Water for Elephants

Water for Elephants (2006) by Sara Gruen. Jacob Jankowski is 90 -- or 93, he can't remember exactly. He is living in a nursing home. But his memories, which make up most of the novel, are of the years he spent working in a circus. Most of the book is spent in flashbacks, as Jacob describes how he quit veterinary school when his parents died, and how he came to join the circus. It's a very well written book, poignant and dramatic, at times funny, and genuinely entertaining on all levels. As best I can tell, all the plot elements are resolved satisfactorily and the story has a (sort of) happy ending. The descriptions of circus life, mostly behind the scenes, are priceless (customers are referred to as "rubes"). Rosie the elephant is a major star of the book, and her secret (that she understands only Polish) is an important pivot point in the plot. Marlena, Jacob's love, performs in the circus but is married to another man. That situation is resolved neatly, as are the rest of the plot's tendrils. "Water for Elephants" is a very satisfying book to read and ponder. Grade: A