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The Life She Was Given
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100 copies available
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From acclaimed author Ellen Marie Wiseman comes a vivid, daring novel about the devastating power of family secrets--beginning in the poignant, lurid world of a Depression-era traveling circus and coming full circle in the transformative 1950s.
On a summer evening in 1931, Lilly Blackwood glimpses circus lights from the grimy window of her attic bedroom. Lilly isn't allowed to explore the meadows around Blackwood Manor. She's never even ventured beyond her narrow room. Momma insists it's for Lilly's own protection, that people would be afraid if they saw her. But on this unforgettable night, Lilly is taken outside for the first time--and sold to the circus sideshow.
More than two decades later, nineteen-year-old Julia Blackwood has inherited her parents' estate and horse farm. For Julia, home was an unhappy place full of strict rules and forbidden rooms, and she hopes that returning might erase those painful memories. Instead, she becomes immersed in a mystery involving a hidden attic room and photos of circus scenes featuring a striking young girl.
At first, The Barlow Brothers' Circus is just another prison for Lilly. But in this rag-tag, sometimes brutal world, Lilly discovers strength, friendship, and a rare affinity for animals. Soon, thanks to elephants Pepper and JoJo and their handler, Cole, Lilly is no longer a sideshow spectacle but the circus's biggest attraction. . .until tragedy and cruelty collide. It will fall to Julia to learn the truth about Lilly's fate and her family's shocking betrayal, and find a way to make Blackwood Manor into a place of healing at last.
Moving between Julia and Lilly's stories, Ellen Marie Wiseman portrays two extraordinary, very different women in a novel that, while tender and heartbreaking, offers moments of joy and indomitable hope.
On a summer evening in 1931, Lilly Blackwood glimpses circus lights from the grimy window of her attic bedroom. Lilly isn't allowed to explore the meadows around Blackwood Manor. She's never even ventured beyond her narrow room. Momma insists it's for Lilly's own protection, that people would be afraid if they saw her. But on this unforgettable night, Lilly is taken outside for the first time--and sold to the circus sideshow.
More than two decades later, nineteen-year-old Julia Blackwood has inherited her parents' estate and horse farm. For Julia, home was an unhappy place full of strict rules and forbidden rooms, and she hopes that returning might erase those painful memories. Instead, she becomes immersed in a mystery involving a hidden attic room and photos of circus scenes featuring a striking young girl.
At first, The Barlow Brothers' Circus is just another prison for Lilly. But in this rag-tag, sometimes brutal world, Lilly discovers strength, friendship, and a rare affinity for animals. Soon, thanks to elephants Pepper and JoJo and their handler, Cole, Lilly is no longer a sideshow spectacle but the circus's biggest attraction. . .until tragedy and cruelty collide. It will fall to Julia to learn the truth about Lilly's fate and her family's shocking betrayal, and find a way to make Blackwood Manor into a place of healing at last.
Moving between Julia and Lilly's stories, Ellen Marie Wiseman portrays two extraordinary, very different women in a novel that, while tender and heartbreaking, offers moments of joy and indomitable hope.
356 pages, Paperback
First published July 25, 2017
About the author
Ellen Marie Wiseman
16 books4,706 followersA first-generation German American, Ellen Marie Wiseman discovered her love of reading and writing while attending first grade in one of the last one-room schoolhouses in NYS. She is a New York Times Bestselling author whose novels have been translated into twenty languages. Her debut novel, THE PLUM TREE, is loosely based on her mother’s stories about growing up in Germany during the chaos of WWII. THE PLUM TREE received much praise for its depiction of WWII and was named by Bookbub as One of Thirteen Books To Read if You Loved ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE. Ellen’s second novel, WHAT SHE LEFT BEHIND, was named a Huffington Post Best Books of Summer 2015. Her third novel, COAL RIVER, was called "one of the most "unputdownable" books of 2015" by The Historical Novel Review. Her fourth novel, THE LIFE SHE WAS GIVEN, was named A GREAT GROUP READS Selection of the Women’s National Book Association and National Reading Group Month, and a Goodreads Best of the Month for July. Her newest novel, THE ORPHAN COLLECTOR, comes out on August 4th, 2020. Ellen lives on the shores of Lake Ontario with her husband and two spoiled Shih-tzus, Izzy and Bella. When she’s not busy writing, she loves spending time with her children and grandchildren. Find Ellen on Facebook at: www.Facebook.com/EllenMarieWisemanAuthor
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 5,203 reviews
November 6, 2017
If I could give this book a million stars, I would. It was THAT good. My insides felt like they would rip apart and I wanted to scream and cry. And THAT is what makes a GREAT book. This book had me emotionally charged, to say the least.
It is the 1930's. We meet Lilly. She is a young girl kept locked in the attic by her parents - for her own good, they believe. The reason? "God forgot to give me color," says the little girl. My heart broke at this remark. Nowadays being an albino is not a big deal, but back in the 1930's.. you were considered a freak..a monster..or as Lilly's mother told her..an abomination. In the middle of the night, her mother told her that she had a surprise for her. That she was going to let her out of the attic AND take her to a private viewing of the circus that came to town. She took her by the hand and led her out into the night into the middle of the forest. A man met them. This man worked for a freak show and the girl's mother sold her to him..And this was the life she was given..
This story impacted me in a profound way. And I do feel it necessary to warn that there are upsetting themes in this novel. As a huge advocate for the humane treatment of animals I was deeply saddened by the gross maltreatment of animals in this book. This book centered around a circus and a freak show. The treatment of the animals in the circus was very cruel and inhumane and upsetting. With that being said, it was also an accurate portrayal of the time period. I think the author did some amazing research and I felt almost like I was there..transported into that era. I think that is a truly remarkable gift for an author to have the ability to transport their reader anywhere in the world. That is the gift of reading, after all. And this book, reminded me over and over again..why it is I am so passionate about reading.
I received this book from the publishers in exchange for an honest review.
It is the 1930's. We meet Lilly. She is a young girl kept locked in the attic by her parents - for her own good, they believe. The reason? "God forgot to give me color," says the little girl. My heart broke at this remark. Nowadays being an albino is not a big deal, but back in the 1930's.. you were considered a freak..a monster..or as Lilly's mother told her..an abomination. In the middle of the night, her mother told her that she had a surprise for her. That she was going to let her out of the attic AND take her to a private viewing of the circus that came to town. She took her by the hand and led her out into the night into the middle of the forest. A man met them. This man worked for a freak show and the girl's mother sold her to him..And this was the life she was given..
This story impacted me in a profound way. And I do feel it necessary to warn that there are upsetting themes in this novel. As a huge advocate for the humane treatment of animals I was deeply saddened by the gross maltreatment of animals in this book. This book centered around a circus and a freak show. The treatment of the animals in the circus was very cruel and inhumane and upsetting. With that being said, it was also an accurate portrayal of the time period. I think the author did some amazing research and I felt almost like I was there..transported into that era. I think that is a truly remarkable gift for an author to have the ability to transport their reader anywhere in the world. That is the gift of reading, after all. And this book, reminded me over and over again..why it is I am so passionate about reading.
I received this book from the publishers in exchange for an honest review.
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November 18, 2016I hope everyone will add this book to their TBR pile! :)
August 19, 2017
I've said before that I'm fascinated by what it is that prompts an author to write a story and I appreciate that Wiseman in an interview at the end of the novel tells us how idea for the story came about. " ...the idea started with the image of an old camera hidden inside a mansion. Then I imagined a little girl locked in the attic, which probably stemmed from my love of Flowers in the Attic and my fascination with stories about people hiding their "less than perfect" children in a back bedroom." This is hard to read from the beginning seeing ten year old Lilly's treatment by her horrible mother as her father stood by and let it happen. It isn't until Lilly is sold to the circus and pent up in cage that we learn why her mother thinks she is a monster. From a side show attraction in a circus in the 1930's, Lilly becomes a fake medium and ultimately an elephant rider, finds love and tragedy.
In an alternating narrative, twenty years later, we're introduced to Julia who also suffered at the hands of her horrible mother, a religious zealot and weak father who may love his daughters but does nothing to help them as he hides behind his liquor bottle. She runs away, but returns to her childhood home and horse farm after her parents are dead. The question becomes how will Julia and Lilly's stories cross? At some point the reader knows what Julia doesn't and her search to understand the things she finds in the attic became a little tedious.
Some tough issues are covered - child abuse, animal abuse and this makes for a tough read, but if you've read any of Wiseman's books, you know she never shies away from some awful things that happened in history. The fact that an incident involving an elephant is based on a true story illustrates Wiseman's look to historical fact. There are side shows, freak shows depicting the awful treatment of deformed or disabled, either fake or real. The story moves from sad to sadder to omg - how much more? I don't know a lot about the circus life and what it may have been like, but I just felt that especially towards the end when we learn about Lilly's fate that it was just a little too melodramatic so it's 3.5 stars but not quite 4 for me . I have read all of Wiseman's novels so it is hard for me not to compare them. My favorite is What She Left Behind and I will continue to read what Wiseman writes hoping that I will be as captivated as I was with that one . While I gave this 3 stars (3.5 if I could) I did like it , just not as much as a couple of her other books. If you are considering this, you should definitely read all of the 4 and 5 star reviews as it appears I'm an outlier here.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Kensington Publishing through NetGalley.
