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Orphans of the Carnival by Carol BirchOrphans of the Carnival by Carol Birch


Thanks to Doubleday, I am giving away one print copy of Orphans of the Carnival by Carol Birch.

Description of Orphans of the Carnival by Carol Birch


The dazzling new novel, evoking the strange and thrilling world of the Victorian carnival, from the Man Booker-shortlisted author of Jamrach’s Menagerie.

A life in the spotlight will keep anyone hidden

Julia Pastrana is the singing and dancing marvel from Mexico, heralded on tours across nineteenth-century Europe as much for her talent as for her rather unusual appearance. Yet few can see past the thick hair that covers her: she is both the fascinating toast of a Governor’s ball and the shunned, revolting, unnatural beast, to be hidden from children and pregnant women.

But what is her wonderful and terrible link to Rose, collector of lost treasures in an attic room in modern-day south London? In this haunting tale of identity, love and independence, these two lives will connect in unforgettable ways.

Praise for Orphans of the Carnival by Carol Birch


Orphans of the Carnival is a rich and wonderful book. Carol Birch can see a world in a grain of sand – and then furnish it for you, vividly and unforgettably.”–M.R. Carey, author of The Girl With All the Gifts

“In this dazzling novel Carol Birch paints an extraordinary portrait of an extraordinary woman. Orphans of the Carnival encourages us to wonder what is revealed by the way a society treats those people who are unusual, who look different or who have their own unique view of the world.”–Catherine Chanter, author of The Well


View the Trailer of Orphans of the Carnival by Carol Birch




About Carol BirchOrphans of the Carnival by Carol Birch


CAROL BIRCH is the author of eleven previous novels, including Turn Again Home, which was longlisted  for the Man  Booker Prize, and Jamrach’s Menagerie, which was a Man Booker Prize finalist and longlisted for the Orange Prize for Fiction and the London Book Award.

Giveaway of Orphans of the Carnival by Carol Birch


This giveaway is open to the U.S. only and ends on November 25, 2016 midnight pacific time.  Entries are accepted via Rafflecopter only.

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Michelle MoranBook Description:



When the British Empire sets its sights on India in the 1850s, it expects a quick and easy conquest. After all, India is not even a country, but a collection of kingdoms on the subcontinent. But when the British arrive in the Kingdom of Jhansi, expecting its queen to forfeit her crown, they are met with a surprise. Instead of surrendering, Queen Lakshmi raises two armies—one male, one female—and rides into battle like Joan of Arc. Although her soldiers are little match against superior British weaponry and training, Lakshmi fights against an empire determined to take away the land she loves.

Told from the perspective of Sita, one of the guards in Lakshmi’s all-female army and the queen’s most trusted warrior, The Last Queen of India traces the astonishing tale of a fearless ruler making her way in a world dominated by men. In the tradition of her bestselling novel Nefertiti, which Diana Gabaldon, author of the Outlander series, called “a heroic story with a very human heart,” Michelle Moran once again brings a time and place rarely explored in historical fiction to rich, vibrant life.

My Thoughts:



Michelle Moran did it again, she brought history back to life!

In 1850’s India, Sita’s mother dies in childbirth.  The baby is save but it’s another girl.  Sita’s grandmother sneaks Sita off to the temple to negotiate a price for them to buy Sita for prostitution but her father finds out the plan and puts a stop to it.  He says that since they can’t afford to marry her off, he will train her be in the female guard, called Durga Dal for the Rani (Queen).

This is very tough to get into but her father, along with their friend and neighbor, trained Sita and she learned fast.  Against incredible odds, gets accepted into the Durga Dal.  When Sita joined the guard, she learns quickly that not all is what it seems and she can trust no one.  As we Sita grow into the position we also see the shift into the British empire and their eventual rule of India.

Michelle Moran sucked me into the story from page one and never let me go.  I will be thinking about the book, Sita, and the Rani for a long time.  She captured the landscape of place and time beautifully.  The characters were well developed and it is evident that the history was well researched.  This is a must read for historical fiction fans!  If you are like me and have been a fan or Michelle Moran’s books, she does not disappoint! 

5/5

I received the ebook for my honest review.

About Michelle Moran:Michelle Moran



Michelle Moran is the international bestselling author of six historical novels, including Madame Tussaud, which was optioned for a mini-series in 2011. Her books have been translated into more than twenty languages.

A native of southern California, Michelle attended Pomona College, then earned a Masters Degree from the Claremont Graduate University. During her six years as a public high school teacher, she used her summers to travel around the world, and it was her experiences as a volunteer on archaeological digs that inspired her to write historical fiction. 

In 2012 Michelle was married in India, inspiring her seventh book, Rebel Queen, which is set in the East. Her hobbies include hiking, traveling, and archaeology. She is also fascinated by archaeogenetics, particularly since her children’s heritages are so mixed. But above all these things, Michelle is passionate about reading, and can often be found with her nose in a good book. A frequent traveler, she currently resides with her husband, son, and daughter in the US. 

Jennifer ChiaveriniThanks to Liza Cassity of  Dutton/Penguin/ Random House, I am giving away one print copy of Mrs. Grant and Madame Julie by Jennifer Chiaverini.

Book Description:



The New York Times bestselling author of Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker and Mrs. Lincoln’s Rival imagines the inner life of Julia Grant, beloved as a Civil War general’s wife and the First Lady, yet who grappled with a profound and complex relationship with the slave who was her namesake—until she forged a proud identity of her own.

In 1844, Missouri belle Julia Dent met dazzling horseman Lieutenant Ulysses S Grant. Four years passed before their parents permitted them to wed, and the groom’s abolitionist family refused to attend the ceremony.

Since childhood, Julia owned as a slave another Julia, known as Jule. Jule guarded her mistress’s closely held twin secrets: She had perilously poor vision but was gifted with prophetic sight. So it was that Jule became Julia’s eyes to the world.

And what a world it was, marked by gathering clouds of war. The Grants vowed never to be separated, but as Ulysses rose through the ranks—becoming general in chief of the Union Army—so did the stakes of their pact. During the war, Julia would travel, often in the company of Jule and the four Grant children, facing unreliable transportation and certain danger to be at her husband’s side.

Yet Julia and Jule saw two different wars. While Julia spoke out for women—Union and Confederate—she continued to hold Jule as a slave behind Union lines. Upon the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, Jule claimed her freedom and rose to prominence as a businesswoman in her own right, taking the honorary title Madame. The two women’s paths continued to cross throughout the Grants’ White House years in Washington, DC, and later in New York City, the site of Grant’s Tomb.

Mrs. Grant and Madame Jule is the first novel to chronicle this singular relationship, bound by sight and shadow.

About Jennifer Chiaverini:



Jennifer Chiaverini

Photo Credit credit Steven Garfinkel

Jennifer Chiaverini is the New York Times bestselling author of ‘Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker’, ‘The Spymistress’, ‘Mrs. Lincoln’s Rival’and the ‘Elm Creek Quilts’ series. She lives in Madison, Wisconsin.

Website: http://jenniferchiaverini.com/

This giveaway is open to the U.S. only and ends on March 17, 2015.  Please use Rafflecopter to enter.

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