Pages starting to yellow Algonquin Books, 2006, 335 pages Book discussion questions at the end Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen is a captivating novel set in the 1930s during the Great Depression. It tells the story of Jacob Jankowski, a young man who runs away from his life and finds himself joining a traveling circus. There, he meets Marlena, the beautiful equestrian star, and Rosie, the amazing elephant. Made into a movie in 2011 starring Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson