Water for Elephants

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My mom (91) recommended this book to me. I had already put it on my wish list but as she has good taste in books... When I found I had Audible.com credit and the book there, I went for it.

The joy of this audio version is hearing the voices of the our hero in his 90+ year old as well as in his 20s.

Just prior to taking his finals to become a vetranarian, his parents die leaving him nothing as it appears they spent everything they had to send him to a Cornell. After burying his parents, he returns to take his finals only to walk out on them and walks and walks until ultimately he ends up in the circus...not THE CIRCUS but 'the circus'. THE CIRCUS would be one you would know today. 'the circus' would be one of less known circuses of the depression era that did not survive.

Between the different time zones we learn of different love stories...human love, animal love, circus love as well as the evolusion of a man.

I am afraid to say much more for fear of giving away too much. So let me just say, my mom made a good recommendation which I think others will find equally enjoyable.

Wind Warrior by Cynthia Roberts

Cynthia Roberts

I love reading stories about Indians and have since probably since the 5th grade when I heard the legend of the blue bonnets. I searched our school library for more myths and legends and stories about people who could come up with such beautiful stories. When the book mobile came around, I checked every time! The pickings were slim. Most of what I have found has been about the plains Indians. And most was a sad history of mistreatment at the hands of the white man. But occasionally I found stories the before times of how they lived.

When I had the chance to win a copy of Wind Warrior, I jumped at the opportunity. When I was told I had actually won, I was ecstatic. It is the story of 2 people who have visions of one another. Leslie is a white woman who has lived through the lose of her beloved husband and child and is living with her cherished father in the wilderness. She is strong of mind, heart, and spirit. As a new horror descends upon her, those characteristics help her fled for her life..

Enter the second dreamer, an Indian war chief, Winnokin, the head chief of the Senecas (a north eastern tribe). He will find and heal her only to have to deal with the horror she was fleeing from when they met. They must win out for the book to continue to educate both Leslie and readers about the ways of the Seneca; a truly evolved and civilized people.

While I truly enjoyed the basic love story, I especially enjoyed the vision of the Seneca Nation and its people.

Oh, good news! Cynthia Roberts plans to come out more books about the Indians of the north east. And if like this one, they will stand alone.