Sara Gruen's, Water for Elephants, tells the fictional memoir of life in a traveling circus during the Depression-era. The story of lemonade-loving Rosie - an elephant who has trouble following commands- drives the narrative of the novel. Gruen writes in her author's note that she studied elephants' behavior and body language at the Kansas City Zoo.
New York Times book reviewer Elizabeth Judd writes how the research paid off by referencing an excerpt from the novel: "I look up just as he flicks the cigarette. It arcs through the air and lands in Rosie's open mouth, sizzling as it hits her tongue. She roars, panicked, throwing her head and fishing inside her mouth with her trunk. August marches off. I turn back to Rosie. She stares at me, a look of unspeakable sadness on her face. Her amber eyes are filled with tears."
Check out Judd's full review at http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/04/books/review/04judd.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
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