Water for Elephants

Water for Elephants is a great read. I laughed out loud often, felt dreadfully sorrowful more than once and remained intrigued throughout the entire tale.

The book is narrated by the main character, Jacob Jankowski, and oscillates between present day where he is in his early nineties and the era of the Great Depression when he was in his early twenties. The story is largely narrated by the younger Jankowski, but the parts narrated by his older counterpart are a delightful "break" from the central plot.

It's a whirlwind story - Jankowski's life is turned on its head when his parents are killed in a car accident. Afterwards, he is informed that they were broke due to their financing his Ivy League education and his father's willingness to trade his services for things like eggs or milk. His father owned his own veterinary practice, and he and Jacob were supposed to go into business together after he received his DVM degree.

Jacob fails to cope with his loss, runs out on his final boards, and ends up on a train that just happens to be that of a traveling circus.

Jacob manages to make a place for himself on the circus detail and then the peaks and valleys of such a life begin, but he eventually becomes the official staff veterinarian, which allows him to infiltrate the privileged world of those on top of the circus. He falls in love with the woman of his dreams as well as the animals in his care - Rosie the elephant in particular.

Jacob makes many unlikely allies along the way. Perhaps my favorite is Walter (Kinko to most, Walter to only his friends). Walter's terrier Queenie is certainly my favorite silent character, along with Rosie. Queenie reminds me a lot of Zoe!

I read that Gruen did a great deal of research on circuses before writing this book and it shows. Again I say, great read. Highly recommended!