The Hidden Life of Cecily Larson cover art

The Hidden Life of Cecily Larson

A Novel

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The Hidden Life of Cecily Larson

Written by: Ellen Baker
Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
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About this listen

“A family secret, a DNA test, a journey as rich and colorful as the early-day circus itself. Through Cecily Larson’s hidden life, Ellen Baker tenderly examines personal determination, lost love, family ties, and our innate need to discover our own truth.” Lisa Wingate, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Before We Were Yours and Before and After

Orphan Train meets Before We Were Yours meets Water for Elephants in this compelling multigenerational novel of survival, love, and the families we make.

In 1924, four-year-old Cecily Larson’s mother reluctantly drops her off at an orphanage in Chicago, promising to be back once she’s made enough money to support both Cecily and herself. But she never returns, and shortly after high-spirited Cecily turns seven, she is sold to a traveling circus to perform as the “little sister” to glamorous bareback rider Isabelle DuMonde. With Isabelle and the rest of the circus, Cecily finally feels she’s found the family she craves. But as the years go by, the cracks in her little world begin to show. And when teenage Cecily meets and falls in love with a young roustabout named Lucky, she finds her life thrown onto an entirely unexpected—and dangerous—course.

In 2015, Cecily is now 94 and living a quiet life in Minnesota, with her daughter, granddaughter, and great-grandson. But when her family decides to surprise her with an at-home DNA test, the unexpected results not only bring to light the tragic love story that Cecily has kept hidden for decades but also throw into question everything about the family she’s raised and claimed as her own for nearly seventy years. Cecily and everyone in her life must now decide who they really are and what family—and forgiveness—really mean.

Sweeping through a long period of contemporary history, The Hidden Life of Cecily Larson is an immersive, compelling, and entertaining family drama centered around one remarkable woman and her determination to survive.

©2024 Ellen Baker (P)2024 HarperCollins Publishers
Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Carnival
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Lovely Characters

I was provided a preview of this at the end of another listen, and before buying I was surprised at the 1 star review as the preview was quite compelling. I decided to get it anyway. The review that was written for that rating disliked the narration, and is now missing but regardless, I found the character development compelling, and the movements back and forward through the decades made for a compelling listen. About halfway through I thought I had figured out and was going to be disappointed, but the ending is not quite as I assumed, and was very lovely. The narration was great as well.

I listen to a lot of fiction and non-fiction as I work - not all are enjoyable and some narration is not good at all. Even so I don’t usually provide reviews. The previous rating is so obviously misleading that I felt compelled this time to provide a review to provide a counter point on this work. I believe most listeners will enjoy this.

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