In an alternating narrative, twenty years later, we're introduced to Julia who also suffered at the hands of her horrible mother, a religious zealot and weak father who may love his daughters but does nothing to help them as he hides behind his liquor bottle. She runs away, but returns to her childhood home and horse farm after her parents are dead. The question becomes how will Julia and Lilly's stories cross? At some point the reader knows what Julia doesn't and her search to understand the things she finds in the attic became a little tedious.
Some tough issues are covered - child abuse, animal abuse and this makes for a tough read, but if you've read any of Wiseman's books, you know she never shies away from some awful things that happened in history. The fact that an incident involving an elephant is based on a true story illustrates Wiseman's look to historical fact. There are side shows, freak shows depicting the awful treatment of deformed or disabled, either fake or real. The story moves from sad to sadder to omg - how much more? I don't know a lot about the circus life and what it may have been like, but I just felt that especially towards the end when we learn about Lilly's fate that it was just a little too melodramatic so it's 3.5 stars but not quite 4 for me . I have read all of Wiseman's novels so it is hard for me not to compare them. My favorite is What She Left Behind and I will continue to read what Wiseman writes hoping that I will be as captivated as I was with that one . While I gave this 3 stars (3.5 if I could) I did like it , just not as much as a couple of her other books. If you are considering this, you should definitely read all of the 4 and 5 star reviews as it appears I'm an outlier here.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Kensington Publishing through NetGalley.
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August 18, 2024(This review is based on an advance reading copy I downloaded from NetGalley in May, 2017. Please be advised that the few items quoted below may change in the final published copy, but needed to be included in order for me to leave a meaningful review. Since I only read the first half of the book, I'm not really sure if anything below can be considered a spoiler, but there are some references below to people and events that occur throughout the first half. Read on at the risk of learning that all your assumptions about how the plot develops are actually correct.)
I have not read anything so awful in years. I forced myself through the first half, intending to finish regardless, but I just couldn't. The scene with the zebras, followed by the completely predictable and trite love scene in the water, was the last straw. Having satisfactorily finished reading "What She Left Behind", I can only guess that the author turned over writing duties on this one to her 12-year-old nephew. First off, why use a passive voice in the title? Very odd. Secondly, a very heavy reliance on "the questioning mind" construct really turned me off. ("What was it? And why had her father hidden it in his dresser? " Or, "What was she supposed to do now? And what about the horses? Were they okay? Would Claude show up to take care of them? Most of the horses would be fine..., but what about Blue and her baby? Could they take this cold?") I actually have enough intellect to figure out where an author is leading me without needing it to be spelled out for me as part of the narrative. This happened at least every few pages, and was just draining.
And the characters - so Glory keeps telling Lilly how "everything will be ok", and she'll protect her from Merrick. Well, as of the halfway point, Glory has done absolutely nothing to protect Lilly. Nothing. Merrick (and the townies) have completely abused Lilly, and Glory has never stopped it. Oh! And Lilly takes a whipping from Merrick with a riding crop where each blow was harder than the last, but IT NEVER BREAKS THE SKIN?!!! Give me a friggin' break!
Also, again as of the halfway point, we have yet to be told why Lilly frequently has this inability to breathe (does she have asthma? Does she suffer from panic attacks?), that she can get through just be telling herself to. The same with her counting - is she OCD? ADD? Autistic? Why is she counting things all the time? With no other symptoms of any mental disorder.
And Julia - what a complete overnight turnaround for a runaway to just slide into the role of Mistress of the Manor! How fortuitous that she's so comfortable with the horses.
Oh! And let's not forget to refer to EVERY SINGLE CIRCUS CHARACTER by his or her first name and description every time they're referenced. (eg: Hester the Monkey Girl and Magnus the World's Ugliest Man). At some point (certainly after the first several months with the circus), it seems that Lilly and others would no longer need the longer appellation in order to know who they're referring to; Hester and Magnus would probably do the trick.
I could go on about the many ways in which this book fails, from outsized and over-the-top characters (momma, Merrick) to trite and predictable plot lines (the elephant boy), to 5th-grade sentence structure and development, to overused constructs, and beyond. This was just awful AW. FUL. I will actively steer folks away from this title, if possible. I'm embarrassed for everyone who contributed to the production of this novel.
I have not read anything so awful in years. I forced myself through the first half, intending to finish regardless, but I just couldn't. The scene with the zebras, followed by the completely predictable and trite love scene in the water, was the last straw. Having satisfactorily finished reading "What She Left Behind", I can only guess that the author turned over writing duties on this one to her 12-year-old nephew. First off, why use a passive voice in the title? Very odd. Secondly, a very heavy reliance on "the questioning mind" construct really turned me off. ("What was it? And why had her father hidden it in his dresser? " Or, "What was she supposed to do now? And what about the horses? Were they okay? Would Claude show up to take care of them? Most of the horses would be fine..., but what about Blue and her baby? Could they take this cold?") I actually have enough intellect to figure out where an author is leading me without needing it to be spelled out for me as part of the narrative. This happened at least every few pages, and was just draining.
And the characters - so Glory keeps telling Lilly how "everything will be ok", and she'll protect her from Merrick. Well, as of the halfway point, Glory has done absolutely nothing to protect Lilly. Nothing. Merrick (and the townies) have completely abused Lilly, and Glory has never stopped it. Oh! And Lilly takes a whipping from Merrick with a riding crop where each blow was harder than the last, but IT NEVER BREAKS THE SKIN?!!! Give me a friggin' break!
Also, again as of the halfway point, we have yet to be told why Lilly frequently has this inability to breathe (does she have asthma? Does she suffer from panic attacks?), that she can get through just be telling herself to. The same with her counting - is she OCD? ADD? Autistic? Why is she counting things all the time? With no other symptoms of any mental disorder.
And Julia - what a complete overnight turnaround for a runaway to just slide into the role of Mistress of the Manor! How fortuitous that she's so comfortable with the horses.
Oh! And let's not forget to refer to EVERY SINGLE CIRCUS CHARACTER by his or her first name and description every time they're referenced. (eg: Hester the Monkey Girl and Magnus the World's Ugliest Man). At some point (certainly after the first several months with the circus), it seems that Lilly and others would no longer need the longer appellation in order to know who they're referring to; Hester and Magnus would probably do the trick.
I could go on about the many ways in which this book fails, from outsized and over-the-top characters (momma, Merrick) to trite and predictable plot lines (the elephant boy), to 5th-grade sentence structure and development, to overused constructs, and beyond. This was just awful AW. FUL. I will actively steer folks away from this title, if possible. I'm embarrassed for everyone who contributed to the production of this novel.
July 31, 2017
Water for Elephants with Albinos
As Reviewed by an Actual Albino
If you google the term ‘albinism’ Google, very obligingly, opens a brief summary paragraph for you at the very beginning of the search entry listing, taken from Wikipedia. The paragraph says, in more or less layman’s terms: “Albinism in humans is a congenital disorder characterized by the complete or partial absence of pigment in the skin, hair and eyes. Albinism is associated with a number of vision defects, such as photophobia, nystagmus, and amblyopia. Lack of skin pigmentation makes for more susceptibility to sunburn and skin cancers.”
I know this because I went and googled the word albinism, and saw what came out. I don’t know when the author began research on her book The Life She Was Given, but, if it had been any time in the last fifteen years, this information would have been more or less equally readily available to her as well.
If she’d actually bothered to open and read the very first link in her search (hint: it’s Wikipedia) she, like the readers of this review, would have discovered a few no-doubt surprising facts about albinism. For instance, she would have been astonished to find out that there are several kinds of albinism, of which the most recognizable emblematic form – it’s called Type I, just so you know – is the most famous, although not the most common. The most common type of albinism, type II – I know, scientists are so original – numerically outweighs the first type around the world, and, while still having many of the albino features, is basically unknown, because type II albinos… well, they don’t really look albinos. Yours truly, for instance, a type II albino with credentials, has dark blonde hair. My eyebrows could stand some pencil, and my skin looks like Ye Olde Albinoe, but go prove it to the disbelieving public.
All types of albinism, however, have one thing in common, and that thing can be gleaned even from the paragraph that Google Search displays, without opening and bothering to actually, you know, read about it: severe vision defects. So if you make your character a perfect albino doll (of course she’s a perfect albino doll), maybe, just maybe, you should give her the visual acuity of 20/200 she’s supposed to have, just for the sake of being original. The information is, after all, right there.
