Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Book Club Night


I enjoyed discussing Water for Elephants with the book club. 

It is so interesting to hear the different points of view from eight other ladies. Although we don't always agree, the conversation is lively and thought-provoking. I enjoyed hearing about one lady's brother who had actually run away with the circus in the early 1950s. And a few of us shared nursing home stories.

I would not have picked up this book, but I am glad I read it. 

Set during the early years of the Depression, the book traces the circus experience of Jacob Jankowski, a Polish-American veterinary student who runs away after the tragic death of his parents. 

There is also a second narrative--Jacob's present situation as a patient in an old age home. 

The author, Sara Greuen, skillfully weaves together the tragic and romantic aspects of Jacob's life in a fast-paced novel that gives the reader a shocking, but realistic, picture of the early days of American circuses.

A great read.

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