Book #18: Water for Elephants-Sara Gruen

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I bought this book back in June en route to one of the weddings I was in.

I started to read it before we moved, I set it down.

We started the move and I packed it in my book bag.

I read "A Place Called Blessing" while we moved.

Finally about a week ago I picked this book back up.

I found this story to be extremely intriguing as well as inviting.
A bit raunchy in parts, something I wasn't prepared for, but an enjoyable read none the less.
The way that Gruen writes invites you into the characters and helps you to see them clearly.
I have yet to see the movie but knowing that Reese Witherspoon & Robert Pattinson were cast as the main characters in no way affected my personal images as Sara Gruen described them.
Being that I know nothing about the inner workings of a circus the story seemed more than believable and enticed me fully with it's whimsical charm and harsh reality of the life of carnies.
We take a journey with the main character, Jacob, as he appears to have a life full of normalcy pulled out from under him.  His rock bottom landing sends him into a whirlwind of emotion causing him to do what many of us only threatened to do as young children.
Run off and join the circus.
Although it is clear that it was never his intention to purposefully join the circus the crash landing seems fate and the overall outcome provides him with a life fully lived!
This is a tale of loss, of love, of growing, and of learning.
I would recommend this book to my friends as a fun summer read for sure.
Now I just need to get my copy of the movie via Netflix so I can see how it compares!

I hope you all had a Blessed Saturday!