This is spoilers, by the way. We spend the first three chapters or so in a state of uncertainty and tension the author builds up for us. We’re supposed to wonder, you see, how horrible and abominable this child is that her parents imprisoned her in the attic, only to discover later that – poof! – there’s nothing wrong with her! It doesn’t work, because from about page 2 we very quickly garner the impression of the parents being such utter, insane bastards that we as readers fully expect the ‘horrible birth defect of doom’ to be a mole on the shoulder or a couple of crooked teeth.
I grant, of course, that I may gripe about this too much because, as a type II albino with actual visual acuity problems, I find my utter lack of representation in fiction in any kind of realistic way to be, well, annoying. It might be better if albinos were not represented at all, but as they serve as the convenient go-to monster with whom nothing discernable is actually wrong, I would be ever so grateful if the authors had bothered, at least for the sake of courtesy, to explore the condition they want to portray.
And there’s literally nothing wrong with this girl aside from the colouring. I mean, she’s actually perfect. Porcelain doll perfect. The amount of times her flawless skin is mentioned would make any normal woman erupt in pimples. I’d go back and literally count it, but I don’t think I can stand the pain. Her beauty is elaborated on, expanded on, noted by the basically-omniscient narrator. It’s very important for us the readers to understand how astonishingly beautiful this albino woman is. I suppose it’s important to stress since it is one of only virtues; her job in this story is to be tormented, abused, protected, shuffled, cheated, saved, stared at, taken care of, stood up for…
Basically, she gets all the personality and treatment of the porcelain doll she’s described as being. She started and ended her life in the same attic, a prisoner, she got pushed and prodded from plot element to plot element, and her moment of happiness came as a result of being saved by, and married to, her sole Knight in Shining Armour Protector, who presumably loved her because of her personality, but we can’t tell.
No, I’m serious. Our heroine has not done a single active thing for herself until the last three chapters of the book. Everything she got and whatever happiness she managed to eke out was a direct result of her boyfriend standing up for her.
In the last chapters she threw herself head over heels into a stupid cause trying to rescue an elephant that killed a human because it had to (sounds familiar?) and gets herself wounded, her husband killed, and her young daughter orphaned. Smart. Compassionate. Good job.
Also, she has superpowers. No, seriously, she has Wild Empathy. After having interacted for her entire life with one cat she can make animals do everything for her without a word and without any training. All animals, from the moment she sees them. I suppose there is a reason for her to be able to do something like that with elephants whom she petted and made friendly with for years and years – although how she would achieve new commands without a single bit of training I’m hard pressed to figure out – but she can do it with animals she’s never encountered before, too. It’s because of the purity of her heart, which is obviously embodied in the purity of her whiteness, or something.
At least our second heroine, Julia, is a little more active. In fact, too active for a woman on her own in the 1950s. Julia acts, speaks and is reacted to like a woman in the 2000s. she swears (actually says ‘Shit’, if you please, which I’m sure makes total sense for a woman in the ‘50s), becomes the owner of a business and horse ranch, runs around in men’s sweaters and pants, and nobody so much as blinks. The only way we get to know this is, in fact, the 1950s is via a thousand tiny descriptive details the author bothers to provide in the form of brand names and the mention of poodle skirts.
Julia is less of a Purity Sue than Lilly who is literally an angel walking the earth, but even she has some of the same trends. Her own empathy with animals is less supernatural, of course, and she occasionally stoops to actual shoplifting in order to eat. She also ran away from home. Presumably these more normal attributes are because she’s not an albino. You have to be a real albino to get animals to obey you instinctively. I wish my cats knew that.
Julia’s plot involves a lot less straight-up endless suffering, a lot more horses, but no less boredom. Who would have thought that constant unending abuse, and descriptions of nothing but abuse, could actually be boring? But with the heroine of one timeline doing nothing but be beaten up and the heroine of another timeline doing not much the pacing of the plot, which requires time skips of six years, stands still and refuses to move.
In the end, this is a story of passivity. Maybe on purpose – I almost hope so. Passivity of the two female protagonists, passivity of the men (the few, approximately three in the entire story) who are not abusive, passivity of society, and who all knows what else. Certainly the main protagonist, Lilly, is embodied by being more or less a lifeless thing. It is extremely telling, to me, that even the title of this book is in the passive voice; The Life She Was Given and not, say, The Life She Had.
Maybe one day we will finally step out of the realm of passive disabled beautiful flawless pure people to whom things happen, maybe one day… but it is not this day.
As Reviewed by an Actual Albino
If you google the term ‘albinism’ Google, very obligingly, opens a brief summary paragraph for you at the very beginning of the search entry listing, taken from Wikipedia. The paragraph says, in more or less layman’s terms: “Albinism in humans is a congenital disorder characterized by the complete or partial absence of pigment in the skin, hair and eyes. Albinism is associated with a number of vision defects, such as photophobia, nystagmus, and amblyopia. Lack of skin pigmentation makes for more susceptibility to sunburn and skin cancers.”
I know this because I went and googled the word albinism, and saw what came out. I don’t know when the author began research on her book The Life She Was Given, but, if it had been any time in the last fifteen years, this information would have been more or less equally readily available to her as well.
If she’d actually bothered to open and read the very first link in her search (hint: it’s Wikipedia) she, like the readers of this review, would have discovered a few no-doubt surprising facts about albinism. For instance, she would have been astonished to find out that there are several kinds of albinism, of which the most recognizable emblematic form – it’s called Type I, just so you know – is the most famous, although not the most common. The most common type of albinism, type II – I know, scientists are so original – numerically outweighs the first type around the world, and, while still having many of the albino features, is basically unknown, because type II albinos… well, they don’t really look albinos. Yours truly, for instance, a type II albino with credentials, has dark blonde hair. My eyebrows could stand some pencil, and my skin looks like Ye Olde Albinoe, but go prove it to the disbelieving public.
All types of albinism, however, have one thing in common, and that thing can be gleaned even from the paragraph that Google Search displays, without opening and bothering to actually, you know, read about it: severe vision defects. So if you make your character a perfect albino doll (of course she’s a perfect albino doll), maybe, just maybe, you should give her the visual acuity of 20/200 she’s supposed to have, just for the sake of being original. The information is, after all, right there.
This is spoilers, by the way. We spend the first three chapters or so in a state of uncertainty and tension the author builds up for us. We’re supposed to wonder, you see, how horrible and abominable this child is that her parents imprisoned her in the attic, only to discover later that – poof! – there’s nothing wrong with her! It doesn’t work, because from about page 2 we very quickly garner the impression of the parents being such utter, insane bastards that we as readers fully expect the ‘horrible birth defect of doom’ to be a mole on the shoulder or a couple of crooked teeth.
I grant, of course, that I may gripe about this too much because, as a type II albino with actual visual acuity problems, I find my utter lack of representation in fiction in any kind of realistic way to be, well, annoying. It might be better if albinos were not represented at all, but as they serve as the convenient go-to monster with whom nothing discernable is actually wrong, I would be ever so grateful if the authors had bothered, at least for the sake of courtesy, to explore the condition they want to portray.
And there’s literally nothing wrong with this girl aside from the colouring. I mean, she’s actually perfect. Porcelain doll perfect. The amount of times her flawless skin is mentioned would make any normal woman erupt in pimples. I’d go back and literally count it, but I don’t think I can stand the pain. Her beauty is elaborated on, expanded on, noted by the basically-omniscient narrator. It’s very important for us the readers to understand how astonishingly beautiful this albino woman is. I suppose it’s important to stress since it is one of only virtues; her job in this story is to be tormented, abused, protected, shuffled, cheated, saved, stared at, taken care of, stood up for…
Basically, she gets all the personality and treatment of the porcelain doll she’s described as being. She started and ended her life in the same attic, a prisoner, she got pushed and prodded from plot element to plot element, and her moment of happiness came as a result of being saved by, and married to, her sole Knight in Shining Armour Protector, who presumably loved her because of her personality, but we can’t tell.
No, I’m serious. Our heroine has not done a single active thing for herself until the last three chapters of the book. Everything she got and whatever happiness she managed to eke out was a direct result of her boyfriend standing up for her.
In the last chapters she threw herself head over heels into a stupid cause trying to rescue an elephant that killed a human because it had to (sounds familiar?) and gets herself wounded, her husband killed, and her young daughter orphaned. Smart. Compassionate. Good job.
Also, she has superpowers. No, seriously, she has Wild Empathy. After having interacted for her entire life with one cat she can make animals do everything for her without a word and without any training. All animals, from the moment she sees them. I suppose there is a reason for her to be able to do something like that with elephants whom she petted and made friendly with for years and years – although how she would achieve new commands without a single bit of training I’m hard pressed to figure out – but she can do it with animals she’s never encountered before, too. It’s because of the purity of her heart, which is obviously embodied in the purity of her whiteness, or something.
