This is a special book that I didn't want to put down, as the idealized romance of a Depression-era box car circus comes to a crashing halt through the words of author Sara Gruen. To the outside viewer, the circus symbolizes innocence and joy, but its walls hide a life of cruelty and violence for both man and animal. Gruen breaths life into her characters with wit and an eye for detail. At the center of the story is the love between Jacob, the idealistic vet, and Marlena, an ethereal equestrian performer married to the violent circus boss. Rosie the elephant, a shabby heroine indeed, responds only to the Hungarian language, and her life becomes a symbol for the pain, misunderstanding and resiliency the other characters share.  Gruen swings her readers from the present to the past, leading us to an ending that is unexpected, but entirely fitting.