Magruder's Curiosity Cabinet by H. P. Wood completely immersed me in the world of 1904 Coney Island. The story begins as Kitty Haywood sits on a bench, penniless and alone. Her mother has vanished from the hotel they were staying at, her belongings are gone, and she has no one to turn to for help. She finds herself at Magruder's Curiosity Cabinet, a museum of oddities. I don't want to say more about the plot than the publisher gives away in the book's description, because I don't want to spoil it for you, but if you're even a little bit interested in sideshows and dime museums, pick this one up. The cast of characters is absolutely amazing and I was in tears by the end. The author includes an afterword where she explains which elements of the book are historically accurate and which are fictional. (I'd always wondered if flea circuses were a real thing!)
Disclosure -- I was provided with an advance review copy by the publisher. All opinions are my own.
2 comments:
Paul Gallico's "Love of Seven Dolls" is another book in that category that left me in tears years ago.
I was considering this book just this morning. thanks for the tease.
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