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A spellbinding story of romance and discovery set in the filth and thrill of an eighteenth-century side-show, perfect if you loved The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock or Caraval

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Can this shocking new feeling be love, or is it electrickery?

In a lowly side-show fair in eighteenth-century England, teenager Mim is struggling to find her worth as an act. Not white, but not black enough to be truly exotic, her pet parrot who speaks four languages is a bigger draw than her. But Alex, the one-armed boxer boy, sees her differently. And she, too, feels newly interested in him.

But then Dr Fox arrives with his scientific kit for producing ´electrickery´ - feats of electrical magic these bawdy audiences have never seen before. To complete his act, Fox chooses Mim to play the ´Electrical Venus´. Her popularity - and the electric-shocking kisses she can provide for a penny - mean takings are up, slop is off the menu and this spark between her and Fox must surely be love.

But is this starring role her true worth, or is love worth more than a penny for an electrifying kiss?

An intoxicating and atmospheric coming of age story set in the filth and thrill of a travelling show during the height of the Georgian Enlightenment.

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A magical book, with magical characters: outsiders, adventurers and misfits battling for love and acceptance in the harsh underworld of the travelling fair. I was rooting for Mim and Alex all the way. Mayhew´s language zips and sparkles on the page like the Electrical Venus´s own ´electrickery´ Maria McCann

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Julie Mayhew is the author of Red Ink (shortlisted for the 2014 Branford Boase Award), The Big Lie (winner of the 2016 Sidewise Award for Alternate History) and the critically acclaimed Mother Tongue. She also writes for the stage and for film, and has been twice nominated for Best Original Drama at the BBC Audio Drama Awards for her radio plays -including a 2016 recognition for the The Electrical Venus, the drama on which this book is based. Julie grew up in Peterborough and originally trained as a journalist, then as an actress, before turning to writing because she couldn´t find enough brilliant roles for girls.
www.juliemayhew.co.uk Twitter: @juliemayhew Instagram: JulieMayhew

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