvelé čítanie. Autorka píše ozaj pútavo o živote, zložitých vzťahov, nenaplnenej a stratenej láske, ale aj o vzácnych momentoch šťastia.
January 10, 2025
I started this book with high hopes: Berlin during the rise of the Nazis, the Second World War and the erection of the Berlin Wall. This is rich territory for a novel, but it never lived up to its potential.
The pace is glacial and the characters are unlikeable. Leni is so passive, she seems like she's barely alive at times. I wanted to shake her and get her to say something, to shout at someone, but until the very end of the book, she bit her lip, said nothing and soldiered on. There are only so many times you can feel sorry for someone who refuses to do anything to change their life. As for Annette, she is selfish throughout. Even as a small child, she had a mean streak in her.
I guessed very early on the reason why Annette couldn't bond with Thea, but it took an age for her to reveal the truth to Leni. In the final third of the book, there was a lot of Annette sitting silently chain-smoking and Leni swallowing her anger and going on as usual. It was all so much duller than it should have been. Not for me, this one.
The pace is glacial and the characters are unlikeable. Leni is so passive, she seems like she's barely alive at times. I wanted to shake her and get her to say something, to shout at someone, but until the very end of the book, she bit her lip, said nothing and soldiered on. There are only so many times you can feel sorry for someone who refuses to do anything to change their life. As for Annette, she is selfish throughout. Even as a small child, she had a mean streak in her.
I guessed very early on the reason why Annette couldn't bond with Thea, but it took an age for her to reveal the truth to Leni. In the final third of the book, there was a lot of Annette sitting silently chain-smoking and Leni swallowing her anger and going on as usual. It was all so much duller than it should have been. Not for me, this one.
August 13, 2024
Thanks to NetGalley and Michael Joseph for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
**Contains Minor Potential Spoilers**
This is one of my most anticipated books of the year, although to be honest, whenever I finish one of Julie's books, I'm already anticipating the next. I love her work.
I have said before that Julie is the master (or should it be mistress? That sounds a bit dodgy to me) of writing about women. They're honest and raw, sometimes unpleasant, and quite difficult, but they're also beautiful and recognisable and caring. This is the third of her books, and I've read them all and she just gets better and better. They're original and there's so much heart in every page and every character.
Leni was an interesting main character. A bit naïve, easily swayed, a bit obsessive maybe. But she was having to be an adult whilst still a child, being the mother, father, and sister to Annette, having to put her pride aside and do anything she could to keep them fed. So whilst she's not a perfect character, she is the epitome of the strong women Julie has such a talent in writing.
I didn't particularly like Annette, at least at first. She's young, yes, and she's lost almost everyone, doesn't enjoy school, is left behind a lot. Which I appreciate. But she's so whiny and irritating to me, which obviously is a credit to how Julie has written her. I found her to be selfish and at complete odds with her sister. But maybe that's my age. Maybe if I was Annette's age again, I could understand her decisions.
Like Julie's other books, there are male characters, yes, but they don't really matter to me. There's nothing wrong with them, but they pale into the background of the women. This is their story. A story about women; strong women, women down on their luck, in love women, lonely women, scared women, alone women, abandoned women.
Whilst they may have elements of the extreme, given that they're fictional and they have to jump off of the page, I find Julie writes women like they were our friends, our sisters, even ourselves. Whilst some authors manage to do this, I've never felt as strongly as I do with Julie's work.
She has created such a vivid concept of place and time, you can see Berlin, before and after the wars, you can see the risqué outfits of the 1920s, the smoke of the cigarettes, the stranger's hand that finds it's way onto a bottom. It's mainly set in the immediate aftermath of WW1, with some chapters set in the immediate aftermath of WW2, plus 10-20 years after that. I found that fascinating, especially the differences between the time after both wars.
I saw one early review that said it reminded them of Ian McEwan's Atonement about it, and I would have to agree. Both splendid novels that really explore the joy but the difficulties between sisters, between friends, and between lovers.
It is most definitely an historical novel, but there's romance, adventure, thrill, and 100% an epic family saga. She may only be three books in, but in my eyes, Julie Owen Moylan can do no wrong and I hope never to be without her stories.
Becoming a book blogger and reviewer was initially just a way to pass the time after losing my job in 2020 and becoming poorly, and in the time since, I have got more poorly and reading has almost become my sole confidante. So it was just a bit of fun. But by doing that, I've been lucky enough to receive hundreds of books to review that I may not have picked up otherwise. I can't say for certain if I'd have picked Julie's books off the shelf if I was buying them, I can't know that, but being sent them has been one of the best things to happen recently, as she is a one in a million storyteller, and to think I might not have had the chance to read her words.....I think my reading life is enriched thanks to her stories.
It's not an easy book; there's grief, bereavement, war, injury, drug abuse, homelessness, poverty, abandonment, loneliness, betrayal, lies, lost loves. But somehow, whilst they are sad topics, it doesn't being the story down at all, in fact it helps boost up the happy times. I think Leni and Annette are going to stay with me for a very long time.
