Water for Elephants ~ Sara Gruen

This is a best seller I would never have picked for myself but a friend sent it to me for my birthday. Four months later I finally read it.

I must say I enjoyed it. It's well written, a story within a story of a man, Jacob, but most interesting is the time and place - a depression era Circus. The author spent a great deal of time researching the big circus trains of the day and it pays off in the excellent detailed accounts of the circus life she describes. She includes many real life characters and events from that time in her fictionalized tale.

It's a quick read and for the most part a page turner. I give it my stamp of approval.

Circus stories are cool. I may have to pick this up.

See, I don't even care for the circus but enjoyed the book. While I don't like PETA as an organization I do feel bad for all performing animals. And displaying human beings as 'freaks' just chills me. But this was during the depression - desperate times for most people.

The author says in a Q&A at the end of the book she, like most people, thought most hobos were middle aged or older men - but over 80% were under age 21. They were kids.