Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

You may remember that about a month ago, I read two books by Sara Gruen, Riding Lessons and Flying Changes.  I loved both books, and tore through each one in about a day.

I finally got the ebook of Water for Elephants from my library — there was a waiting list that has since gotten even longer, because of the movie that's coming out.  And I have to say, this book was nothing short of amazing.  I loved Riding Lessons and Flying Changes, of course, but I think I liked this one even better.  You just feel during the entire book the the story is building toward something significant.  I could hardly put it down!

The main character and narrator is Jacob, a student in veterinary school during the Great Depression.  When tragedy strikes his family, he leaves school and literally runs away with the circus, though not on purpose — he hops a train and that's where he finds himself.  Pretty soon he is sucked into the behind-the-scenes world of the circus, which is (as it turns out) full of corruption.  Both Jacob's boss and the general manager of the circus are evil men, but there are a few bright spots.  Jacob makes some loyal friends among the performers and crew, including Rosie, the elephant they acquire when another circus goes under.

I had a hard time deciding what category to put this book in, but ultimately I decided on historical fiction, because of the Great Depression time period and all the research that obviously went into getting the circus setting just right.  I highly recommend it — you'll especially love the unexpected ending!