Book Review: Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

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The year is 1931. The Great Depression is in full swing. Jacob Jankowski is twenty-three and finishing up his last semester at Cornell Veterinary School when the tragedy strikes: both of his parents are killed in an automobile accident and on top of that he loses the family house because his parents had mortgaged it to pay for his tuition. Left without anyone and anything, he fails to take his final exam and simply wanders off. As fate would have it, he winds up on a rickety train that is home to the Flying Squadron of the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth -- a second rate traveling circus.

Second rate or not, a circus is still a circus and there are always animals in need of professional veterinary care, so Jacob is hired to tend to the outfit's menagerie. His very first task is to examine a lame horse -- and that's how he meets Marlena, the beautiful equestrian star. To say that Jacob is enchanted by Marlena would be a gross understatement, but any thoughts of romantic nature he might be entertaining are squashed right off: she is married, and not to just anyone; her husband August is the animal trainer -- pardon, equestrian director and superintendent of animals -- essentially the circus' number two man.

August is all charm and friendliness on the surface, however, as Jacob finds out soon enough, he is also prone to unpredictable lapses into madness which inevitably end up in outbursts of violence directed against anything that happens to stand in his path. Be that animals, his subordinates, or his own wife. Jacob finds himself at the receiving end of it on more than one occasion himself as he tries to protect the animals from abuse -- especially when it comes to Rosie.

Rosie, a fifty-three-year-old elephant, is the latest addition to the circus' menagerie and everyone is pinning their hopes on her and this new act that is supposed to lift the show to new heights, to bring in the crowds. But even though Rosie is said to be properly trained, August is not able to do anything with her. She doesn't seem to understand even the simplest commands, which unavoidably sends the animal trainer into a fit of rage as he lets her experience the end of his cane, declaring her stupid.

But Jacob is not so sure about that. In fact, observing the elephant when not under duress, he has noticed signs of superb intelligence. He knows Rosie can deliver. He knows there has to be a reason why she isn't performing. And he has to find out what it is before the mad man kills her in one of his bouts of fury.

At the same time he needs to be very careful. His growing affection for Marlena seems not to be a one way affair after all, and, while August may be crazy, he is certainly not blind...

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The Winter War by Jason Garrett Will Take You on a Journey of Good Versus Evil

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Get ready for a wild, bumpy and sometimes chilling ride through the unknown with The Winter War, by Jason Garrett. The latest in a long running saga of Bishop's Island, this work chronicles some of the events of demon-hunter turned preacher, Eric Kade.

The fictitious world of Bishop's Island draws you in and holds fast with a cold, iron grip. Although not clear where geographically on the earth it may reside, you'll be reminded of perhaps a Northeastern and historically rich state like Maine. It may also make you think of quaint and rural towns in England that adorn the rocky coasts near the frigid ocean waters where fishermen risk their lives to make a living. The place has its own and unique culture as well as a complicated history of both the men and supernatural forces that have fought to control the lives of those who choose to live there.

It is on this island where readers sometimes feel a bit trapped--especially at night, when the snow is falling and you're on the edge of a forest. In the distance, one hears the waves crash hard against the rocky cliffs and danger is somewhere near. As potential peril lurks around every corner, we follow seasoned hunters as they seek to confront that which most of us would flee from. Using sight, smell, tracking skills, medieval-type weaponry, some supernatural powers, but mostly instinct, our hunters and huntresses confront the worst in both the seen and unseen realms.

The hunters, trained to kill while mere children, are at the top of their game and already have much experience in their late twenties and early thirties. But their objectives and motives are fueled by so much more than just the need to eliminate evil from the world. Weaving a complex storyline of love, family, and betrayal, Garrett pulls from his imagination plots that cut deep into the hearts and souls of his both human and inhuman characters.

Our main character, Eric Kade, is a man who has made tough decisions and commitments, and he clings ruthlessly to them, and his faith, against everything trying to stop him. In the face of total abandonment and treachery by people he used to love and was loyal to, he trusts in his God and moves forward. To further escalate the difficulty of his situation, he also finds himself in the position of protecting innocents who are being used and manipulated by evil that seeks revenge and ultimately the destruction of our hero. To avoid further mistakes as well as make amends, Kade must make some of the most difficult choices of his life.

Alongside Kade in this war are a diverse group of individuals. One of his best friends, a hunter who is a superior tracker and fighter in some ways, betrays himself and succumbs to retaliation and evil. A huntress turned witch joins our group and bravely confronts evil to help her friend. Also against Kade, among many others, is a highly skilled huntress who has sold her soul to the obsession of revenge as well as the worst kind of malicious evil.

The Winter War is a continuing account of many intertwined lives and the challenges they face. And unlike some other novels of Jason Garrett, it has a highly mysterious and cliffhanger ending. If you get absorbed into the story as much as I was, you'll look forward to the continuing plight of our characters and the ever shadowy and surreptitious events of a place called Bishop's Island.

Kelly Libatique is a professional speaker, technical trainer, and author. He holds a Master's in Education and a Bachelor's in Psychology. He resides in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife Anne and two sons.

Visit http://www.libatique.com/ or Contact Kelly at: Kelly.Libatique@gmail.com