Thank you for the Arc of this audio book. The narrator was absolutely fantastic and brought the characters to life. I really enjoyed the story. Being Scottish it was a relief to have a Scottish narrator for a Scottish story.
I really enjoyed following the friendships and troubles faced while the FMC established their circus.
There is friendship, hardships, highs and lows and I really enjoyed it all!
It's fast paced, thought provoking and tense.
I do feel this book needs to come with some trigger warnings. There are mentions of child abuse, child SA, murder and suicide which took me by surprise. Although not graphic depictions of these events, I do still feel a warning to the reader is required.
All in all an amazing debut novel! Will absolutely recommend this book.

I went into this book with an open mind and also not quite knowing what to expect and I was left pleasantly surprised. This was a completely different read to anything I have picked up before diving into the world of Lena and Violet who start their own all women's circus show in the Edwardian era. We as readers are taken into the world of the Circus life especially in the unique perspective of women in a time that didn't favour them. One of the things I liked most about this book was the different kinds of women we are introduced to. It told a fresh story of womanhood while shining a spotlight on varying different kinds of women from some strong and determined to some vulnerable and gullible. Emma Cowing done an incredible job brining these women to life introducing us to their back story and characters in a way that made us feel emotionally connected to them, pulling for them like we know them in our real lives. There was also no shying away from the difficulties women in this time and particularly women in the world of the Circus scene were treated.

The drama this historical fiction book presented us with kept me glued! The relationships between these characters were fresh and complex, we explored rivalries, enemies, love, and admiration in a way that was truly captivating. There were several very difficult topics touched on including sexual assault, suicide, child abuse, and violence so be sure to go into this with that in mind and know that it can be a tough read in moments. However, the harrowing moments and backgrounds explored saw us feel deeply emotionally connected to these characters and provided a darkness to the book and harrowing reality that I did not originally expect to see.

As for the audio narration, I felt as though it was executed perfectly. I was able to follow along very well, the Scottish accent made everything feel even more real to the characters and the performance over all was brilliant.

This was drama filled debut novel I would highly recommend especially if you are looking for a fresh take on the historical fiction category.

The Show Woman by Emma Cowing tells the story of four women who come together to create their own all-female circus act in the early 20th century.

All four women have a story, and a talent of their own, to tell the world about in this historical fiction debut from Cowing.

This book is fun, raw and fascinating, and widened my knowledge of a part of Scottish history and culture I wasn’t aware of.

It reminded me of the King’s Witches and The Maiden by Kate Foster in bringing to life formidable women who you find yourself rooting for throughout.

Lena, who has known the circus her whole life, finds herself lost after the death of her father, already reeling from the disappearance of her mother years earlier. When she becomes an orphan she is encouraged to leave the only life she has known and sell up the carousel she inherited.



But instead, she teams up with her friend Violet, a trapeze artist known far and wide across Scotland for her talent. Both young women are feisty, independent and not sticking to the status quo for young women at the time by getting married and having children.

Alongside the pair, they recruit Carmen and Rosie, a bareback horse-rider, who has escaped from her abusive father to discover and make a new life for herself.

Together, the women support each other and fight to make their name across Scotland.

I loved this book, its so different in the story its telling about a world which often gets overlooked. You could really sense the history and the life these women were leading, which was far from easy, living in tough conditions and with little money. I really enjoyed how you got a tour of Scotland through all the places they visit, and as a born Aberdonian the reference to the north-east and Doric was appreciated!

For a debut, this novel is so fresh and different and you find yourself really wanting these women, who have come out of such hardship to do well and find a new life for themselves.

The plot also has quite a few twists to it that I hadn’t expected and I thought it was really cleverly interwoven in to the plot. You really got a sense of the setting and the way in which these women loved and were loyal to one another while also making each other furious at times.

I think this book will do very well and I can imagine it being adapted into a series!

What a vivid and compelling piece of historical fiction. The writing is gorgeous and it has lots of mystery and twists.

