The Hidden Life of Cecily Larson: Library Edition

by Ellen Baker, Cassandra Campbell (Narrator)

🎧Listening Length = 13 hours and 55 minutes

“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

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.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Audiobook, Historical, Book Club, Family, Contemporary

Audio CD

First published February 20, 2024

About the author

Ellen Baker is the author of the novels THE HIDDEN LIFE OF CECILY LARSON, KEEPING THE HOUSE, and I GAVE MY HEART TO KNOW THIS. She has worked as a museum curator and as a bookseller and event coordinator at an independent bookstore. Originally from the Upper Midwest, Ellen currently lives on the coast of Maine.

Reviews

[Meagan✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

”So many people are starved for love all their lives”

Brief Summary-
The Year is 1924, four-year-old Cecily Larson’s was unfortunately drop off at an orphanage in Chicago by her mother. Her mother told Cecily she would be back to get her once she made enough money to support the both of them. But she never returns……Once Cecily turns seven she is sold to a traveling circus gets to perform along side the star of the show a stunning bareback rider Isabelle Demond. Cecily finally feels a sense of security amongst the circus family. As the years goes by she starts to recognize her world is filled with secrets. Of course when she is a teenager and falls I love with young man named Lucky her world is turned upside down. Flash forward to the year 2015, Cecily is now 94 and living a quiet life with her daughter Liz, granddaughter Molly, and great-grandson Caden. Her great- grandson is doing a family project in school and the family decides to do an at home DNA test. The results not only bring up the secrets from Cecily past including her tragic love story that she has kept hidden for decades but it also rocks her families foundation. Cecily and everyone in her life must now decide what family is really about and if they can survive all the lies and deceits….

My Thoughts-
This was a very entertaining family drama, filled with trauma, loss and love. Which all centered around a firecracker of lady, Cecily. This is a very heavy read. I was not expecting that going into this book. My heart broke for Cecily. I did cry a few times durning this read. This was an emotional adventure to read and I enjoyed the ride. Some of the events that happened in this book completely floored me. I was in shock bby. There were some things that didn’t sit right with me and didn’t really make sense. But overall a good read.

Trigger Warnings-
📌Adoption
📌Neglect
📌Elderly Illness
📌Cancer
📌Divorce
📌Alcoholism
📌Racism
📌Forced Sterilization
📌Multiple death of parents/partners

The writing was very descriptive in this story. I felt like I was at the circus, watching the animals and people perform. The costumes were very detailed. The stage and ambiance, everything felt so real. I feel like this book will be a movie one day. The Hidden Life Of Cecily Larson is written in multiple pov and dual timelines. I did love how Cecily’s past was slowly revealed. Kinda of a slow burn. Sometimes one of the timelines is moving at a good pace, but the others seem to be lagging which threw me off a little bit with the pace.

I did find myself confused with all the different side character and the main characters too. There was a lot of information thrown at you constantly so I feel like you definitely had to put the pieces of the puzzle together. The character Cecily will definitely steal your heart. She is one amazing women and I feel so privileged getting to read about her. Her journey through life was of course filled with trails and tribulations but damn she survived it all.

🗣️I recommend this book if you like historical fiction, circus themes and heartbreaking reads.

Playlist-
🎪 The Man I Love- George Gershwin, Billie Holiday
🎪Ain’t Misbehaving- Fats Waller
🎪Into Each Life, Some Rain Must Fall- The Ink Spot, Ella Fitzgerald
🎪I’m Beginning To See The Light- The Ink Spots
🎪 Orange Colored Sky-Nat Cole King
🎪I Dont Want To Set The World On Fire- The Ink Spot
🎪Unforgettable- Nat Cole King
🎪Misty- Lesley Gore
🎪A Sunday Kind Of Love- Etta James
🎪The End Of The World- Skeeter Davis
🎪Lonesome Town- Ricky Nelson
🎪Autumn Leaves- Nat King Cole
🎪Honey- Dean Martin
🎪I Say A Little Prayer- Aretha Franklin
🎪Always On My Mind- Elvis Presley
🎪My Way- Frank Sinatra

✨Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Publishing for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. ✨

[Jenni DaVinCat · Rating 2 out of 5]

I won this in a giveaway. Based on the description, it sounded like something I would really enjoy but I think I probably should have read between the lines a little bit and I would have realized that there are elements to this story that are just not in my favored genres. Yes, it is a book about secrets kept and it is also a book about the long life of Cecily Larson but make no mistake, this book is a soap opera. The characters speak and have reactions like they are in a soap opera. EVERYONE has secrets (it seems) and all sorts of convoluted relationships, just like a soap opera.

