The Candlelit Menagerie provides a vivid and sensory exploration of a victorian menagerie, seen through the eyes of Lillian, a tall, imaginative woman who becomes enamored by the animals and culture at the "zoo" and leaps at a chance to work there.
The book takes us through Lillian's time at the menagerie, her quick romance and eventual heartbreak, and her unconventional attachment to a baby chimpanzee.
Though this book is, ostensibly, about Lillian, it is definitely more about the animals than the people it follows. The animal descriptions and interactions are some of the strongest in the book, especially in regard to the lion who initially is what causes Lillian to visit the menagerie. The author never shies away from realistic descriptions of the treatment of the animals and the state of the place, so potential readers be warned if they are particularly sensitive to animal welfare.
What I really liked about this book was that it had an unflinching description and exploration of the impacts of colonialism and the British empire. The author clearly didn't set out to tell a story romanticizing the zoo, and yet the honest depiction doesn't take away from the magic of the story.
For fans of historical fiction, this will be an excellent book to pick up.


*Many thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!*

I liked but did not love this novel about an unusual woman in eighteenth-century London who finds herself an outsider because of her height and personality and so becomes a sort of zoo-keeper. The character and story were interesting however the prose was a little lacklustre for this reader.

Caraline Brown summons an evocative setting in The Candelit Menagerie, bringing late 18th century London to life through impressionable characters, vivid sensory descriptions, and (of course) said menagerie's many, many animals.

We follow the six-foot tall Lillian as she wanders into the eccentric Grady's Emporium, drawn to the menagerie lion's roars like a moth to a flame. She cannot keep away, and the eponymous Grady offers her work. Deeply connected to these animals, she meets veterinary apprentice John Button when he is called in as a consultant. The two make an instant match, but a miscarriage soon shatters their happiness. The quick-thinking Grady procures a baby chimpanzee for the grieving Lillian, and the two form a familial bond that triumphs despite society gossip and John's resistance to the unconventional pair.

(4/5: A unique novel that conjures a hidden world of man and beast in a bustling Georgian metropolis. Interesting characters, though the relationships between Lillian, Grady, and John could be more fleshed out. There are depictions of abusive conditions for animals, but it reflects the reality of these European colonial-era 'zoos.' A prime example of historical fiction.)

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

This is one of the most unusual and most compelling books I’ve read in a while. Set in 18th century London, the story revolves around Lillian, an unusually tall woman, who suffers in her life as a maid because of her size and preference for wearing pants. Lillian hears the roar of a lion and investigates late at night to find a menageries of exotic animals on the Strand. And Lillian’s life is transformed, as she comes to care for the animals, both emotionally and in practice. She marries and when she has a miscarriage, an orphaned chimpanzee takes the child’s place. Unlike anything else I have ever read, this is a melancholic story of a woman shunned by society, looking for her place in the world