- Hardcover: 304 pages
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's (4 April 2005)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0689872828
- ISBN-13: 978-0689872822
- Product Dimensions: 21.8 x 13.8 x 2.4 cm
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,828,185 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
The Sunday Times
‘Roll up and be entertained.'
Product Description
The dramatic and colourful tale of the Spangles, a nineteenth century circus family, and their lives, loves, romances and rivalries against the backdrop of London town. The story follows Ellen, the ringmaster's daughter and one half of horse-riding duo The Incredible Scarletta Sisters, as she struggles to break with family tradition and get an education - and to hide her sister's secret romance with a rival circus owner's son...A beautifully written historical adventure, from the author of Wendy and Raspberries on the Yangtze.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
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5.0 out of 5 stars (1 customer review)
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great YA read!, 9 Dec 2009
By Lora Singleton "book addict" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Unrivalled Spangles (Hardcover)
No reviews?? I read this book over a year ago from my local library, and decided to get it for my 12-year-old cousin this Christmas. I was amazed to discover how little-known it seems to be!
The Unrivalled Spangles is a great piece of historical fiction. It follows the story of Ellen Spangle, the daughter of a tough showman who runs a circus in Victorian England. Ellen is a strong heroine, who deals with tragedy and betrayal and struggles to balance her family's needs with her own dreams. She also learns to recognize true love, as opposed to a flattering but more shallow infatuation.
Ellen's family are all interesting characters as well, including her charismatic but temperamental father and steadfast mother, her spotlight-hungry sister Lucy, and her determined but vulnerable younger brother Sam. Each character is well-developed and believable, and all of them undergo changes as tragedy strikes the family. Though they are often at odds, they ultimately learn to value each other and work together to overcome some seemingly crushing blows.
The relationships between characters are what really drives the story--between Ellen and her parents, her sister, her aristocratic suitor, and her friend Joe, son of a rival showman. The way these relationships grow and change over the course of the story is what really makes it an engaging and meaningful story.
In addition to the engaging characters and plot, the historical setting is extremely well done. Wallace brings Victorian England to life and makes you feel like you're there! The vibrant energy of the circus, the refined elegance of a tearoom, and the noisy squalor of the streets are perfectly evoked and completely fascinating.
I can't figure out why this book is so completely unknown - it's a great read for teen/slightly pre-teen girls looking for something with depth and meaning, great characters, and a wonderful story. I'd highly recommend it for 12 years old and up (I'm 23 and loved it)!
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