I guess I'm kind of making it sound like a bad thing. I don't mean to do that. It was well-written with interesting, if not believable, characters. I did enjoy reading about Cecily's life, although many events caused some extreme eye rolling from me. The thing is, soap opera type books are just not my thing. I have this reaction to every book of a similar nature, so while the genre may not be for me, this book was well-written and would be very entertaining for someone who is into books like this.

There were a couple things that bothered me in the writing.
- The way things were described. There were a lot of sentences that ran along the lines of "She grabbed her Birkin and Ray-Bans, slid into her Reebok's and got into her Mazda." Like...why can't you just say bag, sunglasses, shoes and car? I don't know. There are a lot of authors who do this and it bothers me every time. I have never once said to someone that I'm going to go drive my Nissan while wearing my generic brand sunglasses.

-Internal thoughts of characters had an insane amount of exclamation points. Seemed weird and off-putting. Like someone trying to sound too friendly in an e-mail.

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well written, entertaining, historical fiction novel which is told over multiple timelines, and from the point of view of several characters. It has engaging, likable female protagonists, heartbreak, loss, family secrets, love, hope, and a satisfying conclusion. I listened to the audio book, and the narrator, Ms. Cassandra Campbell, does a wonderful job depicting the characters and their personalities.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed this heartfelt novel. I appreciate a book that can give me all three emotions. It will make you laugh, cry and rejoice.
Cecily is one amazing woman and one I loved in getting to know.
Her journey through life wasn't an easy one for sure. I think her story is unique in a way because of the hand she was delt.
I've never been to Minnesota before and this authors descriptions made feel like I was there. A beautiful and interesting place.
I loved the circus scenes of the book but not how that poor girl ended up there. I believe that's how she became the strong and stalwart woman of 2015.
I can't say enough on how much I enjoyed this story because I really did.
What a wonderful adventure and I highly recommend it!
You'll fall in love with Cecily just like I did.
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Wendy | Wendy’s Inspired Reads · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really liked the premise and idea of the story but it fell flat for me.
The first big issue was the character dumping. The beginning throws you in and it doesn’t transition well to where you know which character is talking when, or who we are describing.
The other issue is when switching from past to present there is no clear labeling of this. I prefer chapters to say when they are in the present, etc. The dates were written sometimes but not all the time. Sometimes the time would switch mid chapter. It took me so long to understand who was talking in the first several chapters because I had no clue who was who. I was getting so confused with Liz and Molly and their relation to Cecily in the beginning. This wasn’t described well enough for me.
Then there were more characters thrown in and I got even more confused and didn’t understand anyone’s relationships for a while. I did finally understand, but I got to about 30% and decided to dnf because sadly it wasn’t grabbing my attention enough. There just isn’t a super strong plot and nothing really gripping me to want to read more. I’m sorry that it turned out not well for me, but I wish you all the best on your book.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Tiffany · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pacing:
This is very much a slow burn, and it was a bit too slow (and yet, sometimes chaotic) for me. I started feeling very frustrated about 50% of the way through. I liked the pacing of Lucky and Cecily’s relationship, but that was about it.

Narrative:
I had trouble getting my footing in the narrative. I understand the purpose of time-hops, but the ages kept changing and then there was a whole other (maybe two other) storyline(s) included that didn’t quite make sense. I had to remember who belonged to what and where and when.

Storylines/Characters:
There were a few storylines/character inclusions here that felt like filler/were superfluous.

