Water for Elephants

Jacob narrates a flashback from 70 years ago, when he was a part of the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. The flashback begins with Jacob eating in the canteen with Grady. They suddenly hear the band playing “The Disaster March,” signaling an emergency. The circus tent explodes into a stampede of exotic animals and performers. Jacob is most concerned with Marlena and her elephant, Rosie. He spots Rosie in the distance, staring at the ringmaster. She picks up a metal tent stake with her trunk and deals a fatal blow to the ringmaster’s head. Jacob says the image still haunts him, though he has never told anyone until now.

Jacob Jankowski is unsure of his actual age. He’s around 90 and resides in an assisted living facility. Jacob misses his wife, who died of cancer, and he hates the mushy, bland food at the facility. Jacob is recovering from a hip fracture and must use a wheelchair and walker. One night at dinner, he notices that a circus has come to town. Jacob is so excited that the nurses think he’s having a heart attack. The other residents reminisce about their younger days, when they looked forward to attending the circus.