Desperate to avoid marriage, abuse or worse, a group of young women in 1910 form their own circus. The general public is intrigued by 'The Women's Circus', however, the group faces hostility from a number of sides.
The Show Woman by Emma Cowing was an enjoyable listen, offering a fascinating glimpse into an unusual lifestyle. Wonderful narration from Samara MacLaren really helped immerse me in the story, allowing me to feel like a member of the audience at one of the shows.
The Show Woman in question is Lena, a young woman who has spent her whole life traveling the country with the circus and helping her father run his carousel. When her mother disappears and then her father dies Lena is left with some difficult choices. The only options that are offered to her are to marry someone within the circus community or leave and find work in a town or city.
Another performer, Violet, suggests a third option - set up their own circus featuring women only. Violet is desperate to escape the confines of her close-knit family and make a name for herself as the world's greatest trapeze artist. Aided by the money from the sale of her father's carousel Lena and Violet form 'The Women's Circus' and are quickly joined by horsewoman Rosie, escaping abuse by her father, and acrobat Carmen. The women quickly learn that everything isn't straightforward.
Despite Lena and Violet having spent their whole lives as part of the circus they haven't thought through the logistics involved in running their own show. Thankfully, they have enough money and some support to help them solve the problems they encounter. Fortunately, audiences are fascinated by the idea of a circus featuring women only.
I was completely absorbed by the highs and lows of life on the road for the four young women, learning their backstories and how they overcame the obstacles life threw at them. The animosity shown towards them from the general public was one I expected, alongside the perception that those working in the circus are dirty. When some of the women are in the city they are dismayed at the dirty, smog-filled streets, a world away from the clean open air that they are used to.
The aspect that surprised me was the prejudice within the traveling community. Sexism is rife, with the women being harassed because they didn't have a male escort. Even greater danger lurked as a result of jealousy, leading to repeated attempts to sabotage their show. I was shocked by the completely unexpected turn the story took and the aftermath.
Time flew as I listened to the story of the four brave entrepreneurs, I was so mesmerised by the story that I could easily have listened to hours more, filled with optimism and encouragement as they pushed boundaries, determined to find success and acceptance.
The Show Woman by Emma Cowing will be published on 1st May 2025 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for a review copy.
Author Details
Emma Cowing is an award-winning journalist and writer. She has written for a wide number of publications including The Sunday Times, Mail on Sunday, Guardian Weekend Magazine, Spectator and Scotsman. Emma is a former Feature Writer of the Year at the Scottish Press Awards, and two-time Interviewer of the Year. She holds an Ochberg Fellowship in Journalism and Trauma at Columbia Journalism School in New York, for her work covering the war in Afghanistan, and its aftermath. Emma was shortlisted for the 2023 Cheshire Novel Prize, and longlisted for the 2023 Bath Novel Award and Blue Pencil First Novel Award. The Show Woman is her first novel.
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