OFF TRACK....and watering some Elephants!

So I don't know if anyone has read this book, but its fantastic. I first heard about it when I went to see the movie this past summer. I thought the visuals were stunning and i loved the story so right after I got out of the theater I drove to Borders and bought it. I started it that night and was transfixed. The story starts out talking about a man named Jacob and he has just lost his parents in an accident. He is so traumatized by losing his parents that he drops out of school and runs from home. While walking down the rode he hears the sound of a train, so he runs and hops on the back. He is introduced to the life of a circus. The Benzini Brother's Most Spectacular Show On Earth. After being almost kicked off of the train, by none other than Big Al, the owner of the circus, he is given a job to clean up after the animals. While setting up for a show Jacob see's a woman by the name of Marlena working with the horses. A stunning young brunette, she had Jacob falling for her right away. As the story goes on Jacob and Marlena get to know each other, too bad she's already married to august, the head animal keeper. It's also too bad that August abuses the animals so Marlena is pretty much disgusted by him. Once Rosie, the elephant arrives, all of Jacob's worries go away. This elephant responds by polish or german commands, one of the two, and can do almost anything. marlena soon opens an act with Rosie, and the circus takes off again. Jacob and Marlena soon have feelings for each other and decide to run away together. They do get caught and brought back, however Jacob is kicked out. With his undying love for Marlena he is shocked to learn that Marlena is back with August, not by choice however. Jacob goes to the next show and sets all the animals loose creating total chaos. He then proceeds to try and save Marlena but August stops his by beating him up. Jacob is woozy and cant get up but see's in the distance that August is strangling Marlena. Rosie comes from behind and stabs August with a wooden peg. Jacob and Marlena get married and live very happily. With Rosie might I add. But the best part of this story is that it's all told in the perspective of Jacob as an older man in a nursing home, where the Benzini Bros. circus is set up outside. READ IT!!!!