Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Author: Sara Gruen
Publish Date: April 9,2006
Website: http://www.saragruen.com 
ISBN: 9781565125605
List Price: $13.95
My Rating: 3 out of 5

A cute story of the life of Jacob Jankowski. A very vivid story about the trials of Jacob's life. It begins with him as an old man, 93 to be exact, and how he is worried that he is losing touch with reality and becoming one of those senile folks he sees in his assisted living home. Each chapter bounces him from the present, age 93, to his youth at 23...where we begin his life story at college and events that take him to be a circus vet. There he happens upon the love of his life but knows it can...more A cute story of the life of Jacob Jankowski. A very vivid story about the trials of Jacob's life as a unplanned circus vet during the 1930's depression era. It begins with him as an old man, 93 to be exact, and how he is worried that he is losing touch with reality and becoming one of those senile folks he sees in his assisted living home. Jacob is sharp as a tack though and completely aware of what he still wants out of life. Each chapter bounces him from the present, age 93, to his youth at 23...where we begin his life story at college and the terrible events that catapult him to a rocky adventure with a circus at the beginning of the depression era. 

In the beginning, we learn that Jacob has lost his parents to a terrible car accident and left him penniless as the depression begins to unfold over America. Jacob leaves college and wonders aimlessly until he happens upon a moving circus train that provides an escape from loneliness and loss. Jacob joins the circus because he has no where else to go. 

Jacob meets Marlena and August after he has stowed away on the circus train of the Benzini Brother's Circus. Marlena is the star of the show with her equestrian act and August is a circus boss. She has a natural talent of speaking to the animals and the charisma of an angel. Jacob falls for Marlena even though she married a man, August, to escape her family to a new life on her own terms, or so she thought. August isn't what he appears and is a feared character in this story. August has violent tendencies toward people and animals. He can't be trusted. 

The circus is a third rate circus which doesn't bode well for anyone. "Red lighting" (being thrown from a speeding train) occurs often to keep the circus "profitable" and paychecks are usually hard to come by. As they struggle to keep the circus together, they happen upon an elephant, by the name of Rosie, who needs employment. It's soon believed that Rosie has no talent and was a worthless purchase, but Jacob observes that Rosie is trained ... in Polish which may lead to an amazing act. However, tragically Marlena is injured and we endure the wrath of August as he shows his anger towards Rosie. 

I thought the story was entertaining, had a great twist in the plot, and an unexpected ending. The author's able to paint a pretty vivid picture of this "menagerie," but in the end I felt the love story could have been better established. I just didn't feel the strong love connection between the characters that I expected. It just didn't tug at the heart-strings. They are currently bringing this book to the big screen, so it will be interesting to see how it translates to the movie screen.

The Many Deaths of the Firefly Brothers by Thomas Mullen

Author:  Thomas Mullen
Publish Date: January 26, 2010
Website: http://www.thomasmullen.net
ISBN: 9781400067534
List Price: $26.00
My Rating: 4 out of 5

Trailer: Firefly Brothers Trailer

I thought this was an intriguing read about mobsters in the '30s Depression era. It is a story about fictional mobsters known as the Firefly Brothers, Jason and Whit Fireson, who defy the law of "death." They are fairly well known criminals and adored by the public for their heroic deeds of tearing up past due debts of destitute Americans when robbing banks. Unfortunately, they are caught in a wild shoot out and killed, we think! Once I started this read, I could not turn the pages fast enough.

The story starts in 1934 and is action packed with robberies, shootouts, kidnappings, close calls, and wild adventures of being on the run. The Depression is looming and America glorifies mobster figures. When the brothers are caught in a fire fight and are killed, for the first time, the media is on a race to cover the story. As other mobsters like Dillinger and Pretty Boy Floyd are becoming "Public Enemies." The FBI is making mobsters priority #1. After the media gets a look at the bodies of the Firefly Brothers and publishes their demise, somehow they disappear from the morgue without a trace until reports of appearances crop up about the Firefly Brothers showing up in banks and speakeasies again.

The brothers cannot explain how they are still alive and law enforcement cannot explain why and where they are either, so the brothers are on the run. The FBI attempts to cover up the public blunder while searching for them and explain the growing mystery now surrounding the brothers. The brother's fear their new found apparent invincibility, but as old habits and family obligations emerge they can't help but make new plans for bank robberies.

The story gives the reader a great fictional but historical view of the Depression and the impact it had on the American worker, creating Hoovervilles, and the family strife the Fireson's endured.  The author also intertwines the FBI's true misgivings of the time into the Firefly Brothers's story along with references to real mobsters of the day (Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson, Pretty Boy Floyd, etc.). The reader not only follows the escapades of the Firefly Brothers, but how their family members and sweethearts are effected throughout the story. The story weaves in the concurrent stories of the assigned agent to the Fireson's Investigation Team and even J. Edger Hoover.

Mr. Mullen's writing style is thrilling and intriguing. He keeps the reader completely engaged while sustaining the mystery and action throughout the story. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in '30's Mobster era or even just an action packed, suspenseful read.