Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Jacob is at Cornell Vet school, his parents die in auto crash, fathers home and vet business taken by bank. Jacob in shock is not able to take final exams. Ends up jumping a Circus train, run by Evil Uncle Al and August. Jacob gets on as vet for circus, falls in love with Marlena, August's wife, and befriends Camel (becomes cripple from drinking Jake), and Walter ("Kinko" dwarf clown with Queenie the dog). Things turn bad and Camel and Walter are redlighted from train both die, next day there is a stampede August is killed by Roise, (the elephant) and Uncle Al is killed by those redlighted and others. Jacob, Marlena, Roise , Bobo (the monkey) and horses join Ringling Bros. Story told by 93 year old Jacob, who makes his way to circus in town where in lives in nursing home, ends up in the RV of circus manager, who takes Jacob away from Nursing home to join the circus for his remaining days.

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