Water for Elephants

By Sara Gruen
Published by Two Roads
£7.99 ISBN 978-1-444-71600-9
Reviewed by Dianne Blashill

When a fatal accident leaves Jacob Jankowski without a family, a home, and money and unable to sit his final exams to become a vet he hitches a ride on a freight train not caring where it takes him. He wakes to find he has joined the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show On Earth.

The circus is headed by Uncle Al, a cruel and manipulative boss whose sole purpose in life is to have a better show than his arch rivals The Ringlings, no matter what the coast may be –even human life. He is at first unwilling to take Jacob until he realises The Ringlings don’t have a vet.

Jacob immediately makes friends and enemies, meets the performers, the freaks and the workers and falls in love with the beautiful Marlena, star of the show who is married to the psychotic equestrian director, August.

When the show takes on Rosie the elephant, a casualty of a failed circus August is given the task of training her so that Marlena can perform with her. August is cruel to Rosie and when Jacob bonds with the elephant Augusts’ jealousy deepens.

The story is told by Jacob who is looking back on his life as he ends his days in a nursing home, neglected by his family and intolerant of the staff and other residents. It is a fast paced and exciting story with all the thrills of the circus but the true heroine is Rosie.

This book has spent years on the New York Times best seller list and has now been made into a film.

If you enjoyed this try Rosie Is My Relative by Laurence Durrell

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