Historical fiction

The Life She Was Given by Ellen Marie Wiseman “With a ho-hum weekend on the horizon, I was looking for an exciting book to dive into,” says Melissa Sorrells, FIRST senior editor. “And this whimsical novel was packed with so many unexpected twists, I barely looked up from the pages!” In 1931, Lilly Blackwood’s cruel parents sell her to the circus. Then in 1956, a woman named Julia inherits the family manor where Lilly grew up. In alternating chapters, the lives of both women unfold as they struggle to come into their own and carve out their place in the world. “I literally couldn’t put this book down,” shares Melissa. “As details of Lilly and Julia’s lives were revealed, I was both shocked by the surprising turns in the plot, heartbroken by the tragedy that unfolds and heartened that hope can truly carry us through anything.” (Kensington, 2017; Paperback $15, Kindle $10, Nook $10)