The Ringmaster's Daughter by Carly Schabowski
Genre: Historical fiction, WW2
Read: 23rd April 2021
Published: 7th July 2020
★ 1 star
DESCRIPTION:
A heartbreaking and beautiful love story set in the darkest hours of World War Two – perfect for fans of The Nightingale and The Tattooist of Auschwitz.
Paris, 1940. Twenty-year-old Michel Bonnet lives on the edge of the law, finding work where he can at the horse fairs on the outskirts of the city. But when Paris falls to the Nazis, Michel escapes as a stowaway on a secret midnight train bound for the south. It’s a journey that will change his life forever.
It’s there Michel first sees Frieda – dark-haired, mysterious and also fleeing the Germans. Homeless and hungry, Michel would do anything for a safe place to sleep… and the chance to spend one more hour with her.
But there’s something Frieda isn’t telling him, a secret she has sworn to carry to her grave. As Michel leaves Paris behind for the lavender fields and hillside villages of the rural south, he’s in more danger than he could ever know…
MY REVIEW:
I so loved "The Watchmaker of Dachau" that I was so looking forward to this book also but alas I could not get into it. I found it rather boring and boorish with mostly unlikeable characters. So completely different from "The Watchmaker of Dachau" which was pure genius.
This story follows Michel Bonnet who, upon escaping Paris when news of the Germans coming to invade the city, his closest friend Bertrand under the pretense of escaping with him merely lured him to railway and a coming train to jump aboard as it slowed. Michel was bereft at leaving his friend behind but he had promised his mother that he would care for the young man and that he did upon seeing him escape a soon-to-be occupied city.
Little did Michel know but the train he had stowed away on was that of a travelling circus and while many of the troupe were delighted with his sudden arrival, the ringmaster was not. And ordered him to be thrown from the train. Thankfully they stopped the train before they did so. And so Michel found himself alone once again as he made his way into the countryside and away from Paris. But he could not get the black beautied emerald eyed woman from the troupe out of his mind. He found himself dreaming of her constantly.
Alas, I found not how that all ended up because after Michel left the charming Lucien and his wife Isabelle after spending a night at their cottage, I gave up. By then I didn't much care what happened to Michel or if he found true love and how he came to join the circus that dumped him from the train.
While many have raved about THE RINGMASTER'S DAUGHTER, I simply could not connect with the characters or engage with the story, so therefore I gave up. A shame, as like I said, I really loved her following book "The Watchmaker of Dachau" which was phenomenal are a very different wartime story. Sadly, while this one was also different, I didn't find it the least bit as enjoyable or compelling.
I would like to thank #CarlySchabowski, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheRingmastersDaughter in exchange for an honest review.
MEET THE AUTHOR:
Carly’s debut novel, 'The Ringmaster’s Daughter', was published by Bookouture in July 2020, while her second novel, 'The Watchmaker of Dachau' will be published in January 2021. These texts are both true, epic, moving historical novels centred around survival, human suffering, and the finding of love within the backdrop of the desperate and uncertain times of 1940s Europe.
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