**Contains Minor Potential Spoilers**
This is one of my most anticipated books of the year, although to be honest, whenever I finish one of Julie's books, I'm already anticipating the next. I love her work.
I have said before that Julie is the master (or should it be mistress? That sounds a bit dodgy to me) of writing about women. They're honest and raw, sometimes unpleasant, and quite difficult, but they're also beautiful and recognisable and caring. This is the third of her books, and I've read them all and she just gets better and better. They're original and there's so much heart in every page and every character.
Leni was an interesting main character. A bit naïve, easily swayed, a bit obsessive maybe. But she was having to be an adult whilst still a child, being the mother, father, and sister to Annette, having to put her pride aside and do anything she could to keep them fed. So whilst she's not a perfect character, she is the epitome of the strong women Julie has such a talent in writing.
I didn't particularly like Annette, at least at first. She's young, yes, and she's lost almost everyone, doesn't enjoy school, is left behind a lot. Which I appreciate. But she's so whiny and irritating to me, which obviously is a credit to how Julie has written her. I found her to be selfish and at complete odds with her sister. But maybe that's my age. Maybe if I was Annette's age again, I could understand her decisions.
Like Julie's other books, there are male characters, yes, but they don't really matter to me. There's nothing wrong with them, but they pale into the background of the women. This is their story. A story about women; strong women, women down on their luck, in love women, lonely women, scared women, alone women, abandoned women.
Whilst they may have elements of the extreme, given that they're fictional and they have to jump off of the page, I find Julie writes women like they were our friends, our sisters, even ourselves. Whilst some authors manage to do this, I've never felt as strongly as I do with Julie's work.
She has created such a vivid concept of place and time, you can see Berlin, before and after the wars, you can see the risqué outfits of the 1920s, the smoke of the cigarettes, the stranger's hand that finds it's way onto a bottom. It's mainly set in the immediate aftermath of WW1, with some chapters set in the immediate aftermath of WW2, plus 10-20 years after that. I found that fascinating, especially the differences between the time after both wars.
I saw one early review that said it reminded them of Ian McEwan's Atonement about it, and I would have to agree. Both splendid novels that really explore the joy but the difficulties between sisters, between friends, and between lovers.
It is most definitely an historical novel, but there's romance, adventure, thrill, and 100% an epic family saga. She may only be three books in, but in my eyes, Julie Owen Moylan can do no wrong and I hope never to be without her stories.
Becoming a book blogger and reviewer was initially just a way to pass the time after losing my job in 2020 and becoming poorly, and in the time since, I have got more poorly and reading has almost become my sole confidante. So it was just a bit of fun. But by doing that, I've been lucky enough to receive hundreds of books to review that I may not have picked up otherwise. I can't say for certain if I'd have picked Julie's books off the shelf if I was buying them, I can't know that, but being sent them has been one of the best things to happen recently, as she is a one in a million storyteller, and to think I might not have had the chance to read her words.....I think my reading life is enriched thanks to her stories.
It's not an easy book; there's grief, bereavement, war, injury, drug abuse, homelessness, poverty, abandonment, loneliness, betrayal, lies, lost loves. But somehow, whilst they are sad topics, it doesn't being the story down at all, in fact it helps boost up the happy times. I think Leni and Annette are going to stay with me for a very long time.
September 12, 2024
Berlin, 1926. Sisters, Leni and Annette are all that remains of their once happy family. Barely an adult herself, Leni feels responsible for six year old Annette, but hard times have found them living on Berlin's streets. Then Leni manages to find a job as a cigarette girl at the exotic Babylon Circus club: a place where the clientele clamour for the delights of the risque caberet, and are willing to pay extra for the shady services the manager Dieter can arrange 'under the counter'.
The Babylon Circus is an education for shy and retiring Leni, but she soon begins to feel part of the club's eccentric family - especially when she meets and falls in love with the club's pianist, Paul. And so begins a romance that will shape the lives of the sisters over the next four decades...
Circus of Mirrors is the sweeping, intensely emotional story of sisters Leni and Annette, set against the backdrop of the changing faces of Berlin. The novel begins in 1926, in the political, economic and social maelstrom of the Weimar period, when the artistic and sexual freedoms associated with the Berlin cabaret scene were a stark contrast to the tough conditions Germans were enduring. Desperation finds Leni at the doors of the Babylon Circus, where Owen Moylan brings the cabaret scene alive, in all its glamorous, sordid splendour. Here Leni embarks on an affair that will change to course of her life, and the nature of her relationship with her younger sister, Annette.
The novel then jumps forward in time to take in two further time periods - in the ruins of post-war Berlin, and then once again in the city as it stands on the brink of one of the darkest days of Cold War history. At each stage, we meet Leni and Annette, checking-in with how their lives have changed, and each time they are on separate sides of a personal struggle that threatens to tear their relationship asunder.
