First impressions, wow! I am brand new to this authors work and I am in love with the writing. This is a inspiring story of family and ancestry. The world building is fantastic, the way this is written really keeps you interested, I absorbed this novel in 3 hours! If you havent read this then definitely do!

📚I was able to read an advanced copy of title thanks to NetGalley, Emma Cowing and Hodder & Stoughton📚
📚All reviews and opinions are entirely my own📚

The Show Woman by Emma Cowing is a beautifully written and deeply moving story of resilience, female friendship and the fight for independence. Set in Scotland in the early 1900s, it follows Lena, who has known nothing but life in the circus. When she loses both her parents, she is left with little choice but to sell the carousel her father adored and find work elsewhere. But then Violet appears – bold, fearless and determined to carve out a future on her terms. Together, they set out to create an all-female travelling show, defying society’s expectations.

I loved the dynamic between the women, each with their struggles and past traumas, yet united by their shared determination. Lena’s journey from grief and uncertainty to strength was particularly moving, and Violet’s larger-than-life presence added energy to every scene. Rosie and Carmen’s stories were equally compelling, making this a book filled with complex, well-drawn characters.

The historical setting is immersive, and the challenges the women face feel painfully real. The prejudice, danger and hardships they encounter make their triumphs all the more powerful. There are moments of joy and love, but also heartbreak, making this a truly emotional read.

This book is thought-provoking, inspiring and, at times, deeply upsetting. It is a story of survival, sisterhood and the courage to forge your path, even when the world is against you. I was completely drawn in and highly recommend it.

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The Show Woman is an accomplished historical novel, that took me back to a little known area of history - the Edwardian circus. An all-female Edwardian circus, which was even more unique. I loved the four main characters - Lena, Rosie, Violet and Carmen, all with their individual journeys and challenges. Emma Cowing's research really showed, and I learned so much about how fairs were run in the early 20th Century, and how women in particular navigated a very male-run world.

A tale of endurance, of four women carving out their own place in the world. It is the women who make this story, for better and for worse. Women who drive it, who have agency and push against the barriers that time and sex have forced upon them. This story of a ladies circus, of something new in Scotland, 1910, before the world is ripped apart.

This is a tale of love in so many of its forms. Love of friends, of family, of found family, of romantic love, of sexual love, love of a place, a feeling, a memory, a thought. Love runs throughout the whole story, a core thread that splits and unravels before forming anew. It is also the story of the reverse of that coin. Of love turned to hate, of the cruelty that only those nearest and dearest (or those who *should* be our nearest and dearest) can inflict.

There are mature themes running throughout this book, child sexual abuse, loosing children, murder, vengeance, but while the book never shies away from exploring these topics, it is always done gracefully. These moments are important for the story, and not just placed to shock or titillate.

It did feel as if the ending came very suddenly, and there was so much story left to explore, so many questions still unanswered, but I suppose its the sign of a good author, leaving you wanting more. And that I did - some questions were left with vague answers, like a watercolour and you have to fill in the blanks.

Also, Tommy, best boy in the whole book, if not the whole world.

5⭐️ A fast-paced and thought provoking debut novel, set in Edwardian times, The Show Woman follows the path of multiple strong female characters as they cross paths and decide to form an all-female act in the circus.

𝑻𝒘’𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌: 𝑺𝑨, 𝑪𝑺𝑨, 𝒅𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒄 𝒗𝒊𝒐𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆, 𝒎𝒖𝒓𝒅𝒆𝒓, 𝒔𝒖𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒅𝒆

Packed with plot twists and family secrets, I absolutely flew through this as I was just captivated by the story and by each of our characters. Character development is well-rounded, we learn about their pasts and how it has shaped them, and how the circus in turn changes them.

The Show Woman follows Lena's life the year following her fathers death, as a show woman in early 20th century Scotland. As a Scot the premise really intrigued me. Show people are very much part of British cultural history , but are often overlooked. As I know part of the story is inspired by the authors own family, I was trying to work out how much (if any) of the story was true and there is very little information available. Cowing does have a very vivid writing style, it was so easy to picture Lena and her friends travelling around Scotland with their act. If I wanted to be critical some of the plot twists were quite predictable but the book was so well researched it is easy to forgive. I read about 15% of this book and listened to the rest and I didn't enjoy listening as much as reading. The authors words jump off the page at you , whereas the narrator was slow and deliberate. She was however talented and had a wide range of voices . I just felt that this is very much a book to be read rather than listened to. A lot of books set in Scotland tend to have a dark, gritty feel like our winters; however despite mostly dealing with personal tragedy this book always felt like there was hope and love underneath and I really hope that someone with a nice big budget wants to turn this into a tv series and focus on our bright long Spring /Summer days

First of all, I loved this book!! So unusual and such an insight into a time and way of life that most of us have no experience of or know much about. The characters are wonderful and this is one of those books where the pictures of what is happening are so vivid in my mind, even now. To me it’s almost as if I’ve watched a film version. Indeed, I really think a film company should make a movie of the book. It would certainly be colourful in more ways than one! As for the plot, I will not be retelling that aspect as I believe that the ‘blurb’ writers do a much better job and know how to not give anything away. Recommended!

The character and world-building in this very special debut novel make for an immersive and magical reading experience. Following four women in the Edwardian Era as they form their own circus - the result is a story that is as charming as it is tender, with a captivating mystery at the centre.

I cannot believe that this story of the first female circus is a debut novel, it is so beautifully written and is genuinely one of the best books I have ever read. The characters are believable and interesting, and I could not put this book down.

A circus of just women that overcomes all expectations and causes a stir. Good characters and plenty of twists but it’s the circus atmosphere that is the best but. Roll up.

