Water for Elephants

Though he may not speak of them, the memories still dwell inside Jacob Jankowski’s ninety-something-year-old mind. Memories of himself as a young man, tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. Memories of a world filled with freaks and clowns, with wonder and pain and anger and passion; a world with its own narrow, irrational rules, its own way of life, and its own way of death. The world of the circus: to Jacob it was both salvation and a living hell. As a young man, Jacob’s life went from bad to worse at an alarming rate. Orphaned and penniless, he has no direction until he’s recruited by a second-rate circus. Cast among misfits, he finds his place caring for the circus animals and falls in love with the beautiful equestrian star Marlena, who unfortunately is married to the circus’s cruel animal trainer. This Depression-era tale of love, survival, and the power of loyalty has captivated millions of readers worldwide.