As in all Owen Moylan's spectacular books, her characters leap from the page, especially the women. She beautifully explores the pivotal decisions, and sacrifices, they have had to make in order to survive - primarily through the stories of Leni and Annette, but also through other members of the Babylon Circus family, as the world changes around them. These are real people, warts and all, and this sometimes makes them difficult to like, not least the sisters at the centre of the novel. For me, Leni is the one who deserves the most sympathy, as Annette's selfishness is rather over-powering - however, Annette is also the most complex and misunderstood of the two. In any case, when Owen Moylan eventually leads them to a place where they can finally unburden themselves, and forgive each other, I found the tears rolling down my face.
The club provides a glorious, and poignantly nostalgic, linking thread in the novel, from frenetic heyday, to bomb-damaged bar, to burned out shell, remaining a place of significance throughout. Clever, insightful themes around love, loss, identity and belonging echo through the timelines, and Berlin stands as a character in its own right. Owen Moylan carefully chooses her 1920's, 1940's, and 1960's iterations of the city as times when significant political and social upheaval is playing out in the background of Leni and Annette's lives (an absolute joy if you are interested in 20th Century history), and yet you are only aware of these events obliquely. At any given moment it is the human characters who hold your attention, and your eye is fixed on how the turmoil of time and place affects the decisions Leni and Annette make. This is not easy to do, but Owen Moylan pulls it off with style.
This is Owen Moylan's most ambitious, and compelling, novel to date. I swallowed it whole, unable to look away for a second...
The Babylon Circus is an education for shy and retiring Leni, but she soon begins to feel part of the club's eccentric family - especially when she meets and falls in love with the club's pianist, Paul. And so begins a romance that will shape the lives of the sisters over the next four decades...
Circus of Mirrors is the sweeping, intensely emotional story of sisters Leni and Annette, set against the backdrop of the changing faces of Berlin. The novel begins in 1926, in the political, economic and social maelstrom of the Weimar period, when the artistic and sexual freedoms associated with the Berlin cabaret scene were a stark contrast to the tough conditions Germans were enduring. Desperation finds Leni at the doors of the Babylon Circus, where Owen Moylan brings the cabaret scene alive, in all its glamorous, sordid splendour. Here Leni embarks on an affair that will change to course of her life, and the nature of her relationship with her younger sister, Annette.
The novel then jumps forward in time to take in two further time periods - in the ruins of post-war Berlin, and then once again in the city as it stands on the brink of one of the darkest days of Cold War history. At each stage, we meet Leni and Annette, checking-in with how their lives have changed, and each time they are on separate sides of a personal struggle that threatens to tear their relationship asunder.
As in all Owen Moylan's spectacular books, her characters leap from the page, especially the women. She beautifully explores the pivotal decisions, and sacrifices, they have had to make in order to survive - primarily through the stories of Leni and Annette, but also through other members of the Babylon Circus family, as the world changes around them. These are real people, warts and all, and this sometimes makes them difficult to like, not least the sisters at the centre of the novel. For me, Leni is the one who deserves the most sympathy, as Annette's selfishness is rather over-powering - however, Annette is also the most complex and misunderstood of the two. In any case, when Owen Moylan eventually leads them to a place where they can finally unburden themselves, and forgive each other, I found the tears rolling down my face.
The club provides a glorious, and poignantly nostalgic, linking thread in the novel, from frenetic heyday, to bomb-damaged bar, to burned out shell, remaining a place of significance throughout. Clever, insightful themes around love, loss, identity and belonging echo through the timelines, and Berlin stands as a character in its own right. Owen Moylan carefully chooses her 1920's, 1940's, and 1960's iterations of the city as times when significant political and social upheaval is playing out in the background of Leni and Annette's lives (an absolute joy if you are interested in 20th Century history), and yet you are only aware of these events obliquely. At any given moment it is the human characters who hold your attention, and your eye is fixed on how the turmoil of time and place affects the decisions Leni and Annette make. This is not easy to do, but Owen Moylan pulls it off with style.
This is Owen Moylan's most ambitious, and compelling, novel to date. I swallowed it whole, unable to look away for a second...
July 28, 2024
Berlin, 1926, a city swathed in grief following the twin devastations of the Great War and the Spanish flu epidemic. Leni, herself little more than a girl, has no money and is and caring for her much younger sister Annette. They have no family left living, and are sleeping rough.
In search of a job Leni finds herself at The Babylon Circus, a notorious cabaret spot. Daunted by the tawdry glamour of the place she edges inside and pleads for work. She’s taken on as a cigarette girl, and her life gains a new hope.
Annette, too young to truly appreciate the reality of their poverty, had been growing resentful at the frugality of their lives, but clung to her sister fiercely as her last remaining family. With Leni now working, they spend less time together, and her resentment starts to take on a new and more urgent form.
Leni meets Paul, a pianist at the club, and as they grow closer she begins to think of the life she could be living with him. But how could such a life, one of her very own, include Annette?
