A Care.com Book Café Recommendation from Melissa, our Editorial Director:

Like most kids, I often dreamed of running away and joining the circus. As an adult, I even wanted to take trapeze classes (they do exist, in case you're curious). So it was no surprise that I fell right into Water for Elephants, Sara Gruen's beautiful novel about Jacob Jankowski, a ninety year old man who in his youth was caretaker of the animals of the Benzini Brothers' traveling show.  Jabob flashes back to his days with the circus from his room in a nursing home almost seventy years later.

I was surprised by the sadness and deep connection I felt to my own grandparents and elder relatives as I read about Jacob’s feelings of lost youth, loneliness, depression, sometimes madness, and confinement. Jacob's family rarely visits, and he has trouble convincing his nurses of his independence (and at some points, his sanity). His flashbacks tell the story of his youthful escapades in the 1930s and the thrilling life journey they spawned, drawing on the great history of the traveling shows of the early 20th century. This book shows the tenacity and vivacity of the mind even after the body starts to fail.

Immediately after turning the last page I called my grandmother to see how she was doing, tell her I love her, and ask her what her life was like when she was my age. I recommend this book for anyone who has ever loved, admired, and been influenced by an elder relative. It will make you wish you had done more, learned more, and asked more sooner—but it reminds you that if you're lucky, it's not too late to start.