25. Water for Elephants

Book 25: Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (A)

What a beautiful, romantic story filled with vivid detail, crazy action, laughs, and a plot you fall in love with.
When Morgan and I went to see the recently released movie starring Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon, I was in tears at the end. The movie was fantastic, and I knew I had to read the book! It wasn't an disappointment.

Jacob and Rosie

Jacob Jankowski looks back on his life as he daydreams in his nursing home to the most exciting part of his life: working for the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth circus. After the unexpected death of his Polish parents, Jacob leaves Cornell on the day of his final exams and wanders down to the railroad where he hops on the train of the traveling circus. What he doesn't realize is that he joins the show during its final year, the year that made it famous for all the wrong reasons!
Jacob becomes the circus vet and bull man when Benzini Brothers pick up Rosie, the at-first-glance stupid elephant. Jacob is the key to bringing money back to the circus when he discovers that Rosie isn't stupid; she only understands Polish! Scandals arise as men continuously disappear from town to town from being "redlighted" or thrown off the train, and Jacob falls in love with the wife of a dangerous man. From town to town, the circus arrives to bring joy to families suffering from The Great Depression. But back stage, the circus is dark, scandalous, and dangerous!
What a read! Readers fall in love with Jacob, the love of his life Marlena, the performing midget with a bad attitude Walter/Kinko and his Jack Russel, and the sweetest Polish elephant in the world Rosie. It is a brilliant summer read, over 400 pages of having a day at the circus with popcorn, cotton candy, wild animals, and outrageous tricks!
If you don't want to ruin the movie for yourself, I suggest seeing the movie first then reading the book. The book's prologue practically tells the end of the story and what happens to one of the major characters. See the movie first for the surprise ending then read the story to get all the details the 2-hour movie had to leave out!