The Berlin Julie Owen Moylan brings us truly is a circus of mirrors, a city which suffered torment like no other in the middle part of the 20th century, and in which the same patterns of powerlessness and loss repeat through the generations. We share the minutes, days and hours of these two women struggling to find meaningful lives for themselves amid the turmoil of the times. The sisters see each other as such different people, Leni the sensible one, Annette selfish and thoughtless, but we see them as flawed reflections of each other, more similar than either would concede, and - through the terrors of their times, and the poor opportunities for women to have true agency in their own lives - driven to similar choices, for similar reasons.
This is a poignant and emotional exploration of the bonds of sisterhood and the ways they can be tested and stretched. Moylan evokes brilliantly the complex anguish of the times, and the ways in which love can be everything, yet also not quite enough if there is nothing else.
In search of a job Leni finds herself at The Babylon Circus, a notorious cabaret spot. Daunted by the tawdry glamour of the place she edges inside and pleads for work. She’s taken on as a cigarette girl, and her life gains a new hope.
Annette, too young to truly appreciate the reality of their poverty, had been growing resentful at the frugality of their lives, but clung to her sister fiercely as her last remaining family. With Leni now working, they spend less time together, and her resentment starts to take on a new and more urgent form.
Leni meets Paul, a pianist at the club, and as they grow closer she begins to think of the life she could be living with him. But how could such a life, one of her very own, include Annette?
The Berlin Julie Owen Moylan brings us truly is a circus of mirrors, a city which suffered torment like no other in the middle part of the 20th century, and in which the same patterns of powerlessness and loss repeat through the generations. We share the minutes, days and hours of these two women struggling to find meaningful lives for themselves amid the turmoil of the times. The sisters see each other as such different people, Leni the sensible one, Annette selfish and thoughtless, but we see them as flawed reflections of each other, more similar than either would concede, and - through the terrors of their times, and the poor opportunities for women to have true agency in their own lives - driven to similar choices, for similar reasons.
This is a poignant and emotional exploration of the bonds of sisterhood and the ways they can be tested and stretched. Moylan evokes brilliantly the complex anguish of the times, and the ways in which love can be everything, yet also not quite enough if there is nothing else.
October 18, 2024
It is very fair to say that Julie Owen Moylan is now one of my favourite authors. I devoured her first two books (That Green Eyed Girl - May 2022), and 73 Dove Street - July 2023. I was so excited when I heard that Circus of Mirrors would be set in both pre and post War Berlin. Historical fiction is never my first choice of reading, but I do love stories set in the more recent past. I read this during my final few days in Cyprus a few weeks ago and was totally and utterly transfixed throughout.
This author draws extraordinary female characters and in Leni and Annette we have two of the best. We follow them as they struggle with life on the streets in devastated Berlin. Where food is scarce, the streets are mean and danger lurks around every corner. Annette is just a small girl, and her older sister Leni is totally and utterly responsible for her. She wants nothing more than to get them off the streets, to safety and this is how she is introduced to the Babylon Circus. Not a circus in the usual way, but a cabaret club, held in the Whalebone Theatre, where scantily-clad women dance for rich men. Annette is not a dancer, but gets a job as a cigarette girl, working each night, whilst Leni shelters in their hiding place in an old yard.
The author takes her readers through four decades, following the lead characters as they love, as they lose, as they cry and as they celebrate. At the heart of the story is a wonderfully depicted romance, but this is not all hearts and roses by any means, there are sadnesses to shred the hardest of hearts along the way.
Not only are the characters wonderfully woven, they are also incredibly flawed at times. It is not easy to empathise with Annette at times, despite learning so much about her experiences. Yet Leni is a true heroine, a character to shout for, to back all of the way, to hope for and to cry for.
Absolutely stunning historical fiction, with a sense of place that is intricately and sensitively created. Characters who are realistic, and a plot line that captures the reader from page one. Highly recommended.
This author draws extraordinary female characters and in Leni and Annette we have two of the best. We follow them as they struggle with life on the streets in devastated Berlin. Where food is scarce, the streets are mean and danger lurks around every corner. Annette is just a small girl, and her older sister Leni is totally and utterly responsible for her. She wants nothing more than to get them off the streets, to safety and this is how she is introduced to the Babylon Circus. Not a circus in the usual way, but a cabaret club, held in the Whalebone Theatre, where scantily-clad women dance for rich men. Annette is not a dancer, but gets a job as a cigarette girl, working each night, whilst Leni shelters in their hiding place in an old yard.
The author takes her readers through four decades, following the lead characters as they love, as they lose, as they cry and as they celebrate. At the heart of the story is a wonderfully depicted romance, but this is not all hearts and roses by any means, there are sadnesses to shred the hardest of hearts along the way.
Not only are the characters wonderfully woven, they are also incredibly flawed at times. It is not easy to empathise with Annette at times, despite learning so much about her experiences. Yet Leni is a true heroine, a character to shout for, to back all of the way, to hope for and to cry for.
