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THE SHOW WOMAN

A beautifully evoked historical novel about the first all female circus act

Emma Cowing

$49.99

Hardback

Forthcoming
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English
Hodder & Stoughton
01 May 2025
WHATEVER LIFE BRINGS, THE SHOW MUST GO ON ...

1910. With the disappearance of her mother and the sudden death of her father, Lena instantly loses any security she has within the circus she has known all her life. She is advised to sell the carousel her father cared for like a child and look for a husband, or a job in a factory.

Until flame-haired Violet, known to all in the fairgrounds as 'the greatest trapeze artist that ever lived', suggests they go it alone with their own, all-female act. 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, on the run from her abusive father, and Carmen whose rainbow ribbons hide the darkness in her past, the four women form an unbreakable bond.

Thrust into a harsh and dangerous world that treats them with suspicion, disdain and even violence, they must forge their own path in search of freedom, security, and love.

Deeply rooted in the Edwardian era, THE SHOW WOMAN is brilliantly realised and expertly interlaces strong female characters, deeply-woven family secrets and heartfelt love stories.

'Absolutely loved soaking up the atmosphere of the circus and fairground in The Show Woman. There's hardship and excitement and mystery and joy in this novel, and I couldn't stop turning the pages' Sarah L. Brooks, author of The Cautious Traveller's Guide to the Wastelands
By:  
Imprint:   Hodder & Stoughton
Country of Publication:   United Kingdom
Dimensions:   Height: 234mm,  Width: 157mm,  Spine: 33mm
Weight:   460g
ISBN:   9781399737395
ISBN 10:   1399737392
Pages:   336
Publication Date:  
Audience:   General/trade ,  ELT Advanced
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Forthcoming

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.

Reviews for THE SHOW WOMAN: A beautifully evoked historical novel about the first all female circus act

An entrancing story of chosen family, sisterhood and freedom. I was so wrapped up in the lives of these women, revealed in prose so visceral and alive I felt immediately transported to its history. Take your seat and get lost in its wonders -- Wiz Wharton An utterly electric debut! I wanted to run away with this all-woman circus. An enthralling, dynamic tale that will stay with me for a very long time -- C.J. Cooke A fascinating read. Full of twists and turns as unexpected as they are thrilling. I was gripped by the strong female characters, spellbound by the dangers, but moved to tears by the bonds of love. Richly detailed, this story will beguile you and carry you away to a rarely glimpsed world of dark secrets and powerful emotions -- Kate Furnivall Wonderfully heartfelt and compelling -- Joanna Miller What an irresistible and original premise! I loved reading every word . . . The Show Woman is as enthralling as the spectacular circus act that Emma so beautifully describes -- Fiza Saeed McLynn Set in Edwardian Scotland, The Show Woman is a wonderfully told story that mixes adventures, romance, crimes, and feisty women, all against the backdrop of a circus run by women. Gripping, heartbreaking, compelling, I genuinely could not put it down -- Naomi Kelsey Dazzling . . . like all the very best historical fiction it has characters who are alive and real and brings the past to glorious life, with a page-turning plot that meant I could not put it down -- Kate Foster


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