Most Popular Books by Sara Gruen

Over 10 million copies sold worldwide! * Now A Broadway Musical Starring Grant Gustin and Isabella McCalla #1 New York Times Bestseller * A Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, & USA Today Bestseller "This colorful headlong tale of a Depression-era circus simply can''t be beat." —Stephen King A Major Motion Picture starring Reese Witherspoon, Robert Pattinson, and Christoph Waltz Jacob Janowski’s luck had run out--orphaned and penniless, he had no direction until he landed on a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. A veterinary student just shy of a degree, he was put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It was the Great Depression and for Jacob the circus was both his salvation and a living hell. There he met Marlena, the beautiful equestrian star married to August, the charismatic but brutal animal trainer. And he met Rosie, an untrainable elephant who was the great hope for this third-rate traveling show. The bond that grew among this group of misfits was one of love and trust, and ultimately, it was their only hope for survival.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “A daring story of adventure, friendship, and love in the shadow of WWII” (Harper’s Bazaar) from the renowned author of Ape House and Water for Elephants “Gripping, compelling . . . Gruen’s characters are vividly drawn and her scenes are perfectly paced.”—The Boston Globe In January 1945, when Madeline Hyde and her husband, Ellis, are cut off financially by his father, a retired army colonel who is ashamed of his son’s inability to serve, Ellis decides that the only way to regain his father’s favor is to succeed where the Colonel very publicly failed—by hunting down the famous Loch Ness monster. Leaving her sheltered world behind, Maddie reluctantly follows Ellis and his best friend, Hank, to a remote village in the Scottish Highlands. Gradually, the friendships Maddie forms with the townspeople open her up to a larger world than she knew existed. Maddie begins to see that nothing is as it first appears, and as she embraces a fuller sense of who she might be, she becomes aware not only of darker forces around her but of life’s surprising possibilities.

The wildly entertaining new novel from the bestselling author of Water for Elephants. Sam, Bonzi, Lola, Mbongo, Jelani, and Makena are no ordinary apes. These bonobos, like others of their species, are capable of reason and carrying on deep relationships—but unlike most bonobos, they also know American Sign Language. Isabel Duncan, a scientist at the Great Ape Language Lab, doesn’t understand people, but animals she gets—especially the bonobos. Isabel feels more comfortable in their world than she’s ever felt among humans . . . until she meets John Thigpen, a very married reporter who braves the ever-present animal rights protesters outside the lab to see what’s really going on inside. When an explosion rocks the lab, severely injuring Isabel and “liberating” the apes, John’s human interest piece turns into the story of a lifetime, one he’ll risk his career and his marriage to follow. Then a reality TV show featuring the missing apes debuts under mysterious circumstances, and it immediately becomes the biggest—and unlikeliest—phenomenon in the history of modern media. Millions of fans are glued to their screens watching the apes order greasy take-out, have generous amounts of sex, and sign for Isabel to come get them. Now, to save her family of apes from this parody of human life, Isabel must connect with her own kind, including John, a green-haired vegan, and a retired porn star with her own agenda. Ape House delivers great entertainment, but it also opens the animal world to us in ways few novels have done, securing Sara Gruen’s place as a master storyteller who allows us to see ourselves as we never have before. BONUS: This edition contains a reader''s guide.

As a world-class equestrian and Olympic contender, Annemarie Zimmer lived for the thrill of flight atop a strong, graceful animal. Then, at eighteen, a tragic accident destroyed her riding career and Harry, the beautiful horse she cherished. Now, twenty years later, Annemarie is coming home to her dying father''s New Hampshire horse farm. Jobless and abandoned, she is bringing her troubled teenage daughter to this place of pain and memory, where ghosts of an unresolved youth still haunt the fields and stables—and where hope lives in the eyes of the handsome, gentle veterinarian Annemarie loved as a girl . . . and in the seductive allure of a trainer with a magic touch. But everything will change yet again with one glimpse of a white striped gelding startlingly similar to the one Annemarie lost in another lifetime. And an obsession is born that could shatter her fragile world.