Absolutely stunning historical fiction, with a sense of place that is intricately and sensitively created. Characters who are realistic, and a plot line that captures the reader from page one. Highly recommended.
September 6, 2024
Discover the locations in the novel here
This had a very interesting timeline – Two sisters do their best to survive 1930s Germany and then WWII Germany. Then we meet them in the 1950s as the Berlin Wall is going up. A pivotal time in history and a story of sisterhood alongside is something I was very interested in reading.
This is a slow burn and I think all the better for it. Leni and Annette are two very interesting characters and their story is one filled with emotion and heart. There is real sadness here, poignant moments and so much more. I still remember one scene – a sense of panic filled my throat. Just as well it was fairly close to the end otherwise I would have had to read this lying down.
What I loved about this book was the setting of the seedy and notorious cabaret club known as the Babylon Circus. A few chapters in, I was wearing my fictional bustier and feather bower with the best of them. I realise this was seedy and bad in many ways, but I had a blast! Fascinating to read about this and go behind the scenes. It was so much in contrast to the war and devastation in the rest of the novel’s location. Why this club existed, who paid a visit, who danced here and what it gave to the city was rather fascinating to find out. By the time I met Dieter, the story took on a whole new level. His wears a mask in more ways than one – and this brought home to me the full devastation of war in the most poignant of ways.
A very clever novel. One expertly crafted and woven. This insight into a Berlin cabaret and lives affected is one I would recommend!
August 25, 2024
Well I thoroughly enjoyed that. Starting in 1926 Berlin where sisters Leni and 6 year old Annette are living on the streets following the death of their parents and siblings and Leni loosing her job so unable to pay their rent. In desperation, Lenny takes a job as a cigarette girl at the Babylon Circus a seedy nightclub where the scantly clad dancers entertain wealthy and prominent citizens. In the dark, it looks like a magical place full of mirrors and beautiful decor but when the lights go on the tawdriness is evident. Written in multiple timelines, but not chronologically, this family saga spans a period of nearly 40 years.
Briefly, Leni meets and falls for the pianist at the cabaret club and they start to make plans for the future until fate, and Annette, intervenes tearing them apart and committing Leni to a life of drudgery and sadness. The Babylon Circus will continue to play a part in this family’s lives through the decades.
The whole story revolves around the women in this family and the men seem almost secondary to the story, and are actually quite weak characters. Leni is strong and has instinctive mothering instincts and will do anything to look after what remains of her family. Annette was very young when she lost all her family, apart from Leni, so I could understand her fears about losing her sister, however, as a teenager and as an adult, she was still very self obsessed and selfish. This was clearly a terrible time for the poorer residents of Berlin, survival wasn’t easy and the author wrote this so well. An evocative and entertaining read with a lot of sadness and heartbreak and a romance that spans the years.
Briefly, Leni meets and falls for the pianist at the cabaret club and they start to make plans for the future until fate, and Annette, intervenes tearing them apart and committing Leni to a life of drudgery and sadness. The Babylon Circus will continue to play a part in this family’s lives through the decades.
The whole story revolves around the women in this family and the men seem almost secondary to the story, and are actually quite weak characters. Leni is strong and has instinctive mothering instincts and will do anything to look after what remains of her family. Annette was very young when she lost all her family, apart from Leni, so I could understand her fears about losing her sister, however, as a teenager and as an adult, she was still very self obsessed and selfish. This was clearly a terrible time for the poorer residents of Berlin, survival wasn’t easy and the author wrote this so well. An evocative and entertaining read with a lot of sadness and heartbreak and a romance that spans the years.
September 1, 2024
4.5* Circus of Mirrors - a stunner of a book told across 3 timelines which impeccably intertwine to create an incredible page turner.
Berlin 1926 - Leni gets a job at the Circus of Mirrors, desperate to earn money to put a roof over the head of her and her young sister Nette. Among the many characters in the cabaret club, Leni’s head is turned by Paul the pianist but the relationship is underpinned by untruths. As we follow the sisters we revisit them post-war and then again in the 1960s but always there is a draw back to the Circus of Mirrors.
This is an immersive read. The first third sets the scene (and perhaps is a little slow), but as we get under the skin of the characters and we hop around the timelines, the intricacy and deft-weaving of the plot is something to behold. The characters are well drawn, with a balanced mix of those to love and loathe in equal measure. From the half way point it is unputdownable.
Berlin makes for an incredible backdrop, a city of historical significance through each of the periods in the book. It reminded me of the excellent The Silence Inbetween by Josie Ferguson, a Waterstones shortlisted debut novel for 2024.
Thanks to Michael Joseph, PRH and Netgalley for an ARC.
Berlin 1926 - Leni gets a job at the Circus of Mirrors, desperate to earn money to put a roof over the head of her and her young sister Nette. Among the many characters in the cabaret club, Leni’s head is turned by Paul the pianist but the relationship is underpinned by untruths. As we follow the sisters we revisit them post-war and then again in the 1960s but always there is a draw back to the Circus of Mirrors.
