"Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
As a young man, Jacob Jankowski was tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. It was the early part of the great Depression, and for Jacob, now ninety, the circus world he remembers was both his salvation and a living hell. A veterinary student just shy of a degree, he was put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It was there that he met Marlena, the beautiful equestrian star married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. And he met Rosie, an untrainable elephant who was the great gray hope for this third-rate traveling show. The bond that grew among this unlikely trio was one of love and trust, and, ultimately, it was their only hope for survival. -- From the Publisher
Linsy: I found this story to be a touching and unexpected look into the dark world of circus life. It is not a topic I am inclined to enjoy reading about, but the author did a great job of researching the history of the traveling circus in America and developed great characters that really made the story work.
Aday: A beautiful story.
Kelly: Very slow developing and felt no desire to connect with the main character.
Jen S.: Thumbs down.
Holly: I was hoping for more circus freaks, less love story.
