One of my old work colleagues, a contact on Facebook, wrote a very short review of this book, and I realised that I already owned it! I also realised that when I'd bought it, it was because I'd read an excellent review in The Guardian – so I thought I'd give it a go.
Jacob is now 90, or possibly 93, and living in a 'old people's home' somewhere in America; he's certainly got all his faculties even if his body is crumbling around him, and he can remember like yesterday his life after jumping aboard a traveling circus during the prohibition period (1920s).
Sara Gruen skillfully mixes the experiences and memories of Jacob, whilst telling the story of his life after both his parents are killed and he is left with no option but to try his luck with the circus.
At points during the book I found myself wondering if it was a true story (it's not, although many elements are taken from real circus history in the United States). The love story between Jacob and one of the performers is wonderful, and dangerous all at the same time and the uncertainty of the outcome is kept up until very near the end.
As Jim said, this book is the type that you think about afterwards, that you wonder about going back to and reading your favourite sections – I'm looking forward to seeing what Gruen writes next (I know she's written some other books, but none like this I don't think).
I should just mentioned that if you are thinking of reading this you do so soon, as it is currently being made into a film (when I say 'currently', I do actually mean that filming has started). It will be massive, as it stars one of the main actors from the Twilight series, but despite that I think they'll probably do a good job (not that I think that Robert Pattinson is a bad actor, just that I think that he will overshadow the film) – the book certainly lends itself to the visual.
June 2010
Bought on Green Metropolis.
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