I just finished. (The audiobook, not the cleaning - gotta go finish that in a moment.)

I really loved this book. Loved that Jacob ran off with the circus again and came full circle (as Pauline also said). I love that Charlie was so interested in his story and was willing to give him a chance and help the older Jacob regain some control of his life. The nursing home left so little opportunity for independence and control of his life. And, with Rosemary leaving, it was just going to get worse since she was the only one who gave him a bit more freedom and real food and respected his desires. I wonder how his family would react to getting postcards from various stops on the circus tour. I assume they'll be happy that he's happy as long as he is safe and hopefully Charlie and the people on his show will look out for Jacob. Clearly, conditions on the show in present times have to be better than they were in 1931.

I loved that Jacob claimed Rosie and Marlena claimed her horses and they both claimed Bobo because they loved them and couldn't let them end up being abused in a different show. I loved that most of the guys who were red-lighted survived (except Camel and Walter - that really broke my heart) and then came back to get their revenge against Uncle Al. I loved that Rosie was the one who killed August because certainly I thought he was talking about Marlena when I first read the section at the beginning and was surprised by which "she" it was at the end. She was really smart and despite August being nicer to her at times when she was doing what he wanted, she knew he'd been mean to her and to Marlena and Jacob. I loved that she could so calmly pull her stake out and then put it back in the ground, so clearly it was never holding her.

I loved that they were able to get a job at Ringling at the end and then when they decided to settle down somewhere, they were able to find a zoo that needed a vet and was thrilled to have an elephant. And, that they got a house in the country to keep all the horses and Bobo with them there. And, that Bobo got in more trouble than the kids, including with the police.

I still wonder what had happened with Camel and his family and what would have happened had they gotten to Providence. It doesn't sound like he or his son would have been happy had he gone to live with them. Oh, and Blackie was in the car with Camel at the beginning with Jacob jumped on, right? (and Grady and maybe Diamond Jim? Or Bill?) I couldn't believe that Blackie would have thrown Camel off since they seemed to be friends, but maybe he let others do that? Though I would have expected the lead guy, Blackie, to be involved in trying to get rid of Jacob which was presumably the goal. I wonder whether the knife would have made any difference for Walter, if Jacob hadn't taken it. I'm really glad that Earl wasn't involved in any of that. I wonder what happened to Barbara when the Benzini Brothers show fell apart. I assume she could have found another place, but she wasn't mentioned in the chaos at the end, that I recall.

OK. Those were all the random thoughts I have for now, and the kitchen is calling.

Just a couple more thoughts from this morning (had to get up early to get my son to the school for a trip and now I can't get back to sleep, even though this is early for me during the summer):

- Marlena calls Ringling at the end and says they have a really good elephant act. Does that mean that Jacob would be planning to go into the ring with her and Rosie, since someone who knows the Polish commands has to tell Rosie what to do? I guess he'd have to at least for their "audition" and then he could teach someone else like he taught August.

- I love that old Jacob talks about Rosemary as a young woman and then we find out that she has been married for a lot of years and is a grandmother. In his 90s, I guess most people look pretty young to Jacob.

I honestly didn't think I would like this book. I only read it because it was coming out as a movie starring Robert Pattinson. I loved the book although sometimes I think I "read it with my eyes closed" because some of the parts were so horrible and cruel. I thought the author was just magical the way she was able to transport the reader back to the 1920s circus. It was so real to me. The present-day parts with older Jacob were difficult to read. So sad. My heart was absolutely breaking and I couldn't see how she could possibly give it a good ending.
I had trouble believing that young Jacob would not have gone back to the vet school after the funeral. I know he felt that he wouldn't be allowed to take the exam but I think he would have at least asked.
Some of Sara Gruen's elephant research was done at the Kansas City Zoo. I'll never be able to visit there again without thinking of Rosie.
Saw in the news this week that an elephant is helping with the tornado cleanup in Joplin, Missouri curtesy of a circus that is in town.

I absoultely adored this book. In fact I read it twice in 1 month. I think someday it will be listed as one of the classics of American Literature. Unfortunately I did not enjoy the movie. I knew I should have waited for the movie to come out before I read the book but I heard such good things I couldn't wait. At least there was some good eye candy.