The New York Times–bestselling author of Water for Elephants “writes with passionate precision about horses and their humans and the healing power of love” (Maryanne Stahl, author of Forgive the Moon). There is a time to move on, a time to let go . . . and a time to fly. Anxiety rules Annemarie Zimmer’s days—the fear that her relationship with the man she loves is growing stagnant; the fear that equestrian daughter Eva’s dreams of Olympic glory will carry her far away from her mother . . . and into harm’s way. For five months, Annemarie has struggled to make peace with her past. But if she cannot let go, the personal battles she has won and the heights she has achieved will have all been for naught. It is a time of change at Maple Brook Horse Farm, when loves must be confronted head-on and fears must be saddled and broken. But it is an unanticipated tragedy that will most drastically alter the fragile world of one remarkable family—even as it flings open gates that have long confined them, enabling them all to finally ride headlong and free. “Flying Changes reminds me how unpredictable life is . . . Even if you are horseless (my deepest sympathies), you will love this novel” —Rita Mae Brown, New York Times–bestselling author of Rubyfruit Jungle

Todos hemos querido cambiar de vida, todos hemos querido huir alguna vez. Cuando el joven Jacob pierde todo, su familia y su futuro, y el mundo entero parece al borde del abismo en los difíciles años treinta, se aventura en un circo ambulante para trabajar como veterinario. Transcurren años de penuria y crueldad, pero también de ensueño y plenitud, pues Jacob encuentra en el deslumbrante espectáculo de los hermanos Banzini la amistad, al amor de su vida y a la traviesa elefanta Rosie. Han transcurrido ya muchos años, pero Jacob no se resigna a la postración que el destino le depara. Con renovada valentía nos revelará un secreto impactante y decidirá emprender nuevas andanzas, cueste lo que cueste. Sara Gruen, con un estilo apasionado y vibrante, ha escrito una novela aclamada por millones de libreros y lectores. Romance, lucha, asesinato, tragedia y humor integran el cartel de esta gran función que conmueve y asombra por igual. «Una arrebatadora nueva novela... Con el ritmo experto de un showman, Gruen se reserva una revelación genial para las páginas finales, transformando una imagen de la cultura americana en una encantadora fábula escapista.» The New York Times Book Review «La recreación de la rutina diaria del circo es encantadora y fascinante.» Kirkus Review «De sabor antiguo y entrañable, es una historia para disfrutar que avanza de forma veloz.» Library Journal «Rica... Conmovedora.» People «Sensual y cargada de oscuros secretos en torno al amor, la muerte y una heroína muda y majestuosa.» Parade

Fin de año, 1944. Para Maddie y Ellis Hyde, un joven matrimonio de clase alta de Filadelfia, la guerra y la privación son conceptos lejanos. A Ellis sólo le interesa divertirse gracias al dinero que recibe de su padre. Pero cuando el viejo general Hyde suspende su asignación, Ellis decide recuperar el favor de su padre retomando el proyecto en el que éste fracasó años atrás: encontrar al famoso monstruo del lago Ness. A pesar de las quejas de Maddie, y acompañados por su inseparable amigo Hank, los tres parten hacia Escocia y se instalan en un pequeño hotel rural, sin ninguno de los lujos que tan bien conocen. Ajenos a todo, cada día los dos hombres salen a buscar al mítico monstruo, mientras otro monstruo, Hitler, está arrasando Europa. Maddie, sola la mayor parte del tiempo en un país extranjero, rodeada de desconocidos, debe comenzar a preguntarse quién es y qué quiere en realidad. Apasionante y conmovedora, El agua de la vida narra una intensa historia de amor, pero también el despertar de una joven privilegiada que, a medida que va experimentando lo que sucede a su alrededor, aprende a entregarse a los demás como nunca antes lo había hecho.

O melhor romance da autora best-seller desde Água para elefantes. Após uma festa de ano-novo da alta sociedade na Filadélfia em 1944, Madeline Hyde e seu marido Ellis são expulsos de casa pelo pai dele, um rico ex-coronel, já bastante envergonhado pela incapacidade do filho de ir para a guerra. Com a ajuda do melhor amigo, Hank, Ellis chega à conclusão de que a única maneira de reconquistar os favores do pai é ser bem-sucedido em algo em que o coronel falhou no passado: caçar o famoso monstro do lago Ness. Maddie, relutantemente, cruza o oceano Atlântico com eles, deixando para trás seu aconchegante e protegido mundo. O trio chega a um vilarejo distante nas Terras Altas da Escócia, e Maddie fica sozinha numa isolada hospedaria, onde a comida é racionada e o combustível é escasso. Apesar disso, ela começa a se apaixonar pela beleza deslumbrante e magia sutil do interior escocês, e a amizade com duas jovens mulheres abre seus olhos para um mundo maior do que ela imaginava existir. Maddie começa a perceber que nada é o que parece: os valores que ela mais prezava se mostram insustentáveis, e monstros surgem de onde menos se espera.

