Water+For+Elephants+by+Allison+K.

** Summary: ** In Water for Elephants, Jacob Jankowski is “…ninety. Or ninety-three. One or the other" (1), and living in a nursing home. Although he is living there along with many other elderly people, it seems that nobody has had a past more interesting that his. In the first quarter of the book, Jacob never lets being old affect him. He may not move around like he used to, but he can still remember what happened throughout his life time. When Jacob was in his late teens, both his mom and dad died in a car crash. Still in school at this time, Jacob leaves his everyday life during the most important test that will determine what college he will attend. This, leaving him lonely and abandoned. He packed a suitcase and ran away. While on his foreign journey, Jacob walks along a railroad and soon hears the sound of the train. Curious and with nothing left to loose, he jumps into a car. Inside, he notices men drinking under a light of a lantern. They question him on who is and why he choose to jump on. Soon after, they inform him that he is on a circus train: The Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show On Earth. Since Jacob is unemployed, he is offered a working job in the show. Hauling tent pieces and feeding the animals with the lowest class in the circus. Not being able to take a shower is a typical day for him. Every week, the train full of performers and rustabouts scurries along to their next stop, to perform the wonders of the circus. Since Jacob’s father was a professional veterinarian, he studied the same in school. Though he didn’t finish school due to the death of his parents, he is asked to take on the job with the animals, within the circus. He is roomed in a stock car with a shady, rude, and ignorant, 4-foot midget named Kinko, and his dog Queenie. Since Jacob is new to this world, he really doesn’t know how to fit in with everyone else. At the end of chapter 6, Jacob lands his first job with a performing horse, Silver Star; who is seriously injured. his owner Marlena, is a beautiful young woman who performs in the circus with her horses. She is marries to the Equestrian director August. When Jacob lands the job working with her horse, he falls for her right away. Nothing will stop him, not even her rude husband. ** Personal Feelings on the book so far: ** When i notices this book in the choices, it immediately stood out to me. the these is very unique. When i began the first chapter, I never want to put it down. It has a history of the 1930's which makes it relatable, since it's not a true story. Also, since I have never been to a circus, reading this book will show me what it was like to be there. Throughout the first portion of the book, some foreshadowing is making it seem as if something is going to happen later on in the book that will change everything. ** References: media type="youtube" key="7vZlycWHDSA" width="281" height="260" align="right" **
 * Pages 1-90**
 * **Circus culture:** exotic animals, food, people, costumes
 * **Sara Gruen:** has absolutely no historical background with the Circus
 * [|Great Depression]
 * During the 1930’s
 * Circus Horses
 * Pages 91-174**

Throughout this portion of the book, Jacob goes back and forth on memories about the circus. Jacob is working hard to maintain a solid job, surviving the circus. He’s now the veterinarian there, and does a really good job at finding cures for sick animals. Throughout his journey there, Jacob meets Marlena Rosenbluth, who’s a performer there. She is married to a high class animal instructor August, and Jacob can’t help but fall for her. Marlena is a beautiful young woman who performs with horses during the show. Her most prized horse is Silver Star. Jacob was put to the job when Silver star becomes very ill, and turns out that the horse won’t make it. Jacob then had to shoot Silver Star dead and out of his misery. This hurt Marlena, but it gave Jacob the chance to get close to her, and comfort her. Also, during this portion of the book, Jacob was invited to many high class parties, which involved long nights drinking, and hangovers following after. Though he is a roustabout and doesnt make much money, he seems to interest the high class because he is intelligent and fun. From town to town, the circus train makes its way around America. Uncle Al, the Ringmaster, stopped the train to inherit animals from another circus that was going out of business. The Benzini Brothers is given a “bull” or Elephant, named Rosie. Rosie is said to be a very stupid and lazy beast, but she seemed to prove everyone wrong. Jacob found out that by speaking Polish, Rosie understands immediately. When the circus hits Chicago, Rosie is the most famous and loved act. This makes Jacob, Marlena, August, and Uncle Al incredibly happy.
 * Summary: **

This book is getting a lot more interesting as I read along. the hcharacters all have different and interesting personalities. The way Marlena describes and fears August, tells me that he abuses her. The detail in the book is also great, I can imagine how and what is going on while I read. · Chicago in the 1930’s · [|The Prohibition] · Joliet, Illinios · Elephant Circus Acts · Origin of the [|Circus]
 * Personal Feelings: **
 * References: **


