The Life She Was Given (by Ellen Marie Wiseman)
I first read Ellen Marie Wiseman’s book, What She Left Behind, a long time ago. I thoroughly enjoyed it and have noticed her other works since then. However, it’s taken me a while to read another one of her books. I borrowed the Kindle version of The Life She Was Given from Amazon Prime Reading. The great thing about borrowing books through this program is that there’s no return date. On the downside, I tend to let books sit in my digital library for years before finally getting around to reading them. Regardless, I was finally in the mood for a historical fiction novel that involves a circus.
The Life She Was Given is a historical novel that interweaves alternating timelines. In 1931, during the Great Depression, young Lilly Blackwood, a girl hidden away in her family’s attic for years out of shame and “protection,” is sold by her mother to a traveling circus sideshow. Amidst the lurid world of performers and exploitation, she encounters both cruelty and unexpected bonds. More than two decades later, in the 1950s, Julia Blackwood inherits her family’s sprawling horse farm estate after her mother’s death. She begins uncovering long-buried family secrets that connect her fate to Lilly’s tragic past. The novel alternates between the two women’s stories, delivering a tender yet heartbreaking tale of resilience, the devastating impact of family secrets, and the search for identity, belonging, and healing.
Characters, like people, continue to amaze me, whether it’s their ability to persevere or their horrific behaviors. This novel presents both extremes of characters. It’s not easy for me to read about the unbelievable pain and suffering humans inflict on others and animals, which is why I’m grateful for the kind, generous, and loving characters in this story. Witnessing these characters develop long-lasting, meaningful relationships is a beautiful aspect of this novel.
I suspected going into this book that I would read about the cruelty animals, especially elephants, endured in circuses during the 1930s. Heck, it hasn’t been all that long ago that the treatment of circus animals was forced to change significantly. However, by the time I got to the most significant tragedy in the story, I was so invested I couldn’t stop reading despite how painful it was to read. In fact, when I got to that part, I wished I had known because I wouldn’t have even read the book!
Once I finished the story, I was grateful for my decision to read it as I truly enjoyed the story. It was a poignant and heartwarming experience, evoking a range of emotions. At the end of the Kindle ebook, there’s a discussion with the author about the book. I skimmed through the questions until I found one that addressed the most disturbing event I had encountered. This revealed that Wiseman had indeed researched and included this real-life incident in her book. I was relieved she didn’t have the imagination to come up with that on her own. She’s also an animal lover with an array of animals in her home. I suppose it’s unfair of me to ignore such distressing information. Awareness of these mistreatments serves as a powerful motivator for individuals to become influencers of change and intervene when animals or people are being abused. This particular moment in the story was poignant.
In case you’re wondering, yes, I plan to read more books by Ellen Marie Wiseman. I’m eager to explore Amazon Prime Reading to see if any of her other books are available to add to my library.
On a personal note, I’m an avid admirer of elephants. They simply amaze me! This is why my husband and I visited Wilstem Wildlife Park in French Lick, Indiana, where we had the opportunity to feed, pet, and bathe elephants. I shared our experience on my My Adventures blog, which you can find linked below for your reading pleasure. While reading this book, I kept thinking about those beautiful girls we spent time with as they were former circus elephants now living out their days in a beautiful wildlife park.
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