FROM INTERNATIONALLY-BESTSELLING AUTHOR SARA GRUEN, A COLLECTION OF HER MOST BELOVED NOVELS ''ONE OF AMERICA''S MOST COMPELLING STORYTELLERS'' Kathryn Stockett, author of The Help 1 - WATER FOR ELEPHANTS The international phenomenon - with over 10 million copies sold, made into a film with Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson. ''I loved Water for Elephants'' Stephen King ''You are so immersed in circus life that you are blinded by the thrilling, fatal dazzle of sequins and sawdust'' The Telegraph ''An imaginative modern fairy story, teeming with eccentric characters'' The Times The Great Depression 1929 - when Jacob Jankowski, recently orphaned and suddenly adrift, jumps onto a passing train, he enters a world of freaks, grifters, and misfits in the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth a second-rate travelling circus struggling to survive making one-night stands in town after endless town. He meets Marlena, the beautiful young star of the equestrian act, married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. He also meets Rosie, an elephant who seems untrainable until he discovers a way to reach her... 2 - AT THE WATER''S EDGE A gripping and poignant love story set in a remote village in the Scottish Highlands at the end of the Second World War. ''The only fault I can find with this book is that I''ve already finished it'' Jodi Picoult ''Truly enthralling'' Scotsman ''Breathtaking'' Harper''s Bazaar 1945. After disgracing themselves at a high society party, spoilt young Philadelphia socialites Maddie and Ellis Hyde are cut off from the family without a penny. Ellis decides their salvation will be to hunt down the Loch Ness Monster, a venture his father very publicly failed at. So, oblivious to WW2 raging around them, they make their way to the Scottish Highlands, where Maddie has to face reality and decide just who the real monsters are. 3 - APE HOUSE The New York Times bestseller. ''If you love animals like I do, it''s a must read'' Ellen DeGeneres ''Had me instantly enraptured'' Dallas Morning News ''Wildly entertaining'' Booklist (starred review) These bonobos are no ordinary apes. Like others of their species, they are capable of reason and carrying on deep relationships - but, unlike most bonobos, they also know American Sign Language. Isabel Duncan, a scientist at the Great Ape Language Lab, doesn''t understand people, but animals she gets, especially the bonobos. Isabel feels more comfortable in their world than she''s ever felt among humans . . . until she meets John Thigpen, a very married reporter who braves the ever-present animal rights protesters outside the lab to see what''s really going on inside. When an explosion tears apart the lab, severly injuring Isabel and ''liberating'' the apes to an unknown destination, John''s human interest piece turns into the story of a lifetime.

«Es ist unmöglich, ein Zwiegespräch mit einem Menschenaffen zu führen oder einem von ihnen aus nächster Nähe in die Augen zu blicken, ohne verändert aus der Begegnung hervorzugehen.» Sara Gruen Sam, Bonzi, Lola, Mbongo, Jelani und Makena sind keine gewöhnlichen Affen: Die Bonobos beherrschen die Gebärdensprache, sind in der Lage, mit Menschen zu kommunizieren. Für die scheue Wissenschaftlerin Isabel Duncan sind die Tiere wie eine Familie. Als eine Explosion das Labor zerstört und ihr die Affen entreißt, bricht für sie eine Welt zusammen. Der ehrgeizige Journalist John Thigpen steht vor dem Ende seiner Karriere – und vermutlich auch seiner Ehe. Zusammen mit Isabel macht er sich auf die Suche nach den verschwundenen Affen. Er ist nicht nur angetan von der attraktiven Forscherin, sondern wittert auch eine große Story. Dabei ahnt er nicht, wie sehr beides sein Leben verändern wird ... Sara Gruen ist die geborene Erzählerin und gewährt uns mit diesem Buch einen faszinierenden Einblick in die Seele von Menschenaffen – einfühlsam, packend und mit viel Sachverstand und Humor.

