The Lady and the Lionheart

Two worlds collide when the circus comes to Victorian-era Virginia.

– 5 Star Romantic Times TOP PICK

– Christy Award Winner

– Carol Award Winner

– INSPY Award Winner

– RT Book Reviews Reviewer’s Choice Award Winner

Raised amid the fame and mystique of the Big Top, Charlie Lionheart holds the audience in the palm of his hand. But while his act captivates thousands, it’s away from the spotlight where his true heart lies. Here he humbly cares for his pride of lions as if they were his brothers, a skill of bravery and strength that has prepared him for his most challenging feat yet—freeing an orphaned infant from the dark bondage of a sideshow. A trade so costly, it requires his life in exchange for hers, leaving him tarnished by the price of that choice.

As the circus tents are raised on the outskirts of Roanoke, country nurse Ella Beckley arrives to tend to this ill Gypsy girl. All under the watchful eye of a guardian who not only bears a striking resemblance to the child, but who protects the baby with a love that wraps around Ella’s own tragic past, awakening a hope that goodness may yet reign. When their forbidden friendship deepens, Charlie dares to ask for her heart, bringing her behind the curtain of his secret world to reveal the sacrifice that gave hope to one little girl—boldly showing Ella that while her tattered faith is deeply scarred, the only marks that need be permanent are his own.

Endorsements

“The sights, sounds and people of a turn-of-the-century circus come alive in this novel that captivates from word one. Every sentence is pitch perfect, while the characters embed themselves soul deep. Charlie Lionheart is the hero of heroes and a reflection of the fairy tale “Beast.” He is so brilliantly multidimensional that he could easily live outside the pages. The romance between Charlie and Ella is heartachingly beautiful, and the redemption organically sewn into the story’s tent flaps will linger with readers for years.”

– RT Book Reviews, 5 Star TOP PICK!

Endorsements

“From the moment he bursts onto the pages of The Lady and the Lionheart, Charlie Lionheart splashes color across Ella Beckley’s drab, confined world—and along the way he stole my heart. As Ella is drawn by necessity into his mysterious circus performer’s life, a world portrayed in vivid shades by Joanne Bischof— whimsical and threatening by turns—so readers will be drawn by the contradiction that is Charlie Lionheart, rooting for Ella to see past appearances to the man beneath, with a heart that bears the scars of unthinkable sacrifice. This tale has it all, heart, hope, mystery, love, and depth, spun beneath the vibrant tents of the Big Top world.”

– Lori Benton, Christy-award winning author of Burning Sky, The Pathfinders series, and other stories

Endorsements

“The best stories are ones where you are torn between the desire to linger in each scene and enjoy the interactions of the characters and the descriptions that make the world so real, or read it all in one sitting because you simply have to know what’s going to happen next. The Lady and The Lionheart put me into that delicious agony and held me there until that final page and the reluctant closing of the book.”

– Sigmund Brouwer, author of Thief of Glory, Christy Award book of the year 2015

Endorsements

“Absorbing. Emotional. Colorful and clever… Bischof brings the world of the vintage circus to life with vibrant scenes and deeply poignant characters. It’s a masterful portrait of redemption- with faith and hope deftly woven in- that grips the reader until the final page. I was swept away and didn’t want to return.”

– Kristy Cambron, author of The Ringmaster’s Wife

Endorsements

“Breathtaking and drenched in grace, The Lady and the Lionheart will sweep you away with the magic of the circus—and the miracle of redemption. This tale is one for the ages; Charlie and Ella will dance into your life with a story to settle deep within your soul.”

– Amanda Dykes, author of the critically acclaimed Bespoke: a Tiny Christmas Tale

Endorsements

“Captivated from that first snowy paragraph, I found The Lady and the Lionheart hard to put down. When it comes to depth and originality, Joanne Bischof delivers and this unique historical is no exception. If you’re wanting a story that satisfies heart and soul, this richly woven novel is for you – a keeper you’re sure to recommend to friends. Beautiful!”

– Laura Frantz, author of The Mistress of Tall Acre

Endorsements

“The Lady and the Lionheart isn’t a book to read so much as it is a world to inhabit, a story to relish, a love to cherish. It is lyrical, achingly beautiful, and larger than life. This novel is Joanne Bischof at her very finest.”

–Jocelyn Green, award-winning author of the Heroines Behind the Lines Civil War series