
The Life She Was Given
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Narrated by:
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Lori Gardner
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, 19-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 ragtag, 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' 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's 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.
©2017 Ellen Marie Wiseman (P)2017 Recorded BooksListeners also enjoyed...




















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Great book
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Overall, this is a book worth reading.
Worth the listen
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Fantastic Read
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What did you love best about The Life She Was Given?
The historical placement of this story and the world behind the scenes of the lives that made the circus.What did you like best about this story?
The way it was woven between the two generations first perspective.What does Lori Gardner bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
The diversity of the the characters.If you could take any character from The Life She Was Given out to dinner, who would it be and why?
Lilly because she had a deep understanding of her strength and what was worth fighting for.A Delightful Visit to the back side of the Circus
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Well written
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heartbreakingly sad and beautiful
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Engaging
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Said
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Enjoyable story
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She always has that surprising ending. You never expect it.
The best.
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