1. What purpose did Eric serve? He literally added nothing to the storyline.
2. Why was the cancer storyline included when Liz dealing with grief of a lost husband was powerful enough. She could have had the same level of clarification without the secondary lump.
3. The reunion with Molly and Evan felt unnecessary - as their separation felt like an unnecessarily painful inclusion. And I would lose my mind if my son talked to me the way Caden did. What a punk. Was the author trying to say that Caden needed a stronger male presence and Molly couldn’t do this alone?
4. Grace had one purpose. She served it and was gone.
I had trouble keeping all of the characters straight. Eliminating some of them would have been wildly helpful.

Unnecessary Plot Complications:
The amount of adoptions and abandonment in this one family is ASTOUNDING and, quite frankly, unrealistic.

My Final Undoing:
The part when Cecily found out about Clarissa and basically steamrolled Liz every time she tried to ask Cecily about her history made me dislike Cecily immensely. She bypassed the hurt that was rightly earned by Liz and brushed her off with, “how’s my biological child?” That was incredibly painful to read - and my sympathy for Cecily went straight out the window when Liz’s history was revealed.

Inspiration:
Part of this story appealed to me personally, as I don’t know a lot about my father’s biological history because “complications” related to his conception. I am going to buy us some Ancestry.com kits.

Overall, I cannot say that I would recommend this novel, but I appreciate NetGalley providing me with the eARC.

[Taury · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Hidden Life of Cecily Larson by Ellen Baker.
I felt there were too many identical parallels between the main characters with The Life She was Given by Ellen Marie Wiseman and The Hidden Life of Cecily Larson by Ellen Baker. I am disturbed about this. Due to this reason I can only give a 3 star.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

3-1/2 Stars!

I wanted to read this book because of the cover and because it was being compared to Water For Elephants. To be perfectly honest, I don't remember what happens in Water for Elephants but I do remember that I definitely liked it a lot. (And of course I can't make my own comparison with Water For Elephants, having forgotten the storyline :) )

I think I may have had high expectations for this book that were not quite met -- but for me a 3-1/2 star is an enjoyable, slightly above average experience for me!

Cecily Larson is a 94-year-old woman who has led quite an amazing life! She has secrets that she has hidden from her daughter and granddaughter for decades. The Hidden Life of Cecily Larson is told in different timelines as we learn about Cecily's secrets from her past as well as her current family drama involving her daughter and granddaughter. I am always entertained by historical fiction and usually feel a little amazed about how life was led in the past, especially how women were viewed/treated. This is a story about family, forgiveness, loss, love and regret.

"Hope was a thin thread to hang on to, but sometimes it was all you had."

[Keri Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cecily is 4 years old in 1924 when her mother drops her off at an orphanage, promising to return for her within a year. But when she hasn’t returned by age 7, she is sold off to the circus because she seems promising at acrobatics. Her years there begin with another young woman taking her under her wing protectively, training her, and they all get decent meals during hard times… but as she gets older things become more complicated and she has a short but meaningful romance.

The book is told in alternating timelines from Cecily’s younger years, and current time when she is 94. Her grandson has a DNA project for school, so his mom and grandma help to get his great grandma’s DNA so they can surprise her with the results, being told she was an orphan.

Part way through the book another family’s story begins, which is a little confusing at first. As the DNA results are revealed, Cecily is forced to share secrets with her family, but some unexpected secrets are unveiled as well.

I really enjoyed this audiobook. It certainly tells of a difficult life, but also of perseverance and survival. It’s a story of loss, but also of joy and family. I think it’s a reminder too of the desperation and exploitation that occur in difficult times - remember she was a child of the Depression. Certain members of society are always especially vulnerable to these actions, though there were those that reacted with kindness.

One other comment, there were times that the characters reacted to each other in ways that seem thoughtless and even cruel. Not characters that you expect it from, but family members who need support. But I think the author depicted them in an honest way, in that none of us are always at our best. We’d like to think if there’s something affecting ourselves and our child we would think first of our child (in this case the child is a grown woman)… but sometimes we do get wrapped up in our own emotions and this is only human. In the end, I loved these families and how they cared for themselves and each other.

[Lauren - Find me on Fable! · Rating 1 out of 5]

I … I … y’all. The end of this book left me speechless with rage and heartache. And anger towards Cecily. And Molly. And Eric (who was a bit character who said exactly one thing in the entire book yet possibly one of the most absolutely insensitive dickbag comments in a book with an ending of lots of dickbag actions).