Gegen alle Widerstände - die märchenhafte Liebesgeschichte von Jacob und Marlena Amerika, 1931, die Wirtschaftskrise hat das Land fest im Griff. Der junge Tierarzt Jacob steht nach dem Unfalltod seiner Eltern vor dem Nichts. Verzweifelt springt er auf irgendeinen Zug auf – und landet bei Benzinis spektakulärster Show der Welt, einem drittklassigen Wanderzirkus. Unter Artisten, menschlichen Kuriositäten, den überall hinter den Kulissen schuftenden Arbeitern und den wunderbaren Tieren der Menagerie findet Jacob rasch Freunde. Und bald verliert er auch sein Herz: an die zauberhafte Dressurreiterin Marlena – und fast gleichermaßen an Rosie, eine reizende, verfressene Elefantendame, die hartnäckig jedes Kunststück verweigert. Leider ist Rosies Sturheit in den Hungerzeiten der Großen Depression ein echtes Problem – wenn auch kein so großes wie Marlenas gefährlich eifersüchtiger Ehemann. «Eine großartige Geschichte – spannend, unterhaltend, bewegend, komisch, traurig, wie eine richtig gute Vorstellung in einem Weltklassezirkus.» CHRISTINE WESTERMANN, WDR

Una historia absorbente, conmovedora y edificante de cómo seis monos bonobos cambian la vida de tres personas. Isabel Duncan, científica del Laboratorio de Lenguaje de Grandes Primates, no comprende a la gente pero sí entiende a los simios, especialmente a los bonobos Sam, Bonzo, Lola, Mbongo, Jelani y Makena, que son capaces de razonar y de comunicarse en el lenguaje de signos americano. Isabel se siente más a gusto con ellos de lo que jamás se ha sentido entre los humanos, hasta que conoce a John Thigpen, un periodista centrado en su matrimonio que está escribiendo un artículo de interés humano. Cuando una explosión hace volar el laboratorio por los aires, la crónica de John se convierte en el reportaje de su vida e Isabel se ve obligada a interactuar con los de su propia especie para salvar a su familia de primates de una nueva forma de explotación por parte de los humanos. Reseñas: «Una historia con corazón, llena de esperanza y de preguntas ineludibles sobre nuestra verdadera identidad». Redbook «Gruen trata en profundidad y da vida con delicadeza a ese dato estadístico tan a menudo citado según el cual los bonobos y los humanos comparten el 98,7% del ADN. Gruen proporciona a cada uno de sus primates una personalidad particular y describe de forma exquisita su dulzura, humor y curiosidad». The Dallas Morning News

Tervetuloa Benzinin veljesten loistavaan sirkukseen! Sara Gruenin Vettä elefanteille on 1930-luvun suuren laman aikaan sukeltava romaani täynnä sirkuksen säihkettä ja dramaattisia ihmiskohtaloita. Yhdeksänkymppinen Jacob Jankowski inhoaa elämäänsä vanhainkodissa. Kun lähistölle saapuu kiertävä sirkus, Jacob palaa muistoissaan 1930-luvun lamavuosiin, jolloin hän päätyi kohtalon oikusta Yhdysvaltoja kiertävän sirkusjunan kyytiin. Pennittömälle eläinlääketieteen opiskelijalle sirkukseen liittyminen oli kuin pelastus – mutta samalla maanpäällinen helvetti. Nuori Jacob rakastuu sirkuksen tähtiesiintyjä Marlenaan ensi silmäyksellä, mutta romanssi on tulenarka, sillä Marlena on naimisissa armottoman eläintenkesyttäjä Augustin kanssa. Sirkukseen ostetaan ylväs mutta itsepäinen Rosie-norsu, millä on kauaskantoiset vaikutukset kaikkien elämään. Sara Gruenin kymmeniä miljoonia kappaleita myynyt menestysromaani Vettä elefanteille on kiehtova tarina täynnä intohimoa, rakkautta ja vanhan ajan sirkuksen lumoa. Kanