This month I finished “Water for Elephants” by Sara Gruen, a fantastic book! The story is of Jacob Jankowski’s life with the circus during in Depression-era America. The story bounces from Jacob’s life in the circus to current day where Jacob, in his nineties, struggles with life in a nursing home and getting older. The story is beautifully written and pulls no punches about the horrors of circus life in the 1930s or the struggles of life in the twighlight years. Also excellent in audio.

The other book I am close to finishing now is “1000 White Women”. In 1854, a Cheyenne chief proposed that 1000 white women be given as brides to his warriors so that his people could be more easily assimilated into the white culture. This much is true. However, the story takes off in the fictional world when President Grant takes him up on the offer. The story is told from the perspective of May Dodd in journal form. The actual story is fascinating and reminds me a bit of the movie Dances with Wolves only a little grittier. My main complaint with the book I think is actually with the audio format which I usually prefer. I don’t care for the narrator’s tone or voices much so that seems to get in the way of the story. So this one I would recommend as a good read, but not a good listen.