This is an immersive read. The first third sets the scene (and perhaps is a little slow), but as we get under the skin of the characters and we hop around the timelines, the intricacy and deft-weaving of the plot is something to behold. The characters are well drawn, with a balanced mix of those to love and loathe in equal measure. From the half way point it is unputdownable.
Berlin makes for an incredible backdrop, a city of historical significance through each of the periods in the book. It reminded me of the excellent The Silence Inbetween by Josie Ferguson, a Waterstones shortlisted debut novel for 2024.
Thanks to Michael Joseph, PRH and Netgalley for an ARC.
September 10, 2024
Another stunningly written story from Julie Owen Moylan, spanning the lifetime of sisters Leni and Annette as they navigate sisterhood, love, and life in pre- and post-war Berlin.
I’ll be honest - historical fiction isn't my usual genre of choice. But I stumbled across the author's debut novel, That Green Eyed Girl, and fell in love with her writing style. I love the way she crafts her characters and intertwines their lives and timelines so beautifully. Now I can’t get enough of her books!
When the publisher reached out and offered me an ARC of Circus of Mirrors, I leapt at the chance to read it. The book gripped me from the start, and I hated to put it down to do boring things like work and sleep.
The setting of the Babylon Circus, in all its incarnations throughout the book, is perfect. I loved the way it links each time period in the story and each stage in Leni and Annette's lives.
The characters are all well fleshed out and interesting, even if they're sometimes unlikeable. It's a wonderful book, another that will live on in my mind for a long time.
I can't wait to see what Julie Owen Moylan does next!
My sincere thanks to the author and publisher for sending me the ARC to provide an honest review.
I’ll be honest - historical fiction isn't my usual genre of choice. But I stumbled across the author's debut novel, That Green Eyed Girl, and fell in love with her writing style. I love the way she crafts her characters and intertwines their lives and timelines so beautifully. Now I can’t get enough of her books!
When the publisher reached out and offered me an ARC of Circus of Mirrors, I leapt at the chance to read it. The book gripped me from the start, and I hated to put it down to do boring things like work and sleep.
The setting of the Babylon Circus, in all its incarnations throughout the book, is perfect. I loved the way it links each time period in the story and each stage in Leni and Annette's lives.
The characters are all well fleshed out and interesting, even if they're sometimes unlikeable. It's a wonderful book, another that will live on in my mind for a long time.
I can't wait to see what Julie Owen Moylan does next!
My sincere thanks to the author and publisher for sending me the ARC to provide an honest review.
November 7, 2024
Circus of Mirrors is an immersive journey through the lives of those who faced war, loss, and the shifting of identity and family. The characters live through the complexities of life before, during, and after war, and the way the story evokes their struggles, resilience, and heartbreak is haunting. You can’t help but feel a deep empathy for those who endure these experiences now and back then.
Midway through, the narrative challenges what initially seems like a straightforward tale of sisterhood. The story raises profound questions about loyalty, identity, and the nature of human connection. Sisterhood here is not just a bond of blood or shared experience—it’s a layered, complicated bond that can encompass rivalry, jealousy, and sacrifice. The author captures this beautifully, showing that the concept of “sisterhood” isn’t simple or even always admirable.
The author does a phenomenal job of presenting history not as a backdrop but as a living, breathing force shaping every choice and moment. By the end, you’re left not only with a richer understanding of those who lived in such tumultuous times but with a sense of loss and love that feels achingly personal.
Midway through, the narrative challenges what initially seems like a straightforward tale of sisterhood. The story raises profound questions about loyalty, identity, and the nature of human connection. Sisterhood here is not just a bond of blood or shared experience—it’s a layered, complicated bond that can encompass rivalry, jealousy, and sacrifice. The author captures this beautifully, showing that the concept of “sisterhood” isn’t simple or even always admirable.
The author does a phenomenal job of presenting history not as a backdrop but as a living, breathing force shaping every choice and moment. By the end, you’re left not only with a richer understanding of those who lived in such tumultuous times but with a sense of loss and love that feels achingly personal.
September 7, 2024
This was such an atmospheric story, and I found it easy to read.
The story begins in 1926 and then jumps forward to 1945/6 and 1961 (just before the Berlin wall is constructed.) The story is narrated by Leni, who finds herself destitute in 1926 with her little sister Annette in Berlin. In desperation, Leni gets a job as a cigarette girl at the Babylon Circus, which is a cabaret bar. It is here that Leni meets Paul, the love of her life.
I found this an immersive read and enjoyed following the changing complex relationship between the two sisters. Leni is almost a mother to Annette for most of her life, but there are hidden secrets and growing resentments between them. This is a difficult time to be living in Berlin and this is vividly brought to life through the story. I was willing both sisters to find love and happiness during some difficult times and situations.
