
In The Life She Was Given, we meet Lilly Blackwood, who must live her life within the confines of her attic room. Her mother tells her that this is for her own safety since her appearance would scare anyone she met. In 1931, Lilly is sold to a traveling circus and suffers a different type of cruelty at the hands of her new owner. Lilly changes and evolves during her years with the circus, while the reader has a front row seat to all the spectacle.
We also meet Julia who has just inherited Blackwood Manor from her mother. Unfortunately, Julia's childhood memories are not happy ones, but full of rules, pain and unhappiness. As she returns to Blackwood Manor, she uncovers family secrets and tries to delve deeper into the mystery surrounding her family.
This was a five star read for me. I was completely immersed in the book and found I was thinking about the characters long after the book was over.
I received this book courtesy of Kensington Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review.