From the Bookshelf of 100+ Books in 2025…
Find A Copy At
Group Discussions About This Book
No group discussions for this book yet.
What Members Thought
Read this for Accra Book Club gathering in March. My sister had recommended it, and I bought it quite a while ago. Enjoyed it, and liked the portrayal of the main character in his old age, stuck in a nursing home, but still wanting to be on the road!
...more
I LOVED THIS BOOK! I didnt think it was going to be something i'd enjoy since i thought i didnt like books that took place before the 1980s (how wrong i am!) but my ma told me id like it. it is a great love stry about the circus, an aging man and his life on the raod. the first part of the book wasnt so interesting, but i totally got into it once he explained how he became a part of the circus- this story has love, murder, animals, dwarfs, everything you can think of. loved it!!!
...more
What an awesome book! Makes me want to pick up one of the books the author noted in her notes section about the history of the American Circus. I don't usually like books that take place during the Great Depression (too depressing), but this was such a great story. Plus, I like animals and this gave some cool insights into certain animals' behaviors.
Has Gruen written anything else good? ...more
Has Gruen written anything else good? ...more
This book was amazing, I could smell the greasepaint and hear the roar of the crowd. Rosie the elephant was endearing. All the characters were three dimensional and well drawn out. Preferred the younger protagonist's
version's story as compared the nonagenerian's. Maybe there is another book explaining the years jacob raised his family. ...more
version's story as compared the nonagenerian's. Maybe there is another book explaining the years jacob raised his family. ...more
It didn't take long. It was a decent diversion, but this is not a great book. Don't believe the hype. Implausibility piles up like waves and you will grit your teeth thinking "no, this is original; this is cool." Like I said, it won't take but a couple hours to read and you will be mildly entertained, but this is not a great book.
...more
I’m not really sure what to say about “about this book. It's a charming and entertaining book. It was well written, researched. but it's not a very rememberable story. It's not a book that I would re-read.
...more
I loved this book. Set amidst a traveling circus in the 1930s, it's got it all: romance, intrigue, adventure, despair, joy.
Read it. I don't think you'll regret it. ...more
Read it. I don't think you'll regret it. ...more
unfortunately I've seen the movie 1st, so knew what to expect in terms of the book....enjoyed the book much more than the movie!!
...more
I enjoyed the circus history in the book and then it just turned into another love story.
The animal cruelty made my skin crawl and I didn't ever really like the characters.
...more
I really enjoyed this audio book
I didn't get it.
...more
May 25, 2008
Juliezs
marked it as to-read
May 28, 2008
Katie
marked it as to-read
Apr 14, 2009
Candace Fox
marked it as to-read