A great read if you enjoy historical fiction.
The story begins in 1926 and then jumps forward to 1945/6 and 1961 (just before the Berlin wall is constructed.) The story is narrated by Leni, who finds herself destitute in 1926 with her little sister Annette in Berlin. In desperation, Leni gets a job as a cigarette girl at the Babylon Circus, which is a cabaret bar. It is here that Leni meets Paul, the love of her life.
I found this an immersive read and enjoyed following the changing complex relationship between the two sisters. Leni is almost a mother to Annette for most of her life, but there are hidden secrets and growing resentments between them. This is a difficult time to be living in Berlin and this is vividly brought to life through the story. I was willing both sisters to find love and happiness during some difficult times and situations.
A great read if you enjoy historical fiction.
July 12, 2025
This story tells the tale of 2 sisters, Leni and Annette, living in Berlin. We see their story between 1926 and 1961.
The sisters face many hardships over the years and it was interesting to see their relationship throughout the story. In 1926, Leni is a young lady, caring for her baby sister. Leni takes on a job as a cigarette girl working at The Babylon Circus, a cabaret club, where she meets Paul.
As the story goes on, I found it quite hard to like Annette, and found her quite selfish. Throughout the story we see Leni working hard and sacrificing her happiness, yet we see Annette constantly complaining and thinking of herself.
The story is quite deep and heavy in places, but considering the timeline and location, you can understand this. It’s beautifully written and a great historical fiction story. I enjoyed this story 4.5⭐️
Thank you to Michael J Books for the finished copy of this book. I am keen to read more from this author.
The sisters face many hardships over the years and it was interesting to see their relationship throughout the story. In 1926, Leni is a young lady, caring for her baby sister. Leni takes on a job as a cigarette girl working at The Babylon Circus, a cabaret club, where she meets Paul.
As the story goes on, I found it quite hard to like Annette, and found her quite selfish. Throughout the story we see Leni working hard and sacrificing her happiness, yet we see Annette constantly complaining and thinking of herself.
The story is quite deep and heavy in places, but considering the timeline and location, you can understand this. It’s beautifully written and a great historical fiction story. I enjoyed this story 4.5⭐️
Thank you to Michael J Books for the finished copy of this book. I am keen to read more from this author.
October 21, 2024
Circus of Mirrors is a wonderful historical novel set in Berlin. I listened to it in audiobook form and thought the narrator was excellent.
We follow the story of sisters Leni and Annette, starting as they cope with life after the death of their parents just after the First World War and ending with the building of the Berlin Wall in 1961. Leni gets a job as a cigarette girl in the infamous nightclub The Babylon Circus in order to support herself and her younger sister. She falls in love with the club pianist, Paul, but can they be together?
I felt so sorry for Leni as throughout the novel she is stuck raising a child that isn't hers and putting up with the brattish actions of her sister. But the story is believable and touching and I found the ending was satisfying. A recommended read for lovers of historical fiction.
We follow the story of sisters Leni and Annette, starting as they cope with life after the death of their parents just after the First World War and ending with the building of the Berlin Wall in 1961. Leni gets a job as a cigarette girl in the infamous nightclub The Babylon Circus in order to support herself and her younger sister. She falls in love with the club pianist, Paul, but can they be together?
I felt so sorry for Leni as throughout the novel she is stuck raising a child that isn't hers and putting up with the brattish actions of her sister. But the story is believable and touching and I found the ending was satisfying. A recommended read for lovers of historical fiction.
March 30, 2024
With hints of Atonement, this is an epic novel, spanning decades as it explores with compassion and humanity the relationship of two sisters torn between the love and obligation they feel towards one another, and their desire for freedom and a better life that will split them apart. It’s about secrets and hidden truths and the deep and long-lasting consequences of both. Above all it’s a story of missed opportunity, chance, guilt, love and forgiveness. I devoured this novel with its rich, vivid prose and its complex characters, tossed into conflict and dire circumstances through no fault of their own. A deeply thought-provoking and emotional story I will be thinking of long after I finished the final page. Utterly luminous.
July 16, 2024
I adored 73 Dove Street and That Green Eyed Girl so my expectations of Circus of Mirrors was high from the outset. The post world war era fascinates me so the setting was a plus.
Julie Owen Moylan writes beautifully about this time period. Her characters in her previous books have been captivating. She creates strong, fearless female characters and I am usually completely drawn into her novels.
Sadly, however, I found the love story - which is central to the plot - to be excessively twee and overly sentimental. I just didn’t believe Lina’s obsession with Paul. I found the ending rather ambiguous - but perhaps that was just me.
My thanks to Penguin Random House UK and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Julie Owen Moylan writes beautifully about this time period. Her characters in her previous books have been captivating. She creates strong, fearless female characters and I am usually completely drawn into her novels.
Sadly, however, I found the love story - which is central to the plot - to be excessively twee and overly sentimental. I just didn’t believe Lina’s obsession with Paul. I found the ending rather ambiguous - but perhaps that was just me.