*deep breath*

Ok. So, legit 5 stars for most of the book. Really appreciated Baker’s historical details of life in the circus, and I really liked the character of Cecily (y’know, until the end but I digress). I thought they did a great job laying the groundwork for how horrible the adoption industry was (and still is) and how traumatizing it was for unwed girls to give up their babies, not to mention the profit and racism that is involved with adoption (and still is - it’s literally selling babies). The forced loss of Cecily’s baby affected her throughout her entire life. She exhibited very typical symptoms of the trauma of losing her baby which was very evident in her entire relationship with her husband Sam.

Hooray! Someone gets it! Adoption is not the unicorns and roses that everyone wants us to believe it is.

Ope, hold on.

So DNA test is given to Cecily without her consent while she is in the hospital with the encouragement of a nurse (ope! But it’s okay, because reasons) because it’s so rare to have 4 generations for this DNA project that the high school kid is doing. There’s a whole section about the buildup to the DNA test results being received and during this time frame, Cecily’s daughter Liz receives a cancer diagnosis after finding a lump, which she hides from both her mother and her daughter until the day before she goes to see a cancer specialist.

I’m going to interject this review for a moment to say that LIZ DESERVED BETTER FROM LITERALLY EVERYBODY.

So part 2 introduces us to another family of a bunch of effed up people including Kate who is a recovering alcoholic, her sister Lana who is pretty much insufferable and their mother Clarissa who effed up a lot in her life (I get it, abusive husband who left her and her daughters after Lana was born because he suspected Clarissa cheated on him since Lana was born “dark”, and then she was disowned by her parents not to mention some other traumas). Whew, lots to unpack there. They also do some DNA tests at the urging of Lana.

So we can all see where this is going. DNA test shows that Cecily isn’t Liz’s biological mother. DNA test also shows that Cecily DOES have a biological daughter and biological granddaughters. And that Clarissa is Cecily’s daughter and that she has African heritage because Clarissa’s dad (Moses, aka Lucky) is black, just as Lana suspected.

And this is where I lost my fucking shit with this book.

So it turns out that Liz is adopted because Cecily was sterilized for being an unwed teenager in the 1930s, and because she’d gotten pregnant by a black man. This sadly checks out for the time period. Cecily had been dating Sam but didn’t want to go further with him because of her forced sterilization.

BUT DON’T YOU WORRY, THINGS HAVE A WAY OF “WORKING OUT”… Cecily and Sam are driving home one night and come across a car accident with a dead man, a dead woman and a baby who miraculously survived *insert eye roll here* so they steal the baby, go through the proper channels and then steal the baby from her biological family after befriending the elderly aunt and uncle (ok, they adopted her legally). KEEP IN MIND this baby was OVER A YEAR OLD and knew her maternal biological family AND HAD A NAME. So naturally Cecily and Sam changed her name, never let her know that she was adopted and never let her be in contact with the biological family that KNEW SHE EXISTED.

All this comes out at the end of the book and Liz’s anger is COMPLETELY GLOSSED OVER by Cecily. It is also completely glossed over by Molly (Liz’s biological daughter) and her asshole son who plays a zero part comes in and tells her that she should be grateful that Cecily and Sam did what they did (fuck that guy). Liz does get to talk to her paternal uncle who is very happy to hear from her, but nobody from her mother’s side even seemed to know she existed so that’s all we get from Liz’s story of, y’know, having her identity be erased by her parents and being lied to by her parents for her entire life WHILE GOING THROUGH TREATMENT FOR CANCER.

MEANWHILE everyone and their fucking mother is celebrating Cecily’s reunion with every single fucking long lost biological relative ever, and nobody seems to give a flying fuck that Liz’s ENTIRE FUCKING LIFE WAS A LIE, AND THAT HER IDENTITY WAS ERASED BY CECILY WHO IS OUT FUCKING CELEBRATING FINDING HER OWN BIOLOGICAL FAMILY KNOWING THAT SHE ERASED LIZ’S BIOLOGICAL IDENTITY AND LIZ DOESN’T EVEN GET A CHANCE BECAUSE MOST OF HER OWN BIOLOGICAL RELATIVES ARE DEAD AND THAT WAS STOLEN FROM HER BY CECILY.

