Water for Elephants

By Sara Gruen

Categories: Literature & Fiction

Water for Elephants is a 2006 novel by Sara Gruen that became a number one New York Times bestseller. It was adapted into a 2011 film starring Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon. In 1931, after his parents die, veterinary student Jacob Jankowski jumps onto a train belonging to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth, a second-rate traveling circus. He becomes its vet, falls in love with Marlena, a performer married to the cruel animal trainer, and bonds with an elephant named Rosie.

Recommended by 1 person

• Stephen King: “For pure story, this colorful, headlong tale of a Depression-era circus simply can’t be beat. Heroes, villains, romance, a wild-animal stampede! Big fun from page 1.”