The Hidden Life of Cecily Larson Audiobook By Ellen Baker cover art

The Hidden Life of Cecily Larson

A Novel

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The Hidden Life of Cecily Larson

By: Ellen Baker
Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
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About this listen

“A family secret, a DNA test, a journey as rich and colorful as the early-day circus itself. Through Cecily Larson’s hidden life, Ellen Baker tenderly examines personal determination, lost love, family ties, and our innate need to discover our own truth.” Lisa Wingate, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Before We Were Yours and Before and After

Orphan Train meets Before We Were Yours meets Water for Elephants in this compelling multigenerational novel of survival, love, and the families we make.

In 1924, four-year-old Cecily Larson’s mother reluctantly drops her off at an orphanage in Chicago, promising to be back once she’s made enough money to support both Cecily and herself. But she never returns, and shortly after high-spirited Cecily turns seven, she is sold to a traveling circus to perform as the “little sister” to glamorous bareback rider Isabelle DuMonde. With Isabelle and the rest of the circus, Cecily finally feels she’s found the family she craves. But as the years go by, the cracks in her little world begin to show. And when teenage Cecily meets and falls in love with a young roustabout named Lucky, she finds her life thrown onto an entirely unexpected—and dangerous—course.

In 2015, Cecily is now 94 and living a quiet life in Minnesota, with her daughter, granddaughter, and great-grandson. But when her family decides to surprise her with an at-home DNA test, the unexpected results not only bring to light the tragic love story that Cecily has kept hidden for decades but also throw into question everything about the family she’s raised and claimed as her own for nearly seventy years. Cecily and everyone in her life must now decide who they really are and what family—and forgiveness—really mean.

Sweeping through a long period of contemporary history, The Hidden Life of Cecily Larson is an immersive, compelling, and entertaining family drama centered around one remarkable woman and her determination to survive.

©2024 Ellen Baker (P)2024 HarperCollins Publishers
Family Life Fiction Historical Fiction Sagas Heartfelt Carnival
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What listeners say about The Hidden Life of Cecily Larson

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Interesting story took a while to get into.

I enjoyed the second half of the book. I struggled through parts but that's on me not the writer. It started a little slow. I struggle with multiple storylines that intertwine in some books especially when I'm not focused on the book alone. However it was a good story and interesting take on ancestry and belonging. Would recommend if you like a few moving parts that come togetherv in the end.

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10 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Outstanding!

All I can say is that the novel left me crying and happy and it was well written and well narrated. I do not wish to give any information about the plot; however, I highly recommend.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

The in depth character stories were so great!

I loved everything about this book! The saga was brilliant and narrated to perfection!I am recommending it to everyone!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Interesting family saga

I wish the timeline/family changes were better defined even if only with a pause or chapter title.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Immersive writing and excellent audio performance

The author creates an immersive world, we feel like we are a part of the character’s lives. The story is somewhat magical by the end and will be enjoyed by many. Personally I appreciated the engrossing world perhaps more than the intricate plot itself.

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6 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

WELL CRAFTED ENGAGING STORY

I liked this more and more as the story unfolded. The only criticism I have is that a 15 year old girl living in the 1930's in the circumstances she lived would not have been so ignorant of sociaty's racism. That element jumped out as blatantly unrealistic.

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1 person found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Got bogged down in sentimentality

The characters as youths were interesting, and the storyline progressed. The characters as adults seemed less mature than the adult got bogged down in their insecurity and inadequacies, and we’re boring and repetitious.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Sweet!

Easy listening, but so complex at the same time. Star crossed lovers and the web of influence they projected. Loved it!

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  • Overall
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good story

It strikes me how far we have come from the 1930s and shitty women were treated. I hope we never Make America 1930s again. There should never be shame attached to an unexpected birth. Today most of us have had choice. I fear the way this world deals with unplanned births never returns to 1930s shame. Let's never go backwards.

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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I loved this story, good plot

This story was interesting with many themes. Adoption- with a historical perspective on selling babies. Interracial relationships. The only part I disliked was how each of the female characters felt they had to keep secrets from each other. Overall good read, definitely recommend

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1 person found this helpful