Set in 1910, I loved this story of an all women circus troupe working against the odds in a society that demeans and threatens them. Spending time with these fearless and inspiring ladies was an absolute joy - through tradegy and intimidation Lena and her fellow performers fly high, right to the end. This was a beautiful way to escape to the circus

I enjoyed this book immensely. I started this book with no expectations and no idea where the narrative was going, but the synopsis intrigued me, and I’m so glad I took the chance on it. A brief summary of The Show Woman is that Lena and Violet start an all women circus in the Edwardian era.

The circus has always fascinated me. In one chapter. Rosie, who's new to the circus world, reflects on how, to those in the industry, it’s just everyday life, but to outsiders, it’s something magical, an experience they might only witness once or twice a year. This is how I’ve always felt growing up attending the circus, watching people perform the impossible. The worldbuilding in this book was great. It was captivating and fun to immerse myself in the circus world that has always fascinated me, even though it turned out to be darker and less glamorous than I expected. However, my favourite part of the book is the characters. This is a very female centric story, and I loved how all the women are strong in their own way. We read Lena’s POV with her also growing and maturing as she runs her own circus despite growing up in the circus under her dads tutelage. We also get to read Rosie’s POV, with her being a newcomer in the industry, we get to learn about it with her and her new perspective on it. We don’t get to read Carmen's POV, but we still learn her backstory, which adds further depth to the book. All four of these women create a family of their own, overcoming their past despite people being against them.

This book turned out darker than I expected, especially in the second half, but I still enjoyed it. The Show Woman does contain sexual assault, child sexual assault, and suicide, which may be hard for some readers. But I'd recommend this book to anyone, specifically those who want to read stories about strong female characters defying expectations.

A very gripping and atmospheric book, full of interesting historical detail. I felt like I was immersed in the world, it was vividly created, and the dynamics of the relationships between the women who created the first all-women travelling show were compelling.

Earl 1900s, Scotland.
Lena’s life changes when her mother is gone and her father dies.
The circus life was all she had known.
Violet is a wonderful trapeze artist but she loses her job.
The two team up with other female artists to form their circus group and yet,


Amazing to know the book was inspired by the author’s great-aunt (Violet! of course!).
I found the characterisation, the illustration of the time period and the writing wonderful.
The plot and the writing are 4/5 stars.
The characterisation is 5/5.
Overall, a quick, gripping read.

This novel had such a unique and interesting premise that I found myself hooked from the first page. Richly descriptive and packed with adventure, the book also manages to ensure evocative characterisation of our formidable protagonists as we follow their journey to start their very own circus company. A truly wonderful read.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review

Book review: I want to run away and join the circus. Specifically @emmacowing’s ladies circus, touring the show grounds of Edwardian Scotland - because I loved the characters in this novel *so much*.

‘The Show Woman’ tells the story of 21-yo Lena and her ‘sort-of-sister’, trapeze goddess Violet, who daringly decide to run their own, all female, circus. As their wagon rolls around Scotland’s show circuit, Lena also finds clues to the whereabouts of her mother, who vanished a decade previously. Not everyone, however, is happy about their new venture and they soon realise just what they’re up against.

The characters leapt, cartwheeled, and cantered off the page (bareback, of course). I cared about them deeply. With tears. There may be a pink tent on the front, but there’s no sugarcoating here: some heavy themes are woven into their stories with great compassion. It’s clear how tragically tough things are, not to mention how unfair, but it never feels like a pity party.

The plot kept me hooked so much that I read it in a day. It’s full of fascinating details of show life and gorgeous vignettes of places on the show circuit, wild swimming, and whisky. The twists and turns were as brilliantly executed as Violet’s trapeze routines.

I’m lucky enough to have known Emma since Sara at @cheshirenovelprize brought us and the other long listers together in 2023 and have been itching to read this ever since. She’s a wonderful, generous, wise human being, and I’m not surprised she’s written such a stunner.

I absolutely loved it (in case you couldn’t tell) and can’t wait to be able to talk about Lena, Violet & Co, plus the weeping and *the twists* when it’s published on 1 May.

Roll up, roll up and pre-order now.

Big thanks to @hodderfiction and @netgalley for the advanced copy.

A captivating story to start 2025. This is a descriptive tale of family and friends, fairgrounds and circuses. Rich storytelling and evocative descriptions meant that I stayed up well past my bedtime to finish it.

Be aware that the book includes mentions, of sexual assault, child sexual assault, and murder. None of which is gratuitous or glamourised.

I received this book as an advanced reader copy via NetGalley.
This review is wholly my own words and opinions.

Lena's father has died and left to her the circus carousel which has seen better days and is really fit for nothing.

Then Violet arrives... sassy and brilliant and life starts to breathe again

What a glorious read this is . It is richly told and descriptive and clever and OMG I LOVED IT..

1910 and Lena is adrift after the death of her father, left with only his dilapidated carousel ride and the mystery of where her mother disappeared to years before.
Violet may be one of the best trapeze artists around, but slapping the circus owner wasn't the best idea, and she's unemployable.
The two childhood friends team up, and with the help of a nervous young trick horse rider and a Spanish acrobat, they start an all female travelling circus. But the past isn't keen to stay put.

This is an evocative romp of a story. I loved the characters and the atmosphere. I'm a fool for a circus story and this is a hell of a story.

The spotlight on the way women had to and still have to fight for space is skillfully depicted This is a book of strong female characters (which I love).

You'll love this if you have fond memories of seeing the circus as a child or ever threaten your colleagues/family with quitting and running away to join the circus.

THE SHOW WOMAN by Emma Cowing was so so good. I couldn't stop reading this book. It's so well written and the characters are fantastic.