Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen

This is one more of those very rare books I've read in which I was sorry to come to the end! It was funny, poignant, riveting and inspired anger against bullies and crooks. It had all the elements a book lover would want: mystery, action, adventure, horror, love ... and animals.

Jacob Jankowski is the narrator, telling his story at two critical points in his life: at age 90--or is it 93?--and at 23. When he is 23, he is within days of graduating with a degree in veterinary medicine and joining his father in practice. His world is shattered when his parents are suddenly and tragically killed in a car accident. It is around 1930 and his parents were penniless because of the Depression. Jacob is too grief stricken to concentrate on his studies and with no where else to go, he decides to jump a freight train.

But it's not a freight train...it's a circus train, belonging to the Benzini Brothers' Marvelous Travelling Show (or something like that). The ring master and owner is not a Benzini but an unscrupulous and ruthless fat man named Uncle Al. Jacob is befriended and protected by a circus worker named Camel, who finds him employment and shelter.

Camel warns Jacob about an especially vicious roustabout named Blackie and the cruel practice of "red lighting"--which is throwing someone from a train, usually to avoid paying them their salary. Jacob begins working for the man in charge of the animals, a seemingly charming man named August who is married to the lovely and very talented Marlena. August has a secret, though--he is a jealous man given to violent and unpredictable moods. He reminded me of the character Klaus from The Greatest Show on Earth.

Uncle Al abandons one city for another in attempt to snap up what's left of a defunct circus for a cheap price. It's there he buys a very special elephant named Rosie.

There is love and there is a murder. Who is murdered and who did it? Read and find out! It's a great book!