My thanks to Penguin Random House UK and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 12, 2024
Berlin August 1926.
Leni Taube is just nineteen and bringing up her younger sister Annette. Desperate for a job she finds work as a cigarette seller in the Babylon Circus. A tawdry nightclub with scantily clad women dancers. It’s there she meets, and is drawn to Paul the piano player.
Set in Berlin moving backwards and forwards in three different time lines.
I really enjoyed reading this book and it’s so very descriptive words, I felt like I was there seeing it through my own eyes.
Two sisters and their relationship will be called into question, and how life transpires.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Publisher for an advanced e-book copy. Opinions about the book are entirely my own.
Leni Taube is just nineteen and bringing up her younger sister Annette. Desperate for a job she finds work as a cigarette seller in the Babylon Circus. A tawdry nightclub with scantily clad women dancers. It’s there she meets, and is drawn to Paul the piano player.
Set in Berlin moving backwards and forwards in three different time lines.
I really enjoyed reading this book and it’s so very descriptive words, I felt like I was there seeing it through my own eyes.
Two sisters and their relationship will be called into question, and how life transpires.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Publisher for an advanced e-book copy. Opinions about the book are entirely my own.
November 21, 2024
Julie Owen Moylan is fast becoming a ‘must read’ author for me.
I loved That Green Eyed Girl, adored 73 Dove Street (one of my top three reads of 2023) and was beyond excited to get hold of a copy of Circus of Mirrors from @michaeljbooks.
Julie Owen Moylan writes women beautifully, and I can’t help loving all her characters even, when I don’t like them, or like what they’re doing!
It was everything (and more) that I wanted and I loved it.
Get all her books on your Christmas list, they’re wonderful and I can’t wait for her next (I was excited to read last week that it’s about Marilyn Monroe and the Queen)
I loved That Green Eyed Girl, adored 73 Dove Street (one of my top three reads of 2023) and was beyond excited to get hold of a copy of Circus of Mirrors from @michaeljbooks.
Julie Owen Moylan writes women beautifully, and I can’t help loving all her characters even, when I don’t like them, or like what they’re doing!
It was everything (and more) that I wanted and I loved it.
Get all her books on your Christmas list, they’re wonderful and I can’t wait for her next (I was excited to read last week that it’s about Marilyn Monroe and the Queen)
October 3, 2024
✨My Thoughts✨
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I loved Leni instantly, she would do whatever it takes and sacrifice so much to make sure her little sister Annette is safe but I felt so sorry for Leni and I had a growing dislike for Annette.
I enjoyed travelling through the decades with the sisters as I’m huge fan of historical fiction, the authors extensive research on the different time periods just leaps off the page and makes it so vivid.
The heart of the book is about women and all they have to endure and it was written beautifully.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I loved Leni instantly, she would do whatever it takes and sacrifice so much to make sure her little sister Annette is safe but I felt so sorry for Leni and I had a growing dislike for Annette.
I enjoyed travelling through the decades with the sisters as I’m huge fan of historical fiction, the authors extensive research on the different time periods just leaps off the page and makes it so vivid.
The heart of the book is about women and all they have to endure and it was written beautifully.
September 26, 2025
Dull and plodding story of two sisters whose lives are affected by poverty and war. Whatever their situation, it’s difficult to liken to characters who consistently make poor choices and show little sign of contrition for past mistakes.
Prose is plain and plot is so slow. The attempts at raciness in the entertainment at the Babylon Circus are just silly. And the dedication bears no connection to the women whose lives are depicted in the story.
Even so, might have been 3 stars but loses one for the ridiculous denouement and the laughable coda. And no idea of the significance of the title (apart from the trick mirror at the oft-mentioned Babylon Circus).
Prose is plain and plot is so slow. The attempts at raciness in the entertainment at the Babylon Circus are just silly. And the dedication bears no connection to the women whose lives are depicted in the story.
Even so, might have been 3 stars but loses one for the ridiculous denouement and the laughable coda. And no idea of the significance of the title (apart from the trick mirror at the oft-mentioned Babylon Circus).
April 1, 2024
Possible spoilers
4+ ⭐
Another absolute winner from Moylan.
It packs an emotional punch with every chapter.
As much as I know circumstances made Anette the person she is, she did drive me slightly mad!
I loved the opening chapter, the glitz, the glamour, the decadence of the Circus, so we'll described , I felt I could be there.
Then the war and its aftermath, and the rubble that Berlin became.
All so very very good, just what I've come to expect.
4+ ⭐
Another absolute winner from Moylan.
It packs an emotional punch with every chapter.
As much as I know circumstances made Anette the person she is, she did drive me slightly mad!
I loved the opening chapter, the glitz, the glamour, the decadence of the Circus, so we'll described , I felt I could be there.
Then the war and its aftermath, and the rubble that Berlin became.
All so very very good, just what I've come to expect.
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