Water For Elephants is a historical novel written by Sara Gruen. I hadn't previously heard of this book, but Kevin's Mom loaned it to me to read and apparently it has been a pretty big hit for a while.
This book is based on a character named Jacob who flees from his hometown after his parents have been killed in an accident. Jacob was attending Cornell and decided to get up and leave, realizing he couldn't live in the town where his parents were killed. He then joins a circus called The Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth, where he is thrown into the bizarre world of the circus crowd. Jacob meets many characters that test his strengths and weaknesses, and even his devotion to the heroin Marlena, the head trainer's wife.
I enjoyed this book for many reasons: it gives the reader a rare look into the world of "circus freaks" and still gives the reader the fictional tale they desire. The story is written as a memoir from Jacob, as he sits in an old folks home and desires to go to the circus that has just come to town. It's a tale of true tests while the reader watches Jacob struggle to maintain his own moral compass while falling in love.
Out of a 5 star rating, I would give this story a 3 1/2. It was a good quick read and I am now more interested in the world of the "circus life", but it ended a little too abruptly and perfectly for my liking.
Above is a picture of the Mom sticking out of their home. There are two holes like this in the building, and the babies live in one and then the parents use the other one as their look-out for food. Every night, we love to listen to the little guys call for food, and then the parents show up and swoop around .... making the little ones happy and proud. So far they have been good with us taking their photos .... if only we could get them to come a little closer ....
