With a showman's expert timing, saves a terrific revelation for the final pages, transforming a glimpse of Americana into an enchanting escapist fairy tale.'- New York Times Book Review Black-and-white photographs of real American circus scenes from the first half of the century are interspersed throughout the novel, and they brilliantly evoke the dignified power contained in the quieter moments of this unusual brotherhood. At its finest, Water for Elephants resembles stealth hits like 'The Giant's House,' by Elizabeth McCracken, or 'The Lovely Bones,' by Alice Sebold, books that combine outrageously whimsical premises with crowd-pleasing romanticism. The bond that grew among this group of misfits was one of love and trust, and ultimately, it was their only hope for survival. And he met Rosie, an untrainable elephant who was the great hope for this third-rate traveling show.

There he met Marlena, the beautiful equestrian star married to August, the charismatic but brutal animal trainer. It was the Great Depression and for Jacob the circus was both his salvation and a living hell. A veterinary student just shy of a degree, he was put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. Jacob Janowski’s luck had run out-orphaned and penniless, he had no direction until he landed on a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth.

Over 10,000,000 copies in print worldwideĪ Major Motion Picture starring Reese Witherspoon, Robert Pattinson, and Christoph Waltz

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