I enjoyed this book a lot until the ending.
I thought this book was great. There was a great mix of characters. There a lots of strong females which I enjoy, and although there is some romance I like that it wasn’t the focus.
Unfortunately it lost me when it got to the end. I don’t know if that would have been different if I read a physical copy rather than audio but I couldn’t follow all the relationships between people when it was all told so quickly.

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

4.5 stars for book rounded up to 5 Audio solid 4

Loved loved LOVED this audiobook! Such a captivating story/concept. This isn’t a typical read for me and yet I loved everything about it. This was so beautifully written and I loved the twist and turns and hidden secrets throughout. I enjoyed the time period in which it was set and the way it was written to reflect that. I do wish that romance between two certain characters (I won’t give away who) was explored a bit more though. Was such a gripping and face pace listen/read. It was narrated beautifully too.

This is a fabulous audiobook that tells the story of an all female circus act during the Edwardian Era in Scotland in 1910. First of all I loved the author Emma Cowing’s descriptions of the circus - the animals, the settings - it was all so well portrayed, as if you were are right there actually in the audience. Enjoying the show. The characters were interesting too each one with a backstory and I was impressed with the strength of unity and support between the women - they really had each others backs. But even so there are sad dark moments in the book that are humbling.and tragic. The audiobook is narrated by Samara Maclaren who brought this enchanting novel to life - and what a journey it took me on! I enjoyed it from beginning to end - this is a brilliant audiobook and I highly recommend to all.

3.5 stars ✨ Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton Audio via NetGalley for the ARC of this book 🎧
The Show Woman was a fast paced, well written debut novel with lots of character. I loved the concept of the all girl circus act, the setting, and was really rooting for the ladies. I’m not totally sure why but I struggled to become fully invested in them, and that took away from the potential impact of some of the book’s events. I also would have loved to read more of the ladies circus having success and just thriving before the story’s major conflict started, I think then it would’ve packed a little more of a punch. However, the audiobook narration was fab and I liked the twists towards the end. Excellent stuff! 🎪🐴 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 🤹🏻‍♀️🌌

Absolutely captivating; what an incredible debut. Skilfully plotted with a lilting written style, I listened to the audio version and completed in almost a single sitting. This is a world I know little about; as a child I enjoyed the circus and remember looking forward to the annual visit of the circus. It’s different now and rightly so, but Emma Cowing appears to have captured the very essence of the travelling show.

Lena, Violet, Rosie and Carmen, the central characters, all have a strong back story. They form a ladies circus, unheard of at the time where, as usual, women were treated with indifference and scorn. It’s a fitting tribute to the power, determination and resilience not only of these characters, but women in general, that they persevere and overcome the difficulties encountered. This is a novel brim full of life and colour. There’s heartache too as we learn of sexual abuse, violence and loss. My heart was almost breaking for little Rosie and To my pony as she arrived to audition her bareback pirouette act. It was so visual, I could almost see her perform. There’s a strong sense of show traditions and the difference in lifestyle between the travelling people and the flatties, those who live in houses. Emma Cowing has taken me on a wonderful journey, some nostalgia as she travelled to various Scottish towns and produced a memorable take. A great new voice and one I’ll look out for.

All the fun of the fair!

Inspired by her own ancestry, Emma Cowing skilfully transports us back to Scotland in the early 1900’s. We meet Lena, who upon the death of her father is advised that she must sell the families beloved carousel and go and find a life outside her community. Lena is bereft and struggling her way through until Violet turns up with big hair a big mouth and a big plan, they should go it alone with their own Travelling show.

After recruitment the little group consists of Lena, Violet, little Rosie and Carmen, each has a past, secrets and a reason to run, but the past has a habit of turning up in the present. There is trouble ahead, trouble mixed with solid friendship, true love and female solidarity and a massive sense of sisters doing it for themselves.

Thought provoking. Inspirational uplifting and upsetting. Perfect for women’s history month.

Samara MacLaren narrates beautifully 🎧

Huge gratitude to Hodder & Stoughton Audio via NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ALC 🎧