 * Pages 174-259 **

** Summary: ** In this section of the book, Jacob falls more in the love with Augusts wife, Marlena. Marlena is the director of the horses and to the newest edition to the circus, Rosie. Rosie is the only Elephant in the Benzini Brothers Circus and supposively knows nothing at all. Whenever Rosie does something wrong, August abuses her with the elephant hook, and it really hurts her. when they finally see how Rosie resonds, by speaking Polish, August became happy and stopped abusing Rosie. Though Jacob is too scared to stand up to August, he stills keeps a good eye on Rosie. What August doesn’t know, is that Marlena is falling in love with Jacob as well. During this time, Camel, a worker at the circus, becomes paralyzed from drinking Jamaica Ginger Extract, leaving him paralyzed. He must hide with Jacob in his car along with Walter, his bunkmate. If he is to be found in this condition, he will be thrown off the train, and so will Jacob and Walter. Camel spends his nights drinking to quench his boredom, and they hide him behind a trunk in the corner so that he is hidden completely. At the end of this quarter of the book, Marlena and Jacob try to surprise August about Rosie’s amazing work by throwing a party in Marlenas dressing tent. August noticed that Marlena and Jacob had been spending a lot of time together. When August walks in, he blows up on them and accuses Marlena on having an affair, but both Jacob and Marlena both know that he is wrong. August then pushes Marlena and Jacob jumps on August. They get in a big fight and both wind up with black eyes and blood all over. When Jacob finally goes back to his car in the train, Marlena comes in with a black eye, because August had beaten her. She then tells Jacob that she had left him completely and wants to be with him. During the story, it goes back to present time where Jacob Jankowski is a cranky old man who just wants to go see the circus, which is in town. Though he lives in a nursing home, his son was going to take him, but he was busy. This left Jacob feeling angry and disappointed, since this was the annual circus.

** Personal Feelings: ** In this part of the book, I feel as if something terrible is going to happen to Jacob, since Marlena left August for him, August will go after Jacob again. This could lead to a mystery. Reading the chapters where it goes to present time, I feel very bad for Jacob because he is very old and can’t do much. He has nobody to talk to but the nurses, and his own family wont come to visit him. I also feel very sad when I found out that August abuses Rosie. ** References: ** Jake leg [|Physical Abuse] [|Elephants Abuse] Equestrian Acts Elephant Hook


 * Pages 259-335**

** Summary: ** In this portion of the book, Marlena has an affair with Jacob and nobody knows about it. Though August clearly beat up Marlena, Uncle Al the ringmaster is trying to get August and her to get back together. Though Uncle Al assigned Jacob to get Marlena and August back together, Jacob doesn’t budge. He and Marlena will go to odds ends to be with each other, even if it involves leaving the circus. After Jacob has had enough with August, he attempts to murder him in the middle of the night. When Jacob get’s to Augusts’ sleeping car, he decides he shouldn’t. When Jacob returns to his car, both Walter and Camel aren’t there. Since Jacob and Walter hid camel in their room, the two were thrown off the moving train and died. Luckily, Jacob wasn’t present when the men came, otherwise he would have been gone too. Now Jacob is on the run from the toughest men in the circus who are after him, this causing him to keep his eyes peeled. Also, he must keep stopping August from going near Marlena, though its not his job. To add to problems, Marlena finds out she is pregnant, which must be kept a secret. The next show appears, and all the animals are accidently let loose, nobody knows how. Giraffes, tigers, polar bears, lions, panthers, monkeys, yaks and many others are going crazy, stampeding threw the crowd of circus goers. During this, Jacob is frantically searching for Marlena, hoping she’s safe. Thankfully, Rosie the elephant is standing over Marlena, protecting her from dangers way. When Rosie notices August, her deep hatred for him adds up due to him abusing her. For revenge, Rosie grabs a stake from the ground and stabs August dead. Days after, the Nesci Brothers Circus and police arrive at the scene. Since their was a murder and many animals gone missing, the Nesci Brothers inherited all the animals. When they try taking Rosie and Marlena’s dear horses, both Jacob and her refuse to let them, so they are kept. Soon after, the two move to Illinois and get married. They have their first child together, Simon. Along comes two other children. The couple works for the Wringling Brother Circus together. After that, Jacob goes back to school to become a legal veterinarian and works at the Brookfield Zoo. When the book locates back to present day, Jacob’s son Simon forgot to take him to the annual circus. So, he walks his 93 year old body there himself. When he arrives, a young man yells at him telling him he isn’t to get in without the admission of 20 dollars. When Jacob realizes he didn’t bring any money, the manager of the show arrives, Charlie. He lets him in free, and Jacob tells him how he once worked for the circus, and how he was their for the biggest stampede in Circus history. This leads to Charlie taking Jacob back to his home to talk to him about his past. The two talk for a while, and then the police come. Wondering where Jacob could be, they ask the two men many questions, but Charlie hides the fact that the old man is Jacob. When the police man finally leaves, Charlie gives Jacob the job as working at the Circus. Jacob is completely thrilled.

** Personal Feelings: ** In this section if the book, there is definitely a lot of drama going on and it makes the book more suspenseful. Overall, this has been one of the best books I’ve ever read. It had a very fun and unique theme. The characters had a lot of different vibes and personalities. I was also very glad that Jacob and Marlena were able to get married, and grow old together. It also made me happy that Jacob got to work for the circus again. He was very sad in the nursing home, but he tells the reader about the circus “for this old man//, this// is home” (335).

References:
 * Chicago, Illinios
 * Brookfield Zoo
 * Nystagmus
 * Formica Table
 * Nesci Brothers Circus