From a New York Times bestselling author comes a queer retelling of Snow White and Rose Red in which teenage twins battle evil religious extremists to save their loves and their circus family. The Circus Rose is perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Mackenzi Lee, and Laini Taylor.
Twins Rosie and Ivory have grown up at their ringmaster mother’s knee, and after years on the road, they’re returning to Port’s End, the closest place to home they know. Yet something has changed in the bustling city: fundamentalist flyers paper the walls and preachers fill the squares, warning of shadows falling over the land. The circus prepares a triumphant homecoming show, full of lights and spectacle that could chase away even the darkest shadow. But during Rosie’s tightrope act, disaster strikes.
In this lush, sensuous novel interwoven with themes of social justice and found family, it’s up to Ivory and her magician love—with the help of a dancing bear—to track down an evil priest and save their circus family before it’s too late.
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“Cornwell retells ‘Snow White and Rose Red,’ placing the classic fairy tale against a lushly imagined circus backdrop…The story tackles crucial themes—including the importance of found family and the dangers of religious fundamentalism—while navigating complex familial relationships and delivering a rich atmosphere.”
— Publishers Weekly
“This creative exploration of chosen family, self-knowledge, love, and the tension between opposites is both timely and timeless. Dazzling.”
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review)“A graceful exploration of the families we’re born with and the ones we make.”
— Booklist“Cornwell’s themes of body image, abuse, and the danger and pleasure found in relationships of all kinds emerge organically through the book’s visceral, disturbing, and often lovely imagery.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review) on Tides“A fiercely female, feminist take on the traditional legend…A lush, lovely exploration of the bonds of a community as one girl learns about her own privilege, and, eventually, her strength.”
— Booklist (starred review) on The Forest Queen“Betsy Cornwell twists Cinderella to her own unique take, and Mechanica will definitely please readers.”
— USA Today on MechanicaBe the first to write a review about this audiobook!
Betsy Cornwell is the New York Times bestselling author of The Forest Queen, Mechanica, Venturess, and Tides. She graduated from Smith College and was a columnist and editor at Teen Ink before receiving an MFA in creative writing from Notre Dame, where she also taught fiction. She now lives in Ireland with her family.
Nicol Zanzarella is an Earphones Award–winning audiobook narrator and a theater and television actress. She has appeared in productions of Richard III, Romeo and Juliet, The Winter’s Tale, Cousin Bette, Danny and the Deep Blue Sea, and many others.