The book tells the story of Jacob Jankowski, an old man in his 90′s in a nursery home. Jacob goes back in his memories to his early 20′s on the day of his final exam as a Cornell University veterinary student when he receives some horrible news and takes a life changing decision by leaving the University without taking his final exam. In his attempts to escape life and his new reality Jacob finds himself in a circus train, from there his life as a moving circus vet starts.
The major themes explored in this novel include circus life during the depression (Gruen did extensive research on the subject), the testing of a man’s moral compass, self worth, mental illnesses, acting on emotions, illusion vs. reality, and love triangles.
Simply an enjoyable read, a movie adoption of the book is released, however I highly recommend reading the book
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