At least our second heroine, Julia, is a little more active. In fact, too active for a woman on her own in the 1950s. Julia acts, speaks and is reacted to like a woman in the 2000s. she swears (actually says ‘Shit’, if you please, which I’m sure makes total sense for a woman in the ‘50s), becomes the owner of a business and horse ranch, runs around in men’s sweaters and pants, and nobody so much as blinks. The only way we get to know this is, in fact, the 1950s is via a thousand tiny descriptive details the author bothers to provide in the form of brand names and the mention of poodle skirts.
Julia is less of a Purity Sue than Lilly who is literally an angel walking the earth, but even she has some of the same trends. Her own empathy with animals is less supernatural, of course, and she occasionally stoops to actual shoplifting in order to eat. She also ran away from home. Presumably these more normal attributes are because she’s not an albino. You have to be a real albino to get animals to obey you instinctively. I wish my cats knew that.
Julia’s plot involves a lot less straight-up endless suffering, a lot more horses, but no less boredom. Who would have thought that constant unending abuse, and descriptions of nothing but abuse, could actually be boring? But with the heroine of one timeline doing nothing but be beaten up and the heroine of another timeline doing not much the pacing of the plot, which requires time skips of six years, stands still and refuses to move.
In the end, this is a story of passivity. Maybe on purpose – I almost hope so. Passivity of the two female protagonists, passivity of the men (the few, approximately three in the entire story) who are not abusive, passivity of society, and who all knows what else. Certainly the main protagonist, Lilly, is embodied by being more or less a lifeless thing. It is extremely telling, to me, that even the title of this book is in the passive voice; The Life She Was Given and not, say, The Life She Had.
Maybe one day we will finally step out of the realm of passive disabled beautiful flawless pure people to whom things happen, maybe one day… but it is not this day.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 6, 2018
The good, the bad, and the ugly underpinnings of a 1930's circus and sideshow enterprise.
The relationship between mothers and daughters can be tricky. Here, the mother is a religious fanatic who foists her toxic beliefs on her daughter. Her daughter, the abomination, who must be locked away in the attic "for her own good". For the better part of 10 years, the father, who was apparently born without a backbone, allows it to happen. When the mother makes a decision to rid herself of the abomination, the world changes radically for the young girl.
My heart is in tatters. Do not make the decision to read this lightly. It has a horrific act of animal cruelty that is hard to bear. I knew this going in, thanks to my GR buddy, Crumb. Still and yet, I am not sorry to have read it. It was exceptional.
The relationship between mothers and daughters can be tricky. Here, the mother is a religious fanatic who foists her toxic beliefs on her daughter. Her daughter, the abomination, who must be locked away in the attic "for her own good". For the better part of 10 years, the father, who was apparently born without a backbone, allows it to happen. When the mother makes a decision to rid herself of the abomination, the world changes radically for the young girl.
My heart is in tatters. Do not make the decision to read this lightly. It has a horrific act of animal cruelty that is hard to bear. I knew this going in, thanks to my GR buddy, Crumb. Still and yet, I am not sorry to have read it. It was exceptional.
September 15, 2017
THE LIFE SHE WAS GIVEN by ELLEN MARIE WISEMAN was a moving, haunting, and heartbreaking tale with an intriguing and engaging storyline that I thoroughly enjoyed. I have a fascination for circus themed books and this one kept me entertained and spellbound right to the very end.
ELLEN MARIE WISEMAN delivers a vivid, descriptive, and well-written read here with some uncomfortable and cringe worthy scenes that were difficult to read at times. The story is told in alternating perspectives of two very different and remarkable young women from Lilly Blackwood in the 1930’s and Julia Blackwood in the 1950’s. I enjoyed both perspectives and stories equally. How these two women are connected to each other and their stories is the beauty of this novel.
To sum it all up it was heart-wrenching, sad, hopeful, and a compelling fast-paced read with an ending that I found to be totally satisfying and shocking. I also love that cover and the title of this book and found both to be extremely fitting to this novel. Would recommend!!!
Thank you so much to NetGalley, Kensington Books, and Ellen Marie Wiseman for the opportunity to read and review a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
All of Brenda's and my reviews can be found on our sister blog:
http://www.twogirlslostinacouleereadi...
ELLEN MARIE WISEMAN delivers a vivid, descriptive, and well-written read here with some uncomfortable and cringe worthy scenes that were difficult to read at times. The story is told in alternating perspectives of two very different and remarkable young women from Lilly Blackwood in the 1930’s and Julia Blackwood in the 1950’s. I enjoyed both perspectives and stories equally. How these two women are connected to each other and their stories is the beauty of this novel.
To sum it all up it was heart-wrenching, sad, hopeful, and a compelling fast-paced read with an ending that I found to be totally satisfying and shocking. I also love that cover and the title of this book and found both to be extremely fitting to this novel. Would recommend!!!
Thank you so much to NetGalley, Kensington Books, and Ellen Marie Wiseman for the opportunity to read and review a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
All of Brenda's and my reviews can be found on our sister blog:
http://www.twogirlslostinacouleereadi...
February 18, 2024
Circus themed books are a hit or miss for me so I was slightly wary when starting this book. It had received some great reviews from my Goodreads friends and so I thought I’d give it a go.
The novel is told from two points of view. We first meet Lilly, in the early 1930’s. who is a little girl living locked in an attic for 10 years with nothing known of the outside world except what she reads in books and the little that she can see out of her window. She was told over and over throughout her life that she was an abomination, that if anyone saw her they would be frightened of her and maybe do her harm. “Lilly didn’t know what an abomination was, but is sounded bad. Her shoulders dropped and she sighed in the stillness of her room”.
She never had a mirror in her room but only saw a vague image of herself when it was dark outside and she saw her reflection in the window of her small room. Her mother is a religious fanatic who thinks that Lilly’s “condition” is her punishment for wishing so desperately for a child that she would sell her soul to the devil. Her father is a spineless man who does nothing to help Lilly, he instead escapes into alcohol.
When Lilly is age 10 the circus comes to town and her mother does what is almost incredible to believe, she sells her daughter to the circus. It is finally here that Lilly understands about her “condition” and makes friends and enemies among the circus people. Her story is a wonder to read and I kept wanting to get back to her story when I was reading Julia’s chapters.
We then meet Julia who is an 18 year old living in the early 1950’s. She ran away from a suffocating home environment when she was very young and is now struggling to make a life, working in a diner and living with an abusive boyfriend. She is astonished when a knock at the door brings her the news that her estranged parents have left their entire estate, Blackwood Manor, that home that she fled, to her, along with all of their assets, it is quite a fortune. She isn’t sure if she wants to return but feels that it has to be better than her current situation.
She finds that she has not only inherited Blackwood Manor but a family mystery which she is determined to solve. Through a lot of sleuthing and discovery Julia finds out the truth about the sister whom she was told had died and all of the astonishing things that had transpired while she was growing up and living in the same house. “She went into the dormer and tried to look out. She imagined a little girl, her sister, standing where she stood, looking out and wondering what else lay beyond this grimy window. Goose bumps rose on her arms. The longer she was in the room, the more nauseous she felt. Maybe there weren’t rats in the attic after all. Maybe it was her sister all along, making the noises in the ceilings and walls. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up.”
I found the writing to be very good, descriptive and rich in verse describing some incredible people. Some so self involved and evil they are hard to comprehend and others so kind, forgiving and loving that they make the world shine. The history of Blackwood Manor makes for a very interesting read and I don’t think that you will be disappointed. The fact that some of the book is based on actual fact makes the story so much more incredible.
I was given an ARC of this novel from the publisher through Edelweiss.
The novel is told from two points of view. We first meet Lilly, in the early 1930’s. who is a little girl living locked in an attic for 10 years with nothing known of the outside world except what she reads in books and the little that she can see out of her window. She was told over and over throughout her life that she was an abomination, that if anyone saw her they would be frightened of her and maybe do her harm. “Lilly didn’t know what an abomination was, but is sounded bad. Her shoulders dropped and she sighed in the stillness of her room”.
She never had a mirror in her room but only saw a vague image of herself when it was dark outside and she saw her reflection in the window of her small room. Her mother is a religious fanatic who thinks that Lilly’s “condition” is her punishment for wishing so desperately for a child that she would sell her soul to the devil. Her father is a spineless man who does nothing to help Lilly, he instead escapes into alcohol.
When Lilly is age 10 the circus comes to town and her mother does what is almost incredible to believe, she sells her daughter to the circus. It is finally here that Lilly understands about her “condition” and makes friends and enemies among the circus people. Her story is a wonder to read and I kept wanting to get back to her story when I was reading Julia’s chapters.
We then meet Julia who is an 18 year old living in the early 1950’s. She ran away from a suffocating home environment when she was very young and is now struggling to make a life, working in a diner and living with an abusive boyfriend. She is astonished when a knock at the door brings her the news that her estranged parents have left their entire estate, Blackwood Manor, that home that she fled, to her, along with all of their assets, it is quite a fortune. She isn’t sure if she wants to return but feels that it has to be better than her current situation.
She finds that she has not only inherited Blackwood Manor but a family mystery which she is determined to solve. Through a lot of sleuthing and discovery Julia finds out the truth about the sister whom she was told had died and all of the astonishing things that had transpired while she was growing up and living in the same house. “She went into the dormer and tried to look out. She imagined a little girl, her sister, standing where she stood, looking out and wondering what else lay beyond this grimy window. Goose bumps rose on her arms. The longer she was in the room, the more nauseous she felt. Maybe there weren’t rats in the attic after all. Maybe it was her sister all along, making the noises in the ceilings and walls. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up.”
I found the writing to be very good, descriptive and rich in verse describing some incredible people. Some so self involved and evil they are hard to comprehend and others so kind, forgiving and loving that they make the world shine. The history of Blackwood Manor makes for a very interesting read and I don’t think that you will be disappointed. The fact that some of the book is based on actual fact makes the story so much more incredible.
I was given an ARC of this novel from the publisher through Edelweiss.
December 4, 2018
The Life She Was Given is a riveting, heart-wrenching story, a book unlike anything I've ever read!! My heart was racing from the very first page; my heart was pulled in a million different directions. The Life She Was Given runs the gamut of emotions; tender and terrifying, heartbreaking and hopeful. Julia and Lilly, two young women, decades apart, who grew up unloved, victimized and mistreated; can they overcome their dismal childhoods, and find a path to resilience, strength, love, and happiness? This book, these characters, their stories, are going to live in my head and my heart forever. Brava, Ellen Marie Wiseman, and thank you from the bottom of my shattered heart for letting me read an early copy of this book.
August 11, 2017
It was 1931 and Lilly Blackwood had spent her entire short life in the attic bedroom of her parent’s house. Never allowed outside or even downstairs in case “someone saw her” - she was told by her Momma that she was an abomination. But things changed the night her Momma took her across the paddock of their land to the lights and tents of a circus which had arrived only a couple of days previously. The sights and sounds, even the smells, were frightening to Lilly – the sky big and vast. She had no idea “outside” would be like that. And when her Momma left her with the horrible man after taking money from him – and walked away, ten-year-old Lilly was devastated…
Over twenty years later, nineteen-year-old Julia Blackwood was living rough – her waitress job only just paid the rent but she had nothing left over for food. Julia had run away from home three years previously, after finally having enough of her cruel and vindictive mother. When she was notified that she had inherited her parent’s estate, she was unsure if she wanted to return. But knowing her mother would no longer be at the house made the decision easier…
Julia’s return to her childhood home brought back distressing memories for her – but when she found evidence of a mystery surrounding a circus and a young girl, Julia’s interest was piqued. What did the deep, dark secrets hide that she felt were right there? Who was this beautiful young woman? And what was hidden in the depths of the old house and its locked rooms?
The Life She Was Given by Ellen Marie Wiseman is an amazing, emotional, heart rending story of two young women and the traumatic and hopeless lives they both lived. It’s a story of evil and hope – of fleeting happiness and dark despair. And it’s a story unlike any I’ve ever read before and I thoroughly enjoyed it! My first by this author, and it won’t be my last. A most highly recommended tale. (The cover is perfect - eye catching and just right!)
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read and review.
Over twenty years later, nineteen-year-old Julia Blackwood was living rough – her waitress job only just paid the rent but she had nothing left over for food. Julia had run away from home three years previously, after finally having enough of her cruel and vindictive mother. When she was notified that she had inherited her parent’s estate, she was unsure if she wanted to return. But knowing her mother would no longer be at the house made the decision easier…
Julia’s return to her childhood home brought back distressing memories for her – but when she found evidence of a mystery surrounding a circus and a young girl, Julia’s interest was piqued. What did the deep, dark secrets hide that she felt were right there? Who was this beautiful young woman? And what was hidden in the depths of the old house and its locked rooms?
The Life She Was Given by Ellen Marie Wiseman is an amazing, emotional, heart rending story of two young women and the traumatic and hopeless lives they both lived. It’s a story of evil and hope – of fleeting happiness and dark despair. And it’s a story unlike any I’ve ever read before and I thoroughly enjoyed it! My first by this author, and it won’t be my last. A most highly recommended tale. (The cover is perfect - eye catching and just right!)
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read and review.
February 16, 2022
This was an amazing book. So well written. Not a lot of depth. It keeps the reader drawn in, wanting more. What appears to be a parallel timeline is actually a dual timeline starting in the 1930s. Some triggers such as animal cruelty and abuse of humans and animals.
January 1, 2018
In this book, life seemed to give nothing but lemons to Lilly Blackworth. She was hidden away in an attic for ten years and then sold to a circus by a cruel and heartless mother. Lilly is an albino and in the circus she becomes part of the freak show which is run by another heartless soul, Merrick. Making friends among the "freaks", Lily grows into womanhood seemingly escaping one form of captivity for another. She meets and falls in love with the young elephant trainer Cole, and they marry and have a child. Sadly tragedy strikes again and Lily's life is thrown into turmoil and grief.
Years later we meet Julia another Blackworth woman who struggles with not knowing who she is. Through bits and fragments she learns of Lily, the cruelties of the Blackworth family, and secrets that will affect her in many ways.
I have never been a fan of circus stories. However this book created an atmosphere of sadness and mystery surrounding these two woman and the lack of love in their lives. Ms Wiseman also tackles the issue of animal cruelty often present in the circus world. She is able to portray both the lives of the animals and these two woman as the epitome of sadness. "“Tears are words that need to be written.” Surely Ms Wiseman has written a book that brought tears to my eyes.
Years later we meet Julia another Blackworth woman who struggles with not knowing who she is. Through bits and fragments she learns of Lily, the cruelties of the Blackworth family, and secrets that will affect her in many ways.
I have never been a fan of circus stories. However this book created an atmosphere of sadness and mystery surrounding these two woman and the lack of love in their lives. Ms Wiseman also tackles the issue of animal cruelty often present in the circus world. She is able to portray both the lives of the animals and these two woman as the epitome of sadness. "“Tears are words that need to be written.” Surely Ms Wiseman has written a book that brought tears to my eyes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 12, 2017
While reading this book, I found myself checking to see if it was a young adult book. It isn't but it reads like one. Minus the many spelling and grammar errors it has, the writing isn't very sophisticated. The characters aren't well developed so as a reader, I didn't really feel a connection with anyone in the story. The only characters that I could relate to happen to be the animals in the background of the plot. I have always despised the circus ever since I saw the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in NYC as a child. I felt horror at the beautiful wild animals kept in captivity for our enjoyment. This book didn't make me feel any better at the plight of circus animals. This book didn't make me feel good about anything.
June 26, 2023
I had a fair amount to say about this book and why I thought it wasn't very good. Then I hit the wrong keys on the keyboard and lost my text. I don't feel like reconstructing it because I just don't think this is worth any more of my time. So, off the top of my head....
Surprisingly, the fact that the albino character's depiction is so shallow and lacking authenticity/accuracy was the least of what turned me off about this book. The albinism was merely a device to get the character from Point A to Point B. The author needed a "freak" for her plot, but not one that was mentally incompetent or frightening. More annoying were the lack of period details (especially in the 1950s time frame), the insipid and constant internal dialogue used as information dump, far too many two-dimensional supporting characters, and the sing-songy sentence structure ("She did X, she did Y, and then she did Z"). Some parts of the story were better than others, but people tend to remember the beginning and ending of things more than the middle. I found the beginning boring and the ending rushed and fairly ridiculous.
Then there was the basic implausibility of the whole premise. A child locked in a room from infancy until ten years, who has only minimal contact with two people, would not be physically, mentally, intellectually, or emotionally as developed as Lilly was. We are told that her mother sometimes forgot to feed her and didn't spend time with her except to berate and punish. We're told her father trotted up once a week for a couple hours to bring books. And yet this "magical albino" was not only exquisitely beautiful and described as a "porcelain doll" (many times), but seemed to be in robust health in spite of it all. No vitamin D deficiency, no muscle weakness, no coordination issues, no dental problems. Apparently, she had no light sensitivity either, which I'm sure makes every real life albino on the planet jealous as hell. In fact, Lilly can see well enough to note a bee flying over clover in sunlight. Amazing! She never squints trying to focus or from the bright spotlights. No one ever comments on why she avoids light or her eyes "wobble." Incredible! Considering more than 95% of people with albinism have poor vision, great sensitivity to light, nystagmus, and piss-poor depth perception, those are as magical as her utterly inexplicable animal telepathy.
It's a little Water for Elephants, Flowers in the Attic, Carrie, Dr. Doolittle, and Jane Eyre mixed up together, but none of the better parts of any of them. Basically, I'm reminded of the quote often (wrongly) attributed to Dr. Samuel Johnson: Your manuscript is both good and original; but the part that is good is not original, and the part that is original is not good.
