Water for Elephants is a great book. It focuses on the life of Jacob Jankowski who loses his parents when they are killed in a car accident almost immediately before he finishes his veterinary education at Cornell. He finds out that his parents have lost everything they own to the depression, and after attempting to take his final exams and having a panic attack, he heads out to the train to find a new life.
He jumps on a circus train and spends the next three months traveling around the country with the Benzini Brothers Circus. His experiences her are surreal, gritty, sensual, scary and vibrant. I don't want to go into too many details because I don't want to spoil the plot for someone who hasn't read the book, but he does fall in love and that specific component must work its way out.
The story is told from Jacob's perspective both as an old man in his 90s and a young man in his 20s. I really liked the old Jacob. He is cranky, querelous and funny. He has his memory but it's not really sharp and his perspective on nursing home care are very astute and poignant.
Water for Elephants is very well written and has risen to the top of my "favorites" list. I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading other books by Sara Gruen.
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