- Fiction, circus performers, depression era, historical
As a young man, Jacob Jankowski was tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. It was the early part of the great Depression, and for Jacob, now ninety, the circus world he remembers was both his salvation and a living hell. A veterinary student just shy of a degree, he was put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It was there that he met Marlena, the beautiful equestrian star married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. And he met Rosie, an untrainable elephant who was the great gray hope for this third-rate traveling show. The bond that grew among this unlikely trio was one of love and trust, and, ultimately, it was their only hope for survival.
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Character
Earnest, classical in form, grave and nostalgic.
- earnestironic
- classical in formformally daring
- gravecomic
- contemporarynostalgic
- effortlessdemanding
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About the book
- First published
- 2006
- Pages
- 355
- Publisher
- Hodder Paperback, Ten Points Publishing Co., Ltd, Thorndike Press
- Editions
- 36
- Language
- Chinese, English, Spanish, Korean
- ISBN
- 9788992524094
Where to read
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On Open Library, 70 have read it and 153 want to.
“Only three people were left under the red and white awning of the grease joint: Grady, me and the fry cook.”
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