Sara Gruen, Water for Elephants
This week I spoke with Sara Gruen about Water for Elephants, her terrific third novel about life in a traveling circus during the desperate grips of the Great Depression.
Jacob Jankowsi, a runaway veterinary student finds himself on a circus train – cars and cars of animals, performers and roustabouts that travel from town to town - working for the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. While tending to the animals - Jacob befriends a well read dwarf, adopts a rogue elephant, falls in love with the star of the equestrian act, and goes head to head with the show’s sadistic animal trainer. Part rip roaring adventure yarn, mixed with large dollops of love story, and a red hot social commentary, Water for Elephants is a rollicking train ride through history and a heart breaking novel of extraordinary warmth.
Enjoy!
Cathi
Download/Listen [MP3]
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Buy Water for Elephants: Amazon.ca | Chapters/Indigo
August 3rd, 2006 at 7:09 am
another great show, well done.
August 3rd, 2006 at 7:53 am
Cathy, It is neat to see this part of yourself.
What soothing pillow-talk voice you have in this series.
Thanks for another wicked podcast.
August 3rd, 2006 at 8:33 am
It seems like a really good book… this interview filled my head with burnt orange and brown colours.
August 4th, 2006 at 11:39 am
Thanks guys! Interesing about the colour comment Meaghan. It some ways that’s true. Maybe that’s because that was the colour scheme of the front cover :-), but since one of the voices is that of an old man, there is an autumnal hue that permeates the book.
If you get a chance you should read it. It’s amazing how much we don’t know about that period of history. When I was prepping my questions for Sara I thought for sure there was something *else* going on in terms of the class structure in the circus. The extremes between haves and have nots. But Sara said that’s exactly how it was back then.
Some of the stuff was really horrifying. Especially the redlighting. But there was also a great deal of content that revealed a world so much gentler and kinder than we are today.
August 8th, 2006 at 8:56 am
Fabulous review, got have me rushing out to get the book. You have a way of hitting all the fine points of the book, leaving the listener,craving for more.
Love your interaction with the writer, keen questions, and yes, yes, your unforgetable voice wraps this package up with the most beautiful bow.
Nothing less than the very best Cathi!