So yeah, I’d give this book zero stars if I could for the absolute fucking audacity of the author to completely gloss over Liz and the way her world literally crashed down on her, while having Liz’s entire family rally around Cecily. Cool story bro.

Editing to add: you know what, I’m not done. At the beginning of the book, Cecily was abandoned by her mother at a young age and it was mentioned throughout the early chapters that she longed for her mother for a couple years (doubtful that she ever really stopped but she stopped admitting it to herself anyway). And despite this LOSS, Cecily STILL decided it was better to lie to Liz about everything. And yet Cecily will still die having known her biological daughter, granddaughters and the relatives on Lucky’s side of the family while Liz will have more questions than answers for the rest of her life thanks to Cecily who is in her 90s and will likely die soon.

I’m sorry, I know this is a fiction book but what the fuck, plz explain to me why I should be at all happy that Cecily got all these happy stories at the end of her life while everyone in Liz’s family is telling her to be grateful.

Ellen Baker, you were sooooo close to getting it, until you didn’t get it at all.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE HIDDEN LIFE OF CECILY LARSON
BY: ELLEN BAKER

This is a novel that covers such a multifaceted amount of powerful themes. I did enjoy it but it did start out in one direction and switched its focus towards the end and it felt rushed. It starts out with a young girl named Cecily getting dropped off by her mother at an orphanage where her mother promises to be back to get Cecily after she earns enough money for both of them to survive with. This is the middle of the 1920's. In fact her mother seemed quite sincere to me in wanting Cecily to stay no more than a year. She signed a document saying she would be back within a year. Cecily is hopeful to be leaving the orphanage in Chicago. Both Cecily and I were heartbroken at the fact when a few years pass and she gets sold to a rather stern man.

The man who bought Cecily doesn't say much to her and Cecily is worried that her mother won't be able to locate her when she returns to claim Cecily. The innocence in Cecily's pure heart still believes her mother will be searching and I as the reader felt in my heart that I knew it would be impossible for the mother daughter reunion. Cecily has been bought by a man who owns half of the circus that they eventually reach after a long train ride. Cecily is in awe at seeing all of the animals, clowns, and she for once has enough food to not be hungry anymore. She however doesn't yet know that she will be expected to perform even when she injures her knee. She is taken under a young woman's wing named Isabella and they do acts while riding a horse.

Cecily gets attached to her horse and is still only able to see the good in people until Isabella gets jealous of Cecily. Isabella is in a relationship with the man who bought Cecily and as Cecily grows up as a teenager the man who bought Cecily starts showing an interest in her which turns Isabella from what was initially a sisterly bond to outright hatred and cruelty towards Cecily. All Cecily has now is her horse and she falls in love with one of the young teenagers who happens to be Black who helps her around when she injures her knee. A romance ensues and when it's discovered that Cecily is pregnant her boyfriend has left already.

Cecily ends up in a reformatory and wants more than anything to keep her baby. She does get transferred to a better home with the belief that she will stay and have her baby. She loves her baby while she is pregnant and has every hope of finding her baby's father whose name is Lucky and the three of them becoming a family.

The novel at some point alternated with the year 2015 where Cecily is 94 years old and is in the hospital after breaking her hip. She has a daughter named Liz, a granddaughter named Molly who are concerned for Cecily's full recuperation which will be months in rehabilitation. Molly has a son named Cade who is a teenager. For a school project he is tracing his family tree and his grandmother Liz offers to pay for four DNA kits which costs between four and five hundred dollars. Molly and Liz think it will be a wonderful surprise birthday gift for Cecily to have the results. It is understood that Cecily would never agree to participate so Molly has one of the nurses trick Cecily into filling a tube with her saliva without knowing it's for her great grandson's school project. She thinks its a test for the hospital not knowing she has supplied her DNA to be tested.

