book review: water for elephants + sarah's key

Image courtesy of amazon.com.

Image courtesy of amazon.com.

I recently completely lost myself in these novels. Reading is one of my biggest obsessions of all time & I deeply value a good recommendation. I'm not sure how I originally came across these books but I'm so so glad that I did! 

Water for Elephants is narrated by Jacob, who is such a pleasant character that mentally, emotionally, & spiritually grows so much throughout the course of his life as he travels with the circus. This novel follows him for the duration of most of his lifetime and let me tell you, it is extremely compelling! If you love animals your stomach may turn from the brutality they endure behind the scenes in the circus during the Great Depression. But the overwhelming feeling of compassion that Gruen portrays will enthrall you. The movie is coming to theaters soon, starring Robert Pattinson & Reese Witherspoon, so get your read on before it's released!

Sarah's Key is spectacular. It centers around the 1942 Paris roundups & deportations of Jewish families by the Paris authorities. The story is fictitious but the historical event is dreadfully real. The novel jumps back & forth between two characters living 60 years apart, connected by a single apartment in Paris. It is such a captivating novel, I couldn't put it down. I highly, highly recommend this one.