I had two of this author's other books on my to-read list. After finishing this book, I went to my library's website and read the sample chapters from both. I now have two fewer books on my to-read list. Neither of the samples displayed any diversity of style or technique, and they didn't seem to be any better written than this one. One even describes the female character as another "china doll with cupid bow lips." Seriously? That's just blatant cut and paste. Also, I simply don't trust them to be any more accurate in details than this one was. The only way I can rationalize the high praise heaped on these is that a lot of the high mark reviews include the phrase "I received a free ARC/copy from the publisher...."
Surprisingly, the fact that the albino character's depiction is so shallow and lacking authenticity/accuracy was the least of what turned me off about this book. The albinism was merely a device to get the character from Point A to Point B. The author needed a "freak" for her plot, but not one that was mentally incompetent or frightening. More annoying were the lack of period details (especially in the 1950s time frame), the insipid and constant internal dialogue used as information dump, far too many two-dimensional supporting characters, and the sing-songy sentence structure ("She did X, she did Y, and then she did Z"). Some parts of the story were better than others, but people tend to remember the beginning and ending of things more than the middle. I found the beginning boring and the ending rushed and fairly ridiculous.
Then there was the basic implausibility of the whole premise. A child locked in a room from infancy until ten years, who has only minimal contact with two people, would not be physically, mentally, intellectually, or emotionally as developed as Lilly was. We are told that her mother sometimes forgot to feed her and didn't spend time with her except to berate and punish. We're told her father trotted up once a week for a couple hours to bring books. And yet this "magical albino" was not only exquisitely beautiful and described as a "porcelain doll" (many times), but seemed to be in robust health in spite of it all. No vitamin D deficiency, no muscle weakness, no coordination issues, no dental problems. Apparently, she had no light sensitivity either, which I'm sure makes every real life albino on the planet jealous as hell. In fact, Lilly can see well enough to note a bee flying over clover in sunlight. Amazing! She never squints trying to focus or from the bright spotlights. No one ever comments on why she avoids light or her eyes "wobble." Incredible! Considering more than 95% of people with albinism have poor vision, great sensitivity to light, nystagmus, and piss-poor depth perception, those are as magical as her utterly inexplicable animal telepathy.
It's a little Water for Elephants, Flowers in the Attic, Carrie, Dr. Doolittle, and Jane Eyre mixed up together, but none of the better parts of any of them. Basically, I'm reminded of the quote often (wrongly) attributed to Dr. Samuel Johnson: Your manuscript is both good and original; but the part that is good is not original, and the part that is original is not good.
I had two of this author's other books on my to-read list. After finishing this book, I went to my library's website and read the sample chapters from both. I now have two fewer books on my to-read list. Neither of the samples displayed any diversity of style or technique, and they didn't seem to be any better written than this one. One even describes the female character as another "china doll with cupid bow lips." Seriously? That's just blatant cut and paste. Also, I simply don't trust them to be any more accurate in details than this one was. The only way I can rationalize the high praise heaped on these is that a lot of the high mark reviews include the phrase "I received a free ARC/copy from the publisher...."
November 17, 2017
4.5 I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Life She Was Given. I felt my heartstrings pulled as I read about the harrowing tale of Lilly being locked in a room and her mother selling her to the circus. And then in alternating chapters we’re introduced to Julia set a least 20 years apart from Lilly. We know that Julia was anxious to escape the strict and cold environment she grew up in and distances herself from her family. Then one day at work in a diner she receives unexpected news that turns her life inside out.
A very descriptive portrayal of the cruel yet pseudo family life of the circus. I was emotionally drawn to Lilly when her childhood was taken away from her by first being locked in the attic and then sold to the circus as a young girl. The circus is a hard life yet it offered her friendships and we saw her grow and stand up for herself when she refused to lie to benefit the circus. The owners didn’t offer her one ounce of respect and treated her as their property. She then catches the attention of an elephant trainer with the gentle way she had with animals. Her life in the circus turns from being a side show to the main attraction.
Julia’s story is one shrouded in mystery. Slowly the layers start peeling away as I turned the pages faster. Usually when there are two narratives I favor one more than the other, but here I was equally invested in knowing the outcome. This is a very satisfying read as the conclusion is slowly revealed.
A very descriptive portrayal of the cruel yet pseudo family life of the circus. I was emotionally drawn to Lilly when her childhood was taken away from her by first being locked in the attic and then sold to the circus as a young girl. The circus is a hard life yet it offered her friendships and we saw her grow and stand up for herself when she refused to lie to benefit the circus. The owners didn’t offer her one ounce of respect and treated her as their property. She then catches the attention of an elephant trainer with the gentle way she had with animals. Her life in the circus turns from being a side show to the main attraction.
Julia’s story is one shrouded in mystery. Slowly the layers start peeling away as I turned the pages faster. Usually when there are two narratives I favor one more than the other, but here I was equally invested in knowing the outcome. This is a very satisfying read as the conclusion is slowly revealed.
August 14, 2017
The story has a dual timeline - Lilly Blackwood in the 1930’s and Julia Blackwood over 2 decades later. Both characters experience deplorable childhoods largely at the hands of their “mother”. The story premise was interesting, but the writing wasn’t stellar. I never got a sense of the 50’s in Julia’s story. There was too much inner dialogue throughout, especially from Julia. ("What was she supposed to do now? And what about the horses? Were they okay? Would Claude show up to take care of them? Most of the horses would be fine..., but what about Blue and her baby? Could they take this cold?") My heart did ache for Lilly, but, I didn’t find her an entirely believable character. The novel only rates 2 stars from me (maybe 2.5). In addition to the inner dialogue annoyance, the story needed a better editor. There were numerous places where a word was unnecessarily repeated, or left out, or word order was reversed so sentences didn’t make sense.
February 22, 2022
4.5
Devetogodišnja djevojčica Lilly Blackwood život promatra kroz tavanski prozor. To je naravno, za njezino dobro. Tako joj je njezina mamica objasnila, a tko je Lilly da se usprotivi? 1931. godina je i u njezinu blizinu stiže cirkus. Šarenilo koje nikada do sada nije vidjela, uskoro će iskusiti iz prve ruke. Mamica će ju prodati vlasniku, otići i neće se ni okrenuti.
Priča nas vodi i dva desetljeća kasnije, kada Julia Blackwood nasljeđuje obiteljsko imanje s vrhunskim uzgajalištem konja. Roditelji su joj sada pokojni, a ona se nada svom spokoju, samo što nije sigurna hoće li ga moći naći u kući u kojoj je odrastala. Sjećanja na hladnokrvnu i bezosjećajnu majku, nezainteresiranog i često pripitog oca, čini joj se da nisu temelj sreće.
Cijeli osvrt pronađite ovdje: https://knjige-u-svom-filmu.webador.c...
Devetogodišnja djevojčica Lilly Blackwood život promatra kroz tavanski prozor. To je naravno, za njezino dobro. Tako joj je njezina mamica objasnila, a tko je Lilly da se usprotivi? 1931. godina je i u njezinu blizinu stiže cirkus. Šarenilo koje nikada do sada nije vidjela, uskoro će iskusiti iz prve ruke. Mamica će ju prodati vlasniku, otići i neće se ni okrenuti.
Priča nas vodi i dva desetljeća kasnije, kada Julia Blackwood nasljeđuje obiteljsko imanje s vrhunskim uzgajalištem konja. Roditelji su joj sada pokojni, a ona se nada svom spokoju, samo što nije sigurna hoće li ga moći naći u kući u kojoj je odrastala. Sjećanja na hladnokrvnu i bezosjećajnu majku, nezainteresiranog i često pripitog oca, čini joj se da nisu temelj sreće.
Cijeli osvrt pronađite ovdje: https://knjige-u-svom-filmu.webador.c...
February 7, 2017
I've read every novel Ellen Marie Wiseman has written, and although they were all wonderful, none touched me quite like The Life She Was Given. In the 1930's, six year old Lilly had no idea why she spent her life locked in the attic. In the 1950's, nineteen year old Julia knew she had to escape her overly religious mother upon the death of her father. The story of these two girls is woven together with grief and heartache. It has all the beauty of Water for Elephants. The Life She Was Given is a fabulous read. It should be on everyone's TBR pile. I was given a digital copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.
January 24, 2018
Sophomoric writing, melodramatic scenes, tired and boring tell instead of show description, caricature-styled characters with zero development. There is too much wrong with the story (we’ve already done Flowers in the Attic and Water for Elephants) the clear lack of research, the anachronisms, the overthetop Lilly asthma/fainting thing, STOP...I can’t get back the time I lost in my life reading this novel so I’m done devoting time to reviewing. Just, please, don’t waste your time.
January 1, 2021
THIS BOOK, OMG!