What could be the harm in the DNA tests? There is where the consequences upon receiving the results will bring surprising discoveries. This is the section I began talking about being too much happening at once towards the last 30% of the novel. It should have been introduced earlier by not making the circus taking up most of the story and not an info dump towards the end.

I did really enjoy this novel and it explores many themes. At times heartbreaking there is also inspiration and hope and at its heart is love and family. The novel sings with it being written with a huge heart and the many kinds of love. It also explores forgiveness, adoption and its effects on yearning to know and connect with biological family. It does end with a HEA and left me grateful for the chance to have read it feeling love in its many forms.

Publication Date: February 20, 2024

Thank you to Net Galley, Ellen Baker and Mariner Books for providing me with my eARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#TheHiddenLifeofCecilyLarson #EllenBaker #MarinerBooks #NetGalley

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't even remember how I found The Hidden Life of Cecily Larson by Ellen Baker, but I am so glad I did! This sweeping tale takes place in both the past and present with multiple viewpoints and a heaping of family drama. I loved the way the author tied at-home DNA tests into the narrative, and it heavily influenced the present-day storyline. The past sections include things that were happening at the time (1930s), and I knew without a doubt that it was true even before I read the acknowledgments. Some parts broke my heart, but I loved that Cecily was such a strong and tenacious young woman.

The audiobook is narrated by one of my favorites, Cassandra Campbell, and she did a beautiful job bringing this story and its characters to life. I would have enjoyed a full cast since there are SO many viewpoints to the point where I got a little confused at times, but I always love Campbell and enjoyed listening to her immensely. I felt so many things throughout my journey with The Hidden Life of Cecily Larson and I loved all of the different storylines that were intertwined with hers. I wouldn't say they all would have been necessary, but I enjoyed them all the same and it made this a very intricate read. Read this if you enjoy historical fiction mixed with family drama and resilient female leads.

[Lisa Burgos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Told in dual time. This is a multigenerational story which unfolds like a gentle mystery, and highlights the cultural differences about single motherhood & adoption that has evolved since the 1920's. It highlights the importance of parent-child relationships regardless of genetic connection.

[Sharyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never read this author before, and now I plan to read more of her books. I saw a review and asked for an ARC, and I certainly was not disappointed. I was not sure where this book was headed, but I figured it out by the middle.
As a parent of an adopted child, I found this book heartbreaking, yet satisfying. There are many timelines that eventually coalesce into a final family reunion.
Beginning with 4 year old orphan Cecily, in 1923, then forward in time to Cecily in her 90's in 2015 we learn her history. We follow her into the 1930's as a circus performer, then as a 19 year old in a TB sanatarium.
Her daughter, a widow and her divorced granddaughter and her grandson all live in a small Minnesota town. The mystery begins win.the grandson decides to do a DNA science project.
We the jump to another family, Kate a widow and recovering alcoholic, is picked up by her sister Lana and driven to visit their mother in North Carolina. We slowly learn all of their backstories, none of them very happy ones. Lana has dark skin, and when she was born her father took one look at her and abandoned the family.
(Interestingly, this is a topic that comes up in my feed a lot, where fathers are suspicious and ask for paternity tests. Secrets always arise because a parent or grandparent had
affairs.)
Lana them to get DNA tests because she never understood what happened. I think you can see where the stories begin to intersect.
There are many themes in this book, orphans, abandonment, adoption, baby selling, eugenics, cancer and of course, secrets. I laughed, I cried, and I thoroughly enjoyed the book, which I read in one day.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my EARC. This is my honest opinion, and I highly recommend this book.

[Evelina | AvalinahsBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

How I read this: Free ebook copy received through Edelweiss

This book was so unexpected! I thought it would be a story that centers on Cecily being a performer, but it wasn't like that. Mostly, it's a book about being abandoned, adopted, losing a child and giving it away. This theme was repeated several times, kind of a bit much even, but in the end it all comes together and makes sense, you can feel like that's what the author chose specifically for the story to have deeper meaning. And it's such a painful story in so many places, some of the things that happen are a bit shocking. I feel like a lot of this history of the early 20th century hasn't been told a lot, and that's why some of the things that happened completely floored me. I feel like this is an important story to tell for those reasons, so I'm giving it 4 stars. I would have maybe gone with 3 if not for the subject matter, because a lot of the book was setup setup setup, and some things didn't move till I was maybe 60% in. The story is told in alternating timelines, and sometimes one of the timelines is moving at a good pace, but the others seem to be lagging behind as if they're waiting for that one to be done getting to the main point. But aside from that, this was definitely a good book.

