Water For Elephants

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen tells the delightful story of an old man, Jacob Jankowski, who from his bed in a nursing home describes life in a travelling circus when he was a young man in Post-Depression America.

Jacob Jankowski describes how his parents died suddenly in an accident just before he was due to graduate from veterinary college, and, finding himself penniless, he failed to write a single word in his exam, walking out instead and joining a visiting travelling circus on the spur of the moment.

Carefully researched with attention to detail, Sarah Gruen describes in detail what life was like in those days, especially for the animals which were badly treated and underfed.

Life on the road was exciting and sad and downright fascinating the way Sarah Gruen has successfully managed to write a romantic page turner while at the same time teach us so much about a part of history we might mever even have thought of.

Highly recommended reading.

Water for Elephants is also out as a movie