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Michelle Rene
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Maud's Circus Kindle Edition

by Michelle Rene (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 126 ratings
See all formats and editions
In a time when women were restricted in every aspect, Maud Wagner became the first female tattoo artist in North America. Maud ran away to join the circus when she was a teenager. By 1904, she was working as a contortionist at the World’s Fair when she met the famous tattoo artist, Gus Wagner. She struck a deal with him: she’d give him a date if he gave her a tattoo—and a lesson in how to create them. Along with her husband and daughter, for more than fifty years, Maud traveled the country tattooing the masses. Throughout this fictionalized biopic, we see Maud and her family manage their way through life inside the safety of their beloved circus. Each life Maud touches leaves its mark, quite literally. All this through the eyes of a relatively unknown woman... until now.
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  1. Print length
    288 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    December 25, 2020
  5. File size
    8634 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

  • "Maud's Circus is moving and insightful. It is finely etched and beautifully drawn." - Historical Novel Society
  • "Rene takes you on a heartfelt journey that winds through decades of world events. In the end, it is not enough. Maud's Circus is one of those rare books that I held to my heart when I finished and wished for more. I will never forget Maud Wagner and Maud's Circus by Michelle Rene." - Diane Kane with Readers' Favorite Reviews
  • "Rene convinces with her descriptions of the circus atmosphere, and of its appeal to Maud ("There was a deep need to belong here in a world of freedom and color"). Readers will enjoy this fast-paced, witty drama." - Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Michelle Rene is a creative advocate and the author of a number of published works of historical fiction and speculative fiction.
​
She has won multiple indie awards. Maud's Circus was named "Best Book of the Year" with the Maxy Awards for 2021. Her novel, Hour Glass, won Chanticleer Review's "Best Book of the Year" award in 2018. Her experimental novella, Tattoo, was a Foreword Review's Indies finalist for fantasy. The Dodo Knight, a historical novella, placed as a finalist with the Next Gen Indie Book Awards. Her YA historical fantasy, Manufactured Witches, won the OZMA award for fantasy, the Discovery Award from the Writer's League of Texas, and was honored by the Indie Author Project as Texas's best YA novel in 2019.
​
When not writing, she is a professional artist, museum lover, belly dancer, and autism mom. She lives as the only female with her husband, son, and ungrateful cat in Dallas, Texas.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08Q375FL5
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Michelle Rene (December 25, 2020)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 25, 2020
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 8634 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 126 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Michelle Rene

Michelle Rene

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Michelle Rene is a creative advocate and the author of a number of published works of historical fiction and speculative fiction.

She has won multiple indie awards. Her novel, Hour Glass, won Chanticleer Review’s “Best Book of the Year” award in 2018. Her experimental novella, Tattoo, was a Foreword Review’s Indies finalist for fantasy. The Dodo Knight, a historical novella, placed as a finalist with the Next Gen Indie Book Awards. Her YA historical fantasy, Manufactured Witches, won the OZMA award for fantasy, the Discovery Award from the Writer's League of Texas, and was honored by the Indie Author Project as Texas’s best YA novel in 2019.

When not writing, she is a professional artist, museum lover, belly dancer, and autism mom. She lives as the only female with her husband, son, and ungrateful cat in Dallas, Texas.

To learn more about her, check out her website http://www.michellereneauthor.com/

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
126 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

tnlady
5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding !
Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2023
Verified Purchase
This book,I really didn't want it to end.
I got so caught up in Maud's life as a tattoo artist & being tattooed from head to toe herself.It was just fantastic.
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T.L.W
4.0 out of 5 stars MAUD'S CIRCUS ALMOST FIVE STAR...
Reviewed in the United States on September 23, 2021
Verified Purchase
I was so delighted to be able to get this book! Thank you to the author for belonging to Kindle Unlimited!!! The storyline was Excellent, the writing is Superb!
The reason for rating it 4 instead of 5+++++++ Like it deserves? Ms. Rene chose to use The Lord's name in vain! That put such a damper on the story for me I Almost quit reading it!!!!
One person found this helpful
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A. Stapleton
5.0 out of 5 stars Dramatic Coming of Age Story Combined with Generational Saga
Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2021
Verified Purchase
I really enjoyed this work of historical fiction. I didn't realize until the end that the author based a lot of the work on the real life of Maud Wagner. I think she did a wonderful job at combining fictional and biographical elements to weave together a work of that keeps you entertained and also provides a window into the history of the United States across several decades (from a unique circus world perspective). It seems almost like several books in one. The first part is a very dramatic coming of age story. Then the book transitions into a series of very interesting vignettes about different people Maud tattooed. At the end, everything is woven back together. From my perspective, this book really deserves to find a publisher and reach a wider audience. The author has done a great job at pulling this book together and publishing it on her own.
One person found this helpful
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Debbie redwine
5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful escape into Maudes world.
Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2021
Verified Purchase
If this were 1000 pages I would have kept reading. I loved the characters, the vivid imagery. She wrote with color and with depth for every scene and encounter. There were timelines I wish lasted longer, but they left me wanting more. This was a wonderful journey filled with imagination and nuance. Maude is a character that I wished I had meet. Bravo Michelle.
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LPP
5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Woman
Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2021
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I knew nothing of Maude before reading this biography. I found her history and life interesting. The author gave a wonderful insightful glimpse into life of circus people and early 20th century in America. I felt the book was well written and easy to read. Great for history buffs.
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Lydia Obregon
5.0 out of 5 stars A captivating story
Reviewed in the United States on January 28, 2021
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The story was so well researched and grounded in history that I forgot it was technically fiction. Everything the author wrote about Maud was believable and made for a fascinating story. I could easily have read this book even if it were twice as long. Great read!
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Tina
5.0 out of 5 stars Captivating
Reviewed in the United States on June 26, 2021
Verified Purchase
This is a mesmerizing tale about life, love, evil, compassion, humanity, and tattoos. Artfully told, and in many parts--painfully true.
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Joy
3.0 out of 5 stars Poor proofreading spoiled it for me
Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2021
Verified Purchase
I couldn’t make it past 68 pages. It might have been a good story but the grammatical errors distracted me.
One person found this helpful
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