PBR Review:
One of the reasons I picked up this book was the circus theme. I like when a book takes me to a new world. The Life She Was Given is about a parent betraying a child - and that child's struggle to survive and understand. This saga follows two young women, decades apart, both mistreated and trying to overcome childhood neglect and abuse. Lilly's mother tells her continuously that she is a monster and must stay hidden for her safety; at age nine she sells Lilly to a traveling circus. Julia who lived in the same house as Lilly also suffered, and finally, escapes by running away. Both stories are touching, but Lilly's troubles are by far the saddest. As you read, you will wonder if she ever receives the happiness she seeks and deserves.