Lilly was born an albino in the early 1930s during the depression to a family that was fairly well off during that time, the family owned Blackwood Manor and horse farm. Lilly’s mother kept her locked up in the attic until Lilly was ten years old before selling her to the Circus where she became a member of the “freak show”. All the time Lilly was locked up in the attic, hidden away from the outside world, her mother told her she was a monster and an abomination. Her mother was a religious fanatic and kept Bibles in Lilly’s tiny attic room and made her pray and read scripture devoutly. It’s hard to say if her mother was always this way with religion, or if she became that way after Lily was born, it doesn’t really say in the book, i’m guessing maybe after the birth of Lily, because, after having eight miscarriages, her mother vowed to sell her soul to the devil for a baby, and after Lilly was born with her condition, her mother believed it was because of the deal she made with the devil. Through the happenings of Lilly’s tragic and sad life it would seem like Lilly was absolutely a cursed child no doubt.
In the second chapter we meet Julia an eighteen year old girl in the 1950s. She is a struggling, barely getting by waitress in a little diner, she is not sure if she is going to have a meal that night or be able to pay her rent for the apartment she and her abusive boyfriend are living in. A private investigator shows up to the diner one night with a letter, informing Julia that she has inherited her childhood home, the home that she ran away from two years prior, is now hers. Her mother has passed and left the Blackwood Manor to her. Arriving at the creepy and possibly haunted manor, she discovers a disturbing secret that she is determined to get to the bottom of. From here bombshell after bombshell is dropped, right to the very last page. A few times I actually gasped and whispered “oh my gosh.”
I enjoyed this book immensely, this story has stuck in my mind, it really had an impact on me. The author really did a wonderful job with her research of that time period, and took some actual true events from history and weaved them into this unique skin crawling story. Knowing that a lot of the story was inspired by actual events makes this story that much more gripping. I saved this book to read at the end of my day, which for me is when I save the best books to read, it is the quietest and the time when everyone is unwinding themselves or already in bed. This is my me time. Unfortunately, this is when i’m in my bed, before going to sleep. Unfortunate because this book was too good to put down and two nights in a row I stayed up all night reading. This is a must read!
#GoodreadsGiveaway
Lilly was born an albino in the early 1930s during the depression to a family that was fairly well off during that time, the family owned Blackwood Manor and horse farm. Lilly’s mother kept her locked up in the attic until Lilly was ten years old before selling her to the Circus where she became a member of the “freak show”. All the time Lilly was locked up in the attic, hidden away from the outside world, her mother told her she was a monster and an abomination. Her mother was a religious fanatic and kept Bibles in Lilly’s tiny attic room and made her pray and read scripture devoutly. It’s hard to say if her mother was always this way with religion, or if she became that way after Lily was born, it doesn’t really say in the book, i’m guessing maybe after the birth of Lily, because, after having eight miscarriages, her mother vowed to sell her soul to the devil for a baby, and after Lilly was born with her condition, her mother believed it was because of the deal she made with the devil. Through the happenings of Lilly’s tragic and sad life it would seem like Lilly was absolutely a cursed child no doubt.
In the second chapter we meet Julia an eighteen year old girl in the 1950s. She is a struggling, barely getting by waitress in a little diner, she is not sure if she is going to have a meal that night or be able to pay her rent for the apartment she and her abusive boyfriend are living in. A private investigator shows up to the diner one night with a letter, informing Julia that she has inherited her childhood home, the home that she ran away from two years prior, is now hers. Her mother has passed and left the Blackwood Manor to her. Arriving at the creepy and possibly haunted manor, she discovers a disturbing secret that she is determined to get to the bottom of. From here bombshell after bombshell is dropped, right to the very last page. A few times I actually gasped and whispered “oh my gosh.”
I enjoyed this book immensely, this story has stuck in my mind, it really had an impact on me. The author really did a wonderful job with her research of that time period, and took some actual true events from history and weaved them into this unique skin crawling story. Knowing that a lot of the story was inspired by actual events makes this story that much more gripping. I saved this book to read at the end of my day, which for me is when I save the best books to read, it is the quietest and the time when everyone is unwinding themselves or already in bed. This is my me time. Unfortunately, this is when i’m in my bed, before going to sleep. Unfortunate because this book was too good to put down and two nights in a row I stayed up all night reading. This is a must read!
#GoodreadsGiveaway
September 20, 2017
The story idea was intriguing, and the book itself was a very fast read. The characters were flatly unbelievable though, and the writing was bogged down by cliches, gimmicks, unrealistic scenarios, and repetition.
All in all, I'm very disappointed in this book. I had it on my TBR list before it was even published on the basis of an early review. I wish I could remember where I read that review and who wrote it so that I could shun both the publication and the reviewer henceforth.
All in all, I'm very disappointed in this book. I had it on my TBR list before it was even published on the basis of an early review. I wish I could remember where I read that review and who wrote it so that I could shun both the publication and the reviewer henceforth.
July 25, 2017
3.5-4 stars
The Life She Was Given is one of the saddest books that I have read in a long while. The book is beautifully written, but I had a hard time reading portions of it because the story line is so depressing. The Life She Was Given is written in a dual timeline format. Lilly’s story takes place mainly in the 1930’s, and Julia lives in the 1950’s. Having children of my own, I found it so disheartening to read about the parents that raised Lilly and Julia. With respect to Lilly, I do not want to spoil the story so I will simply say that I had hoped for a different ending for her. She encountered way more than her fair share of cruel people in her lifetime. I liked the story involving Julia a lot better and was pleased with the resolution of her story. I was very glad to read this book because I had heard so many good things about it, but it very much weighed heavy on my heart. Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The Life She Was Given is one of the saddest books that I have read in a long while. The book is beautifully written, but I had a hard time reading portions of it because the story line is so depressing. The Life She Was Given is written in a dual timeline format. Lilly’s story takes place mainly in the 1930’s, and Julia lives in the 1950’s. Having children of my own, I found it so disheartening to read about the parents that raised Lilly and Julia. With respect to Lilly, I do not want to spoil the story so I will simply say that I had hoped for a different ending for her. She encountered way more than her fair share of cruel people in her lifetime. I liked the story involving Julia a lot better and was pleased with the resolution of her story. I was very glad to read this book because I had heard so many good things about it, but it very much weighed heavy on my heart. Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
November 29, 2018
Ugh....
There were great aspects of this narrative with main character development, but the problems with it are so severe I don't even know where to begin.
Ditto on all the critical reviews.
If you want to read really good circus literature, check out Sara Gruen's "Water For Elephants" and Cathy Day's "The Circus in Winter," both of which far exceed this book in every way.
There were great aspects of this narrative with main character development, but the problems with it are so severe I don't even know where to begin.
Ditto on all the critical reviews.
If you want to read really good circus literature, check out Sara Gruen's "Water For Elephants" and Cathy Day's "The Circus in Winter," both of which far exceed this book in every way.
February 16, 2018
4.5 stars
I enjoy the writing of Wiseman. She is articulate and carries a story very well. She takes the time to lay her characters out and explain their importance. Her books are diversified and well researched. She is easily becoming one of my favorite authors.
This particular book deals with loss, loneliness and acceptance. It starts out with a forlorn child being sold into the world of a traveling circus in the early 1930's. Then, by alternate chapters, it moves to the 1950's and a young girl inheriting a horse farm. I thought that the first few chapters were a bit slow, as it laid the story out, but once past that, the novel bloomed into a book that I did not want to put down. There was only one part of the book that I had a problem with and it pertains to an instance of animal cruelty. That was extremely hard to read and was heart wrenching. Barring that one instance, this book is definitely one that you do not want to miss.
I enjoy the writing of Wiseman. She is articulate and carries a story very well. She takes the time to lay her characters out and explain their importance. Her books are diversified and well researched. She is easily becoming one of my favorite authors.
This particular book deals with loss, loneliness and acceptance. It starts out with a forlorn child being sold into the world of a traveling circus in the early 1930's. Then, by alternate chapters, it moves to the 1950's and a young girl inheriting a horse farm. I thought that the first few chapters were a bit slow, as it laid the story out, but once past that, the novel bloomed into a book that I did not want to put down. There was only one part of the book that I had a problem with and it pertains to an instance of animal cruelty. That was extremely hard to read and was heart wrenching. Barring that one instance, this book is definitely one that you do not want to miss.
August 21, 2017
I wasn’t sure how I was going to like this book about a circus. But after reading all the reviews on Goodreads, I decided to get it as soon at came into my library. There are a lot of very uncomfortable things that go on like child abuse and animal abuse in the circus. A lot of family secrets throughout and the ending …. SHOCKING! I was not expecting the ending at all!! This book grabbed me from page 1 and kept me totally “hooked” from beginning to end. I did not want to put this book down and I read it in one day! This book is just so heartbreaking and for this reason, I’m giving it 5 stars.
