This month the RCC Book Club read “The Life She Was Given” by Ellen Marie Wiseman. I actually listened to it on Hoopla while driving, but it was so good, I bought myself a paper copy in case I wanted to read it again. This is the story of two girls, Lilly and Julia. Lilly, whose story is set in the 1930s, is a young girl who is living locked up in the attic of her house while her parents, an overly Christian mother and hardworking father, live downstairs. One day Lilly sees a circus outside of her window and is intrigued by it. Unfortunately, her mother sees her as a monster, and she ends up selling her to the circus. Julia, whose story is set in the 1950s, has run away from home and serves as a waitress just trying to get by. One day a man comes into her diner and hands her a letter notifying her that her mother has died. She returns home, and begins a journey of discovery as she uncovers some family secrets. Wiseman alternates chapters between the stories of the two girls, and you begin to piece together the mystery of the connection between the girls as the book unfolds. It was definitely one that had me hooked! I can’t wait to talk about it with the rest of the book club!
***Super cool nerd moment – Ellen Marie Wiseman replied to my tweet about her book!
