Water for Elephants

Books | Fiction / General

4.3

(13.7K)

Sara Gruen

When Jacob Jankowski, recently orphaned and suddenly adrift, jumps onto a passing train, he enters a world of freaks, swindlers and misfits in a second-rate circus struggling to survive during the Great Depression.A veterinary student who almost earned his degree, Jacob is put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It is there that Jacob meets Marlena, the beautiful equestrienne who is married to August, a charismatic but violently unpredictable animal trainer. Jacob also meets Rosie, an elephant who seems unmanageable until he discovers an unusual way to reach her.Water for Elephants is a story that has it all - warmth, humour, poignancy and passion. It has an energy and spirit like the feeling under a big top when the show is about to begin. It is a novel that will win your heart.

Historical Fiction

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More Details:

Author

Sara Gruen

Pages

408

Publisher

Allen & Unwin

Published Date

2011-05-01

ISBN

1742695272 9781742695273

Ratings

Google: 4

Community ReviewsSee all

"⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️"

Sher Free✌️

"Loved this book! The storytelling and descriptions were so beautifully told. 5 out of 5. "

The Lazy Reader

"This is a book that captures a time and a very unique environment (the world of a depression era circus) from the eyes of an old man looking back on his life. Poignant and beautiful but also violent and frightening. Well worth the read!"

Anita Skop

"what was all the fuss about with this book? Two years later I can barely remember anything about characters or plot. Ho hum"

Diane Morello

"Such a great story and so much better than the movie version. Magical with quirky characters, adventure, and love. Really enjoyed this one! #thebookwasbetter "

Jodi Rosoff

"I have to say the best thing about the book was the end of it. I loved learning more about circus lingo but that was about it. I only set through the whole thing because the movie was coming out and I like to read the book before the movie ruins it. But in the case it was a totall 180. I enjoyed the movie and will never read the book agian."