Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen

Title: Water for Elephants Author: Sara Gruen Genre: Cultural Rating: 9/10 # pages: 334 Date read: May, 2008

Summary: When Jacob Jankowski, recently orphaned and suddenly adrift, jumps onto a passing train, he enters a world of freaks, grifters, and misfits, a second-rate circus struggling to survive during the Great Depression, making one-night stands in town after endless town. A veterinary student who almost earned his degree, Jacob 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.

Review: I was a bit weary of it at first, because I had such high expectations that I was afraid of getting disappointed. Especially after just having read The Poisonwood Bible where I had even higher expectations and WAS disappointed. Fortunately, all my fears were unfounded and I loved the book. It's a charming story and as somebody who's always been fascinated by the circus-life - extremely interesting. Fortunately the ending was very satisfactory too so all in all it's a book I'm glad to have read and will happily recommend to others :-)

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