THE SHOW WOMAN

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What to expect

'Compulsive, heartbreaking' Clare Leslie Hall
'Gorgeously written' Jennie Godfrey
'A tale of dazzle and determination' Daily Mail

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FOUR WOMEN. A MILLION DREAMS.

Scotland, 1910. Born into the world of the circus, Lena now stands at a crossroads. With the sudden death of her father, she faces a stark choice: get married or get a job. The fairgrounds are no place for a woman to go it alone.

Until flame-haired Violet, known to all as 'the greatest trapeze artist that ever lived', suggests they do exactly that. With her outspoken ways and her refusal to marry, Violet is as much an outcast as Lena. What do they have to lose?

Recruiting new performers including bareback horse-rider Rosie and acrobat Carmen, the four women take charge of their own show, their own finances and their own destinies.

But the fairgrounds are a dangerous place: misogyny is rife, violence a continual threat, and buried secrets are beginning to threaten all they hold dear. Together, they must forge their own path to freedom.

FOR THEY ARE THE SHOW WOMEN. AND THE SHOW MUST GO ON.

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READERS LOVE THE SHOW WOMAN

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Held my interest to the very last page"
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Complete sensory immersion, such is the depth and breadth of the descriptive narrative"
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Beautifully written, lovable characters, gripping narrative.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "This extraordinary debut is bursting with energy and imagination"
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "A terrific read "

Critics Review

A marvellous tale of a gang of brave and brilliant women touring the country in the first all-women circus . . . The Show Woman will both uplift and break your heart - there's romance, real camaraderie and heaps of sawdust atmosphere, while the betrayals, tragedies, and truths uncovered will make your stomach flip. Cowing has given us a cast of characters you will really care about
Scotsman
Suspenseful, authentic, sexy and uplifting. Beautiful writing plunges the reader into the showgrounds of Edwardian Scotland, sights, sounds, smells and all
Erin Kelly
Sequins and spite collide in this gorgeous novel . . . A tale of dazzle and determination [. . .] Cowing is sure-footed on the tempestuous dynamics of their friendships and the dark secrets that drive their ambition
Daily Mail
An utterly electric debut! I wanted to run away with this all-woman circus. An enthralling, dynamic tale that will stay with me for a very long time
C.J. Cooke
Gorgeously written, with twists and turns worthy of a circus trapeze
Jennie Godfrey
Beautifully crafted, fast-paced and compelling ... easily the debut of the year so far!
Mike Gayle
Absolutely loved soaking up the atmosphere of the circus and fairground in The Show Woman. There's hardship and excitement and mystery and joy in this novel, and I couldn't stop turning the pages
Sarah L. Brooks
A very special debut
Jenny Colgan
A fascinating read. Full of twists and turns as unexpected as they are thrilling. I was gripped by the strong female characters, spellbound by the dangers, but moved to tears by the bonds of love. Richly detailed, this story will beguile you and carry you away to a rarely glimpsed world of dark secrets and powerful emotions
Kate Furnivall
An entrancing story of chosen family, sisterhood and freedom. I was so wrapped up in the lives of these women, revealed in prose so visceral and alive I felt immediately transported to its history. Take your seat and get lost in its wonders
Wiz Wharton
Wonderfully heartfelt and compelling
Joanna Miller
What an irresistible and original premise! I loved reading every word . . . The Show Woman is as enthralling as the spectacular circus act that Emma so beautifully describes
Fiza Saeed McLynn
Set in Edwardian Scotland, The Show Woman is a wonderfully told story that mixes adventures, romance, crimes, and feisty women, all against the backdrop of a circus run by women. Gripping, heartbreaking, compelling, I genuinely could not put it down
Naomi Kelsey
Dazzling . . . like all the very best historical fiction it has characters who are alive and real and brings the past to glorious life, with a page-turning plot that meant I could not put it down
Kate Foster
Beautifully written, engaging plot and thoroughly researched
STYLIST
A joy to read, so beautifully written, evoking the rich and often overlooked story of the travelling fairs of Edwardian-era Scotland
Sean Lusk
Compulsive, heartbreaking
Clare Leslie Hall, author of million-copy-bestselling Broken Country

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