by Sara Gruen
First published 2006
As a young veterinary student, Jacob Jankowski is tossed by fate onto a rickety circus train during the Great Depression. Charged with caring for the menagerie, he meets Marlena, the beautiful equestrian star, and Rosie, an untrainable elephant. Their unlikely bond becomes a lifeline as they navigate the circus's twisted underbelly. A story of love and survival against all odds, where the greatest animals are the human ones.
Genres: drama, romance, literary-fiction, historical-fiction
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, intimate
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: United States
Period: 1929, 1932, 1933-1945
350 pages · Paperback · Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill