First, I have to admit that I didn't pick up this novel on my own; I honestly don't think that I would have been drawn to it by myself. I read it because it was my book club's selection for the month. Having said that, I will say that I really enjoyed this novel. There is a quote on the front of the novel by Parade and it says, "Gritty, sensual and charged with dark secrets involving love, murder and a majectic, mute heroine." This novel is so much more than that.

It is told in a series of flashbacks from Jacob, who is now living in a nursing home. The novel is essentially about his life on the road with a circus. The novel gives many glimpses into what life was like during the great depression. These scenes are not drawn out or dramatic, they are just small glimpses into the harsh realities of starvation, poverty, and dejection felt by people at the time. Because these scenes are randomly interspersed throughout the novel and not overly written, they are all the more effective in creating the harsh reality of hoplessness.

When reading about the horrific living conditions on the circus trains, and the horrible actions of the circus owner, we might question why Jacob would endure these hardships. But if you look at the circumstances and the lack of options for people at the time, these questions are somewhat answered. The reader should never forget that the backdrop on which this novel is set is the great depression; an era before unions were around to protect worker's rights, and an era in which hobo villages were an aspect of American life. I never knew about a circus performer's life, and can quite honestly say that I never wanted to learn about life in a circus, but this novel is interesting and informative; by following the lives of several key players in this circus, the reader is informed as well as entertained.

Parts of this novel are truly horrific and frightening. One of the main characters, August, is abusive to the animals that he is supposed to care for, and he creates a tension fraught atmosphere for those around him, as well as the reader. The term "redlighting" gives a whole new meaning to being "let go" from your job. This is a practice that was carried out when someone was being dismissed from the circus - instead of giving the person their back-pay and firing them, the owner keeps the back pay and they literally throw the employee from a moving train.

Because the story is told by a living protaganist from his nursing home, the reader knows that he is going to survive everything that gets thrown in his path. Some might like the suspense of not knowing whether Jacob lives or dies during his life in the circus; I liked the fact that I knew he survived. This afforded me the opportunity to read the suspensful parts more carefully; sometimes I plow through those scenes too quickly because I cannot wait to find out if the main character survives. By knowing that Jacob survives, it allowed me to experience the novel at a slower pace....like the pace of an elephant (sorry couldn't resist).

OVerall, I would recommend this novel to others, I truly enjoyed it. Happy Reading!