May 23, 2018
A few thoughts---
I must say I have read and enjoyed every novel that Ellen Marie Wiseman has written and "The Life She Was Given" touched me greatly. Perhaps it was the fact that I've always had a fascination for the circus. As a young girl I can remember paying a whole 25 cents to enter the Side Show only to realize that they were "fakes" and feeling very upset with myself that I had wasted my hard earned quarter. Or maybe it was the animals...Oh my...being a true animal lover, my heart was captivated by Lilly's ability to "connect" with the animals, especially the elephants. The author characterizes the animals and their feelings perfectly.
I must say I have read and enjoyed every novel that Ellen Marie Wiseman has written and "The Life She Was Given" touched me greatly. Perhaps it was the fact that I've always had a fascination for the circus. As a young girl I can remember paying a whole 25 cents to enter the Side Show only to realize that they were "fakes" and feeling very upset with myself that I had wasted my hard earned quarter. Or maybe it was the animals...Oh my...being a true animal lover, my heart was captivated by Lilly's ability to "connect" with the animals, especially the elephants. The author characterizes the animals and their feelings perfectly.
The novel is about two young women, with two different stories, during two different time periods. Their stories are expertly woven together by terrible grief and heartache, yet both have a beautiful love for life and animals.
The novel begins in the 1930's where we meet a girl named Lilly who has been locked in the attic for her first 10 years of life and is soon sold to the circus by her mother because she was "different" or a monster, an abomination as her mother referred to her. The second story within is about Julia, in the 1950's, who left her cruel parents at 19, being blamed by her mother for her father's death. After inheriting the family home, Julia is desperately seeking to solve the mystery of the connection of a strange circus performer to her father. Slowly the reader, along with Julia, peels away the layers of secrets. During the latter part of the book I couldn't read fast enough to solve the mystery.
I must warn the reader, though, that this story not only involves cruelty and mistreatment of children and people who are different, but also delves into cruelty towards animals. At several points I needed to stop reading and give myself some time before resuming.
I highly recommend this book.
April 30, 2018
My first one-star read of the year. I think I'm mostly annoyed that the book's description does not match the book's plot. The Life She Was Given is sold as "creepy suspense" full of family secrets, hidden rooms, and sinister circus folk. I would definitely not call this a suspenseful read! It's pretty much 99% animal book and 1% family drama; the book was basically hundreds of pages of Lilly and Julia using the Animal Allegiance shout from Skyrim. I also did not sign up to read about so much animal cruelty.
Aside from that, my main problem is Lilly is not a believable character. How did her father manage to hide a literal infant in the attic for months without the mother noticing? How did Lily learn any kind of speech or acceptable behavior when she saw her parents so rarely? Why isn't she a feral child or at the very least, have serious health problems from a lack of sunlight and exercise? She comes out pretty much unscathed after being locked in the attic for years!
Aside from that, my main problem is Lilly is not a believable character. How did her father manage to hide a literal infant in the attic for months without the mother noticing? How did Lily learn any kind of speech or acceptable behavior when she saw her parents so rarely? Why isn't she a feral child or at the very least, have serious health problems from a lack of sunlight and exercise? She comes out pretty much unscathed after being locked in the attic for years!
May 30, 2018
Ever since The Weight of Feathers, The Night Circus, and the The Immortal Circus: Act One(series).. I've been on a circus kick. So due to a specific challenge, I picked this book to read. I was a little hesitant to dive into it but still went into it at the same time?? If that makes sense??
The Life She Was Given was pretty good for a circus themed kind of book. This book was filled with interesting characters who had pretty unique stories. Lilly, who is about 10 years old, lives in the attic. She doesn't know much about the outside world, other than what she sees outside of her window. She was also told over and over again how little her worth was and that she was an abomination. Of course, Lilly doesn't truly understand the meaning of these words spat at her but she knows that they aren't good.
Lilly was so lovable and it hurt me to see how she was treated. She had no idea what she looked like and basically lived with horrible people her whole life. I hated both of her parents because they were terrible people. Her father was a drunk and her mother basically called her the spawn of Satan and treated her worse. I hope hell has a special place for those two.
One day the circus comes and Lilly can finally see the light! Or her mother?? Since she's the one who sold her daughter to the circus. SOLD HER PEOPLE. Again, I hated this woman with a god damn passion.
Then there's Julia, who is about 18 years old, and ran away from home. Of course from this life-changing decision, she is now living a struggling life and working at a diner. However, that's not all. She also has an abusive boyfriend. Again, I'm feeling so bad for both of these girls and how their lives are.
One day Julia finds out that she was left a mystery manor, called Blackwood Manor, from a mysterious family member. Along with the house and land, well.. it's filled with a ton my mysteries. This house was filled with stories and ghosts - but mostly ghosts. While digging around the house, she found out information about her sister. A sister that she was told died.
The two storylines, and timelines, intertwined in such a creepy - yet really good way. I loved all the goosebumps and chills I got while reading. The history of the house, Julie, and Lilly was amazing to read and I fell in love with everything. Both girls were in rough situations and their stories definitely made me go through an emotional roller coaster.
Overall, I loved this book. I will definitely going to look into another book by this author.
The Life She Was Given was pretty good for a circus themed kind of book. This book was filled with interesting characters who had pretty unique stories. Lilly, who is about 10 years old, lives in the attic. She doesn't know much about the outside world, other than what she sees outside of her window. She was also told over and over again how little her worth was and that she was an abomination. Of course, Lilly doesn't truly understand the meaning of these words spat at her but she knows that they aren't good.
Lilly was so lovable and it hurt me to see how she was treated. She had no idea what she looked like and basically lived with horrible people her whole life. I hated both of her parents because they were terrible people. Her father was a drunk and her mother basically called her the spawn of Satan and treated her worse. I hope hell has a special place for those two.
One day the circus comes and Lilly can finally see the light! Or her mother?? Since she's the one who sold her daughter to the circus. SOLD HER PEOPLE. Again, I hated this woman with a god damn passion.
Then there's Julia, who is about 18 years old, and ran away from home. Of course from this life-changing decision, she is now living a struggling life and working at a diner. However, that's not all. She also has an abusive boyfriend. Again, I'm feeling so bad for both of these girls and how their lives are.
One day Julia finds out that she was left a mystery manor, called Blackwood Manor, from a mysterious family member. Along with the house and land, well.. it's filled with a ton my mysteries. This house was filled with stories and ghosts - but mostly ghosts. While digging around the house, she found out information about her sister. A sister that she was told died.
The two storylines, and timelines, intertwined in such a creepy - yet really good way. I loved all the goosebumps and chills I got while reading. The history of the house, Julie, and Lilly was amazing to read and I fell in love with everything. Both girls were in rough situations and their stories definitely made me go through an emotional roller coaster.
Overall, I loved this book. I will definitely going to look into another book by this author.
August 29, 2017
Lilly Blackwood has never left the attic. At ten years old, she is told by her mother that her appearance scares others and thus, its safer for her to stay hidden. All that changes one fateful night when Lilly is told to don her best dress and then taken to the circus. There her mother meets with a strange man, money is exchanged and Lilly is left behind in the custody of said man. Fastforward a few years, Julia Blackwood is moving back to her childhood home. Unknown to her, its a home that harbors many unsettling secrets.
Wiseman does not dissapoint. Having read all of her previous work, I gotta say, this is the best so far. This work reminded me a lot of Sara Gruen's 'Water for Elephants'. There is a circus background (and all the hardships that entails), a female elephant protagonist and even the covers of the books are similar. But the course the narrative takes is quite different. Lilly is told that she is different, an abomination. She does not discover what exactly is "wrong" with her until she is sold to the circus by her mother. As Lilly attempts to settle into her new life, she experiences both elation and hardship. Julia was a teen runaway, but because of dire circumstances agrees to go back to the house where she was not very happy. This is a narrative about dark family secrets. The dual storyline (Lilly and Julia) worked very well. The prose is beautifully written, heartwrenching and sad. While the novel deals with difficult subject matters, Wiseman handles those with finesse. While this is not a feel good book, its one with heart. Looking forward to Wiseman's next book.
Wiseman does not dissapoint. Having read all of her previous work, I gotta say, this is the best so far. This work reminded me a lot of Sara Gruen's 'Water for Elephants'. There is a circus background (and all the hardships that entails), a female elephant protagonist and even the covers of the books are similar. But the course the narrative takes is quite different. Lilly is told that she is different, an abomination. She does not discover what exactly is "wrong" with her until she is sold to the circus by her mother. As Lilly attempts to settle into her new life, she experiences both elation and hardship. Julia was a teen runaway, but because of dire circumstances agrees to go back to the house where she was not very happy. This is a narrative about dark family secrets. The dual storyline (Lilly and Julia) worked very well. The prose is beautifully written, heartwrenching and sad. While the novel deals with difficult subject matters, Wiseman handles those with finesse. While this is not a feel good book, its one with heart. Looking forward to Wiseman's next book.
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