I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.

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[Heather~ Nature.books.and.coffee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a nice book to escape into. I mix of historical fiction, family secrets and drama. Taking place through the decades of Cecily Larson's life. In 1924, Cecily is four years old, and her mom drops her off at a children's home. It's supposed to be temporary, until her mom can get on her feet and come back to get her. But she never does. A few years later, Cecily is sold to a traveling circus to play a part. She actually finds happiness and family within this group. During her teens, Cecily falls in love and the consequences of that, put her in a home for wayward girls. Throughout the rest of the story, we follow Cecily and multiple other people in her life. 

In the present, 2015, Cecily lives with her daughter, granddaughter, and great grandson in Minnesota. When her family decides to surprise her with an at home DNA test, the results open a whole new door to Cecily's tragic love story, and things she's kept hidden for so long. 

There was so much happening in this book, and I really did enjoy all of plot points and different characters. I found it very entertaining and compelling. I thought the descriptions of the circus were vivid and fun. Also the way the author describes where Cecily lives in Minnesota sounds just lovely. Just a great read to sink into. 

Thank you to the publisher, and Suzy approved book tours for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

[kimberly · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was.. Something, certainly. Putting aside the fact that there are dozens of characters to keep straight in three(?) different timelines, it’s an absolute emotional train wreck but not in the good way.

As a lover of circus stories, I appreciated the history and atmosphere of the past timeline, thought it was done well, and it made these sections of the book my favorite. The prose was beautiful, the characters were interesting, and the relationships between them were ones that I wanted to know more about.
When we get to the present timeline with 94-year-old Cecily and all of her familial drama though, I couldn’t bring myself to care. It turned in to a soap opera when compared to the beautiful historical story that was told from the 1920’s/1930’s timeline; it was almost like reading two different books.

I think this book would have been a winner for me if it was left in the past timeline with the circus and Cecily’s coming-of-age but ultimately it failed to keep my attention as a whole.

[Erin Nielsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was surpringly not about the synopsis provided but more about intergenerational trauma and genealogy. I loved the first 100 pages but went downhill from there. There was so much character dropping and parallel storying telling that it was hard to stay engaged and the story lost momentum .

[Diana | LatinaWithABook · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 RTC

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is THE book for genealogists and would-be family history researchers who wonder about DNA testing and what it might turn up. The story covers 4 generations of a family starting in 1924 and ending in 2015. It covers the hidden family secrets and lies, adoptions, the reasons for them, and how a family history school project for the youngest generation opens up the floodgates of the story exposing all that came before.

Some may feel the story is "over the top" or like "a soap opera" but as a genealogist who has helped adoptees find birth families just about everything (except for the circus) is an event or secret I've uncovered in my research. This may be a work of fiction but the story is real life folks and DNA never lies.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Cecily, in her 90s, has her DNA sent in by her great grandson. However, all is not what everyone thinks is true, and it causes a lot of heartache.

The main story was good (Cecily), but there were so many characters that it was hard to follow. The winding plot lines lost me several times.

[Janeene · Rating 4 out of 5]

You had me at Orphan Train meets Water for Elephants!

3.5 rounded up to 4 for rating.

[♥ Sandi ❣ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

I wanted to like this book so much more than I did. There were pros and cons to the book, but more cons to be sure.

I felt the book was way too long. It is a family drama (sigh!) told in two time periods. One, being when Cecily was very young up thru her teen-aged years and two, when she was very old in her last stage of life. It didn't actually alternate chapters, but it did bounce back and forth between the two. Each was interesting in it's own way, but I enjoyed the later years a bit more. There were a couple times that it seemed that strange people were just thrown in for no reason...I mean come on. Don't crowd a good story with meaningless characters. I felt there were some things that were never answered and some things that could have been answered a whole lot better.

