Adult Book of the Month
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Published by Hodder 2007
When Jacob Jankowski, recently orphaned and suddenly adrift,
jumps onto a passing train, he enters the world of the freaks, grifters,
and misfits of the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. It's
a second-rate travelling circus struggling to survive during the Great
Depression, making one-night stands in town after endless town.
Jacob, a veterinary student who almost earned his degree, is put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It is there that he meets Marlena, the beautiful young star of the equestrian act, who is married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. He also meets Rosie, an elephant who seems untrainable until he discovers a way to reach her.
Water for Elephants is illuminated by a wonderful sense of time and place. It tells a story of a love between two people that overcomes incredible odds in a world in which even love is a luxury that few can afford.
'An imaginative modern fairy story, teeming with eccentric characters' The Times
'Allow yourself to be carried away by this vibrant and superbly written book.' Daily Express
