Circus of mirrors

A Cabaret dancer falls in love as political tensions rise and the city becomes increasingly dangerous not only for herself, but also for her lover . . .


Perfect for fans of Cabaret and The Whalebone Theatre

'Julie Owen Moylan writes about mid-20th century women like no-one else' Laura Price

'Sexy, electrically stylish, and beautiful - a gorgeous story about sisterhood, and a glamorous, evocative passport to a period we all long to get lost in' Daisy Buchanan

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BERLIN, 1926: After the death of their parents, sisters Leni and Annette only have each other.
Desperate, but dreaming of better days, Leni finds work at a notorious cabaret: the Babylon Circus.

From the dancer’s barely-there costumes, to the glimmering mirrors that cover the walls, the Babylon Circus is where reality and fantasy merge. For Leni, it’s an overwhelming new world, and she’s happiest hiding in the shadows.

Until she meets the cabaret’s resident pianist, Paul. And so begins a tentative love affair that will play out over the next forty years.

But, in a city whose divisions will define a century, can a love born within the feverish walls of the Babylon Circus ever survive?

And can the bond between Leni and Annette – tugged in opposite directions of their own – also endure?

In Berlin, two sisters dared to dream of a better life – but where in this dark and dazzling city will they find their true home?

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'Julie's best novel yet' Georgina Moore

'A tale of two sisters and a city, all three of them so vividly drawn, I felt I knew them. Superbly atmospheric, with convincingly flawed characters that just leap off the page' Frances Quinn

'An all-singing, all-dancing, moving and masterful book about two complex sisters living in incredibly complex times. Brilliant.' Anna Mazzola

'Bold, brave and absorbing' Elizabeth Buchan

'An epic novel, spanning decades as it explores with compassion and humanity the relationship of two sisters torn between the love and obligation they feel towards one another, and their desire for freedom and a better life that will split them apart' Louise Fein

PRAISE FOR JULIE OWEN MOYLAN:

'Touching, entertaining and hopeful' Sunday Times

'Dazzling' Good Housekeeping

'I was gripped from the first page' Sara Cox

'Psychologically astute and emotionally absorbing,' DAILY MAIL

'A wonderfully evocative, immersive novel that brings 50s London to life, from the smog and the
nightlife to attitudes towards women' SUNDAY EXPRESS

'Emotional, immersive and utterly absorbing' JENNIFER SAINT