Member Reviews
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
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 from @michaeljbooks.
She 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)
This is impossible to read thanks to layout of ebook. Such a shame. I cannot therefore review it.....
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.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Michael Joseph for an advance copy.
Circus of Mirrors is a captivating and atmospheric novel. Set in Berlin in 1926 through to the 1960s it spans the lives of two sisters Leni and Annette. Leni the main protagonist is drawn into the mysterious world of the Babylon Circus.
The author’s descriptions and the way she develops the characters makes the circus come alive.
Historical fiction is a genre I’m relatively new to but I do enjoy the ones set in the early to mid 20th century .
As a big fan of Julie, I was really looking forward to reading this book. Circus of Mirrors whisks us back to the decadent, heady days of the nightlife Berlin in the 1920s and a young Leni trying to look after herself and her 6 years old sister Annette. Julie brings this era to life perfectly and you can truly sense the atmosphere of the club where Leni works. We then follow the sisters’ story through the war years and onto the building of the Berlin Wall. Theirs is a story of the bond between sisters, love, lies and deception, guilt and an overwhelming need to survive against the odds.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for a review.
Another great historical fiction book by this author - I've read all the previous ones too and thoroughly enjoyed them all.
In this book, the story brings us in Germany in a period spanning the end of WW1 to after WW2, following the lives of sisters Leni and Annette.
I loved Leni from the very first pages, her kindness and naivety making her a very relatable character. In a similar but completely opposite way, I disliked Annette from the very beginning too. And although I gave her the benefit of the doubt, as some of her actions could have been because she was young and scared, as the story developed she just got worse. I felt so sorry for Leni!
The backdrop of Berlin was perfect and I enjoyed looking at historical events unfold through the eyes of the characters.
This is a book I highly recommend!
Thank you Netgalley and Micheal Joseph for an advance review copy in exchange for an honest review.
I thoroughly enjoyed this historical novel by Julie Owen Moylan. Told over an extended time period, but starting in the 1920's, the story centres on a club - The Babylon Circus - and the women who worked there before and after the Second World War. I was swept along in Nette and Leni's lives, and the whole period was wonderfully evoked, with so much historical detail (but never overdone). Brilliant stuff!
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.
This book follows two sisters Lenni and Annette. It starts in 1961 and then returns to 1926. It looks at the relationship between them over the years.
It is well written and colourful.
I wouldn't say that it is an easy read at times. The author concentrated on the periods of 20's, 40's and 60's Berlin.
We follow the decisions the girls make and how they affect their relationship with each other and also the other characters.
Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley.
Having read and absolutely loved her previous two books, I already knew that Moylan was an incredible storyteller – but if you’ve yet to read them, then this is perfect proof of that. It is an evocative, moving and compelling page turner and for me her best yet.
The story of sisters Leni and Annette, it begins in Berlin in 1926. Following the death of their parents, Leni finds herself responsible for her much younger sister. In order to survive she takes a job as a cigarette girl at the ostensibly glamorous but in reality slightly seedy cabaret club, Babylon Circus. And it is Babylon Circus in its varying states that provides the backdrop to their lives over the coming four decades as the women face all the challenges that life throws at them as they strive for a better life in a world that is ever changing and where so much is going on.
Moylan is the absolute doyenne of writing strong female characters who leap off the page – Leni and Annette are undoubtedly complicated, and not always likeable, but they are never less than compelling and the sisters’ complex relationship is at the heart of the book. And Berlin also becomes almost a character in its own right as Moylan brings the city vividly to life as we follow it through its own ups and downs from the apparent glitz and glamour of the 1920s through to the destructive impact of the war and on to the construction of the wall.
This story of survival is utterly engrossing, a thought-provoking read which certainly packs an emotional punch – and if you hadn’t gathered already, I couldn’t have loved it more!
3.5 upped to 4
Julie Owen Moylan can surely writes compelling stories and is a good storyteller. I found the historical background vivid and well researched, wasn't a fan of characters.
A well written story that will be surely love by a lot of people
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine
Julie Own Moylan has done it again - written an absolutely wonderful and moving novel featuring two very different sisters, strong willed in their own ways, both with their own heartbreaking stories all woven through the city life of Berlin from the 1920s through to the 1960s. The cabaret club where it all starts plays its own part for each of the sisters too, and I found myself totally absorbed in their world through the evocative descriptions of the place and people. It was brilliant and I can’t wait to read what she has coming next. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Having just discovered Julie Owen Moylan and reading her debut novel, I doubted whether I would enjoy this one from the synopsis. However, I am glad I read it as it is excellent.
I have loved Julie Owen Moylan’s previous novels so I was excited to read Circus of Mirrors and it did not disappoint.
This saga covering the lives of German sisters Leni and Annette over 40 years begins in 1926 in poverty stricken Berlin, still recovering from the First World War. Leni, still young herself has been left to care for her much younger sister Annette. Their parents and brothers had died and they were alone and homeless. Annette had been spoiled as a baby, being much younger than all of her siblings, and so was selfish and expected special treatment from Leni.
Leni finds work at Babylon Circus, a glamorous night club filled with exotic dancers and a sheen of enchantment working as a cigarette girl. With mysterious Dieter as her boss, who wears a mask in more ways than one, she is shown a seedier side of society. Falling for club pianist Paul, Leni dares to dream of a better world for herself. Fate, however, takes her life in a different direction.
Throughout their lives, Babylon Circus remains a focal point for Leni and Annette, being a reminder of the past. The symbolic nature of Babylon Circus in its varied state of repair is representative of how beneath the glitz and glamour is a much darker, unsavoury side of society.
The men in this story were all peripheral figures of lesser importance to the two generations of women in the family. The author always writes fabulously strong female characters, and this was the case with this novel. The resilience of the human spirit, the balance between selfless and selfish, the desire to survive when everything feels hopeless, all of these things are evocative features of this dramatic and epic saga.
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.
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.
An interesting tale of two sisters in Berlin spanning three time periods - the late 1920s, 1945/1946 at the end of WW2 and on the cusp of the Berlin Wall in 1961.
I’d hoped that there would be more of the history explicitly highlighted through this story of personal hopes and fears, and whilst I appreciated the timeline, it felt like there were a lot of lies and missed opportunities which became a little frustrating.
Really enjoyed this story about 2 sisters in 3 different stages of their lives. The writing really brought the characters to life and I liked how the story focused primarily on their relationships, and fallouts, and not too much on the setting, as often happens in books written with a strong background. 4 stars. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy.
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 drastic changes in their country and endure the hardships necessary for survival. 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 occur as a result. 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.