Water for Elephants

Bathed in nostalgia and laced with a forlorn yearning for the simplicity of a bygone era, Water for Elephants offers the reader an indulgent escape into the intriguing world of a travelling circus during the Great Depression. The magic of the circus, with its cornucopia of sights, sounds and scents, seamlessly weaves itself through the love story that blossoms under the expansive night sky.

Jacob Jankowski, the novel’s central character, is an elderly man in his nineties who reflects back on his youth. A sudden tragedy finds a young Jacob, then a veterinary student, almost anointed by destiny as he finds himself aboard a circus train belonging to The Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. The train is a place of wonder, with its crew of performers, animals, and outcasts; it is here that the young Jacob’s life takes a dramatic turn more like the leading characters of At the Water’s Edge or Flying Changes.

Rosie, an endearing elephant, is a character that is impossible not to love. She becomes an inadvertent catalyst and companion to Jacob as they both struggle to find their place in the circus. Marlena, the star of the equestrian act, is another enigmatic character with whom Jacob inevitably becomes smitten. Her grace and beauty mask a troubled life dominated by her mercurial husband, August. As the head animal trainer, August’s interactions with Rosie and Jacob weave a tense thread through the story, leaving the reader teetering on the precipice of hope and despair.

The novel’s characters are vivid and well-drawn, with a host of supporting roles that add depth and color to the backdrop of the circus. Characters like Walter, the surly dwarf, and Camel, an old man who befriends Jacob, build the rich atmosphere of camaraderie, rivalry, and the struggle for survival in the harsh reality of circus life.

As the story pirouettes through passion, friendship, adversity, and triumphs, the elderly Jacob’s memories paint a rich tableau of a life filled with love and loss. This mesmerizing tale is narrated by David LeDoux and John Randolph Jones, who adeptly maneuver through the contrasting worlds of Jacob’s youth and old age. Their mellifluous voices and enthralling storytelling abilities expertly guide the listener through the labyrinthine plot with skill and emotion.

Sara Gruen, the author of Water for Elephants, has conjured a beguiling world that ensnares the reader in the golden age of the travelling circus. Through love, sorrow, and the unyielding spirit of man and beast, this audiobook is an elegy to the indomitable human spirit that perseveres even when the lights of the Big Top have dimmed and the sounds of the crowd have faded into silence.