In this extraordinary novel of love, trust, and survival—soon to be a major motion picture starring Robert Pattinson, Reese Witherspoon, and Christoph Waltz—a man in his 90s reflects upon his time with the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. A veterinary student in the Great Depression, Jacob Jankowski is taking care of the circus menagerie when he meets Marlena the equestrian star and her charismatic but abusive husband August, the animal trainer. He also meets Rosie—an untrainable elephant who is the great gray hope for this third-rate traveling show, and one of the great four-legged characters of contemporary fiction.
"With a showman's expert timing, [Gruen] saves a terrific revelation for the final pages, transforming a glimpse of Americana into an enchanting escapist fairy tale."—NYTBR
