Church of Marvels

Set in turn-of-the-century New York, Leslie Parry's debut novel unfolds over one transformative night, bringing to life a diverse cast of outsiders—from a privy cleaner with a secret about an abandoned baby, to performers from a defunct sideshow, and a woman locked away in an asylum—whose lives become unexpectedly intertwined. Through vivid scenes from the bustling streets of Coney Island to the gritty tenements and a tense asylum, the narrative explores themes of secrecy, longing, and the search for acceptance in a tumultuous, vividly rendered world.