Gruen, Sara. Water For Elephants. New York : Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill , 2006. Print.
Annotation:
Faced with the sudden death of his parents, college student Jacob, returns home to find that he has nothing left, no family and no home. Not knowing how to move forward, Jacob unknowingly jumps aboard a circus train in the middle of the night thus beginning a life far different from the one he had envisioned for himself.
Justification for Nomination:
This is an intriguing dualistic story of identity told from two perspectives: one from the perspective of Jacob as a young man trying to navigate through the traumatic experience of the loss of his parents with no where to turn and the other also through the perspective of Jacob but this time as a man who has lived life and has no idea what to do with himself now that he is 90 or is it 93?
This book encompasses the question of “Who am I” on two very different levels. One level trying to find out who he is as he journeys through life as a young man trying to fulfill his responsibilities as an adult that can no longer can rely on his parents. The other is trying to find out who he is now that he is older, and in fact, can’t even remember how old he actually is and no longer has his independence.
Gruen does an outstanding job keeping this story a page turner and allows the reader the opportunity to glimpse a life from two perspectives. The research she put into this book is evident and truly makes you feel apart of a time that no longer can be personally experienced. She also incorporates wonderful real pictures of circus life that really bring added depth and realism to the story she is telling.
Genre Catalog: Alex Award Winner, Coming of Age, Realistic Novel, Historical Fiction, Romance
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