This is the story of an orphan adopted into a circus - how she grew there, who she met and fell in love with, who betrayed her and how she kept her secrets, until in the late stage of her life all was revealed. Good premise - less than excellent execution.

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Hidden Life of Cecily Larson” by Ellen Baker is a highly emotional story about a family’s trauma after receiving the results of a DNA test. The result is a fascinating, tragic and powerful story of what happens when generations of hidden secrets and true facts are finally revealed. The backdrop of the early days of circus life was super interesting and really kept the story moving for me. This book is about the power of love, family and the resilience of the human spirit. I truly enjoyed this novel!

Thank you NetGalley and Mariner books for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Jennifer Ruppel - Dreher]

I don’t know what to rate this. Do I think others will really enjoy this book? Yes.

To be honest, I really did like this novel - until I didn’t. It was a personal trigger for me, not one that many would pick up on. With only 100ish pages left in the novel I almost DNF it that’s how angry I was (am still).

The premise of this book surrounds a family secret and a DNA project. The timeline jumps around in the novel (in a good way) and the characters are relatable.

It is also full of tropes. Like romance, it’s there. Like family drama, got it. Mystery, check. Historical fiction, a bit.

[Donna Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

A frightening rough life that comes full circle with a surprise DNA testing for Ancestry family tree becomes an overwhelming wait on the mixed results. Really wished the recipes for the spectacular fifteen-layer cake and monkey bread would have been included somewhere in the story.

[Jeni—Bookish.Bestie.909 · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️ this was not an easy book to get through. I liked parts of the story. But for the most part it was like a soap opera with a cast of the most insufferable, unlikable characters. Would not recommend.

[Susnunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

During the Depression, Cecily is "surrendered" to an orphanage by her mother with the promise she'll be back. However before she can get back Cecily is sold to the guy who owns the circus and she grows up performing until she becomes close with a roustabout and falls in love. However he is worried because of the color of his skin that they are both in danger and he leaves the circus and her behind. She finds herself alone again and pregnant at 15 and her journey for family, security and love continues. Fastforward and Cecily has fallen and broken her hip and her daughter and grandaughter are taking care of her. Her great grandson is working on a DNA project and to surprise her they take a sample without her knowing and send it off. The secrets held so closely in the past come rushing forward. This touches the heart in similar ways to This Tenderland and left me in tears at the beautiful story of pain and suffering but most of all of the powerful effect of love and kindness. Loved it!

Thank you to Mariner Books for the ARC! #NetGalley #TheHiddenLifeof CecilyLarson

[Nursebookie · Rating 4 out of 5]

TITLE: The Hidden Life of Cecily Larson
AUTHOR: Ellen Baker
PUB DATE: 02.25.2025

1924: Four-year-old Cecily Larson’s mother reluctantly drops her off at an orphanage in Chicago, promising to be back. But she never returns, and high-spirited Cecily is sold to a traveling circus, meets and falls in love with a young roustabout named Lucky, she finds her life thrown onto an entirely unexpected—and dangerous—course.

2015: Cecily is now ninety-four and living a quiet life in Minnesota. But when her family surprises her with an at-home DNA test, the unexpected results bring to light Cecily’s tragic past. Cecily and everyone in her life must now decide who they really are and what family—and forgiveness—really mean.

THOUGHTS:

A circus
A DNA test
A big secret

This book is stunning inside and out. I felt every emotion and immersed myself in this compelling story of Cecily Larson and her incredible drive to survive. I loved reading to dual timeline story as well as the varied points of view. The emotional
thread and the complex story line was absolutely brilliant.

[Sadie Newell · Rating 4 out of 5]

THIS.. THIS BOOK. THIS IS WHY I READ.
I think this one is being marketed as if Water for Elephants and the Glass Castle had a love child. For once, it isn’t wrong. I love both of those books equally for different reasons, and this book of Cecil’s life that reads a bit like the Notebook, was just the most captivating tale of bravery and growing up without a family.

This book had me up late at night, choked up at points and stopping to pause and reflect more often than anticipated. This book is amazing, a beautiful story of lineage and loss, and what it means to grow up in America in fraught times.