"Life is the Most Spectacular Show on Earth"

The above is a quote from the novel "Water for Elephants" written by Sara Gruen and published by Algonquin Books. A book that I went into reading with some hesitation because of the popularity of the book and the movie. But I had a friend, someone who I trust when it comes to book recommendations, told me that it was actually a very good book. Well written and historically accurate (very important when it comes to historical fiction) and so I took her advice and picked up a copy of it.

The story starts off in a nursing home, a start that surprised me, where ninety-something-year-old Jacob Jankowski is currently 'living' for lack of a better word the way he sees it. Being in the home doesn't really offer a lot of entertainment and so Jacob begins to remember his life. His memories begin when he was a young man finishing up veterinary school at Cornell. He had nothing more to worry about then his final exams, and losing his virginity.  When all of a sudden his world is shattered when he gets the news of his parents dying in a car crash. The news that he is now an orphan shocks him so much that he walks away from his final exams and goes home. After the funeral Jacob feels lost and has no idea what he wants to do. His aimless wondering lands him on a circus train, a circus train belonging the Benzini Brothers Circus.

By some twist of fate he gets hired on as the show's vet which starts an adventure which is both terrifying and the most wonderful thing that ever happens to him. There he meets not only the beautiful Marlena but also her slightly psychotic husband August. And though he tries not to he finds himself falling in love with her and then, to his detriment, becomes protective of her. The novel takes place at the beginning of the Great Depression and circuses are having a hard time keeping afloat. Whenever a show closes the Benzini Brothers swoop in and pick up what they think will draw a crowd. When the ring leader, Uncle Al, picks up an elephant by the name of Rosie he lets August take charge of her. The more Rosie doesn't perform the way they want her to the more August gets rough with her. Jacob finds out the Rosie only understands Polish commands and as he spends time with her he finds himself growing fond of her. And a strange friendship begins. Through show after show and adventure after adventure Jacob does his best to ignore his feelings for Marlena and she does her best to ignore hers for him. It's a battle that they lose again and again.

The book is beautifully written and well researched. Sara Gruen really captures the Depression era circus feel. There were moments that made me laugh out loud, moments that made me want to cry. And quite a few moments that made me cringe. I found that, despite my hesitation, I really enjoyed this book. I don't think that it's going to be one that I read again and again but I throughly enjoyed it. All the characters were so 3d that for me they practically stepped off the page, a quality that I love, and visiting the world of behind the scene circus life was a thrill. I would recommend the book to someone who is looking for something a little different, historical, and with the added bonus of having an elephant in it.