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Quick answer: If you loved Water for Elephants, read The Night Circus, Geek Love, The Book of Speculation and Orphan Train. All use circuses, carnivals or travelling shows to explore love, danger and the choices people make to survive.
Sara Gruen's novel follows Jacob Jankowski, a veterinary student who joins a circus during the Great Depression and falls in love with an elephant trainer's wife. It mixes historical detail with a love story and a mystery. The books below offer similar circus magic, Depression-era hardship and compelling animals.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Night Circus | Erin Morgenstern | Adult | magical circuses |
| Geek Love | Katherine Dunn | Adult | dark carnivals |
| The Book of Speculation | Erika Swyler | Adult | mysteries in old books |
| Orphan Train | Christina Baker Kline | Adult | Depression-era stories |
| Elephant Company | Vicki Croke | Adult | true elephant stories |
| The Elephant's Journey | Jose Saramago | Adult | literary elephants |
| Modoc | Ralph Helfer | Adult | friendship and animals |
| Circus Mirandus | Cassie Beasley | 9-13 | young readers |
| Something Wicked This Way Comes | Ray Bradbury | Adult | spooky nostalgia |
| Big Fish | Daniel Wallace | Adult | storytelling |
| Of Mice and Men | John Steinbeck | Adult | Depression-era fiction |
| The Four Winds | Kristin Hannah | Adult | resilient mothers |
| The Light Between Oceans | M.L. Stedman | Adult | emotional choices |
| The Orchardist | Amanda Coplin | Adult | slow beauty |
| West with Giraffes | Lynda Rutledge | Adult | animal road trips |
1. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Two young magicians are bound in a duel that plays out in a mysterious circus open only at night. Lush and romantic.
Best for: magical circuses.
2. Geek Love by Katherine Dunn
A family of carnival performers breeds its own freaks. Dark, strange and unforgettable.
Best for: dark carnivals.
3. The Book of Speculation by Erika Swyler
A librarian receives an old book that reveals a family curse tied to a traveling circus. Atmospheric and strange.
Best for: mysteries in old books.
4. Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
A young woman helps an elderly woman who rode an orphan train. Emotional and historical.
Best for: Depression-era stories.
5. Elephant Company by Vicki Croke
The true story of Billy Williams, who trained elephants in Burma and used them in World War II. Heartwarming and exciting.
Best for: true elephant stories.
6. The Elephant's Journey by Jose Saramago
An elephant travels from Lisbon to Vienna in the 1500s. Witty and literary.
Best for: literary elephants.
7. Modoc by Ralph Helfer
The story of a boy and an elephant born on the same day who grow up together and travel the world. Heartwarming.
Best for: friendship and animals.
8. Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley
A boy tries to find a magical circus to save his grandfather. Sweet and magical.
Best for: young readers.
9. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
A dark carnival arrives in a small town and tempts its people. Poetic and spooky.
Best for: spooky nostalgia.
10. Big Fish by Daniel Wallace
A son tries to understand his father through his tall tales. Funny and moving, with a carnival-like feel.
Best for: storytelling.
11. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Two migrant workers dream of owning land during the Depression. A short, devastating classic.
Best for: Depression-era fiction.
12. The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
A woman faces the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression as she tries to save her family. Sweeping.
Best for: resilient mothers.
13. The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman
A lighthouse keeper and his wife find a baby in a boat and choose to raise her. Heartbreaking.
Best for: emotional choices.
14. The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin
An orchardist in the Pacific Northwest takes in two girls. Slow, beautiful and rooted in land.
Best for: slow beauty.
15. West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge
A 105-year-old man recalls a 1938 road trip with two giraffes across America. Warm and funny.
Best for: animal road trips.
How to Choose
For magic and circuses, begin with The Night Circus, Circus Mirandus or Something Wicked This Way Comes. For dark and strange carnival stories, choose Geek Love or The Book of Speculation. For real elephant stories, try Elephant Company or Modoc. For Depression-era hardship, pick Of Mice and Men, The Four Winds or Orphan Train. West with Giraffes gives the warmest road trip. If you want more Depression-era stories, pair Water for Elephants with The Four Winds and Of Mice and Men. For animal stories with history, Elephant Company and Modoc are excellent nonfiction companions. Since circus stories often include animals, be aware of scenes with mistreatment, and pair heavier reads with the whimsical Circus Mirandus or West with Giraffes.
Related: The Water Dancer Book Club Discussion Questions (With Summary and Themes) · The Covenant of Water Book Club Discussion Questions (With Summary and Themes)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Water for Elephants about?
Jacob joins a traveling circus in the 1930s and becomes entangled with a trainer's wife and an elephant named Rosie.
Is Water for Elephants based on a true story?
It is fiction, based on historical research into traveling circuses.
Is there a movie?
Yes, a 2011 film starring Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson.
Is it a love story?
Yes, but it is also a story about cruelty to animals and survival.
Is there animal cruelty in the book?
Yes, there are scenes of mistreatment, so it can be difficult for sensitive readers.
Who wrote Water for Elephants?
Sara Gruen, a Canadian-American author.
Is Water for Elephants a good book club pick?
Yes, it has history, romance and moral questions.
Who is Rosie?
The elephant Jacob helps care for in the story.
Does the book have a sequel?
No, it is a standalone novel.
Did Water for Elephants become a bestseller?
Yes. It spent many weeks on bestseller lists and sold millions of copies.
What age is Water for Elephants for?
It is written for adults and contains violence and sexual content.