| Product Summary | | Format: Hardcover | | ISBN: 9781565124998 | | Publisher: Workman Pub Co | | Publish Date: 5/26/2006 | | Buy.com Sku: 31303681 | | Item#: R4SGP4 | | Buy.com Sales Rank: 72407 | | Dimensions (in Inches) 9.5H x 6.75L x 1.25T | | Pages: 352 |
|
|
|
| | | From the Publisher:
An atmospheric, gritty, and compelling novel of star-crossed lovers, set in the circus world circa 1932, by the bestselling author of Riding Lessons.
When Jacob Jankowski, recently orphaned and suddenly adrift, jumps onto a passing train, he enters a world of freaks, grifters, and misfits, a second-rate circus struggling to survive during the Great Depression, making one-night stands in town after endless town. A veterinary student who almost earned his degree, Jacob is put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It is there that he meets Marlena, the beautiful young star of the equestrian act, who is married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. He also meets Rosie, an elephant who seems untrainable until he discovers a way to reach her.
Beautifully written, Water for Elephants is illuminated by a wonderful sense of time and place. It tells a story of a love between two people that overcomes incredible odds in a world in which even love is a luxury that few can afford.
Annotation:
Jacob Jankowski, 90 years old and living in a nursing home, tells how, orphaned and penniless during the Great Depression, he became an animal trainer in a circus. In his days with the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth, he falls in love with the beautiful performer Marlena--and also with the delightful Rosie the elephant.
| Praise| "Gruen skillfully humanizes the midgets, drunks, rubes and freaks who populate her book." 5/26/2006 "For pure story, this colorful, headlong tale of Depression-era circus simply can't be beat. Heroes, villains, romance, a wild-animal stampede! Big fun from page 1." - Stephen King 12/28/2007 |
| |
|
|
Essentials
__USERID__
http://www.buy.com/prod/water-for-elephants/q/loc/106/31303681.html
| Customer Reviews | ![]() | | Writing |  5 | | Content | 5 | | Readability | 5 | | Overall Satisfaction | 5 |
| |
5 of 5 The reason to read books - period. Friday, October 13, 2006
T. Paul from Zanesville, Ohio
I loved this book. I loved the subject, the characters, the time period, and even the ending. She would make my journalism professor proud - "No wasted words." Was this review helpful?  
5 of 5 What a story! Thursday, August 31, 2006
Tom from San Bruno, CA
I got this book as an Audible.com "book on tape" and the book/story itself is wonderful. I keep listening after arriving where I'm driving it is so good. And the audible version adds different voices, well acted, for Jacob at 90 vs Jacob at 23. Well worth your time. Was this review helpful?
5 of 5 This book is a treat! Monday, August 07, 2006
DMS from Hackensack, NJ
Every once in awhile I find that a book has me so involved with the characters that I'm unhappy when the book ends. That was the case for me with "Water for Elephants". A story that could have been depressing was handled in a way so as to be a wonderful story of caring, survival, strength and resilience. I was preparing myself to be upset with the ending, and instead found it to be exciting and triumphant. Thank you, Sara Gruen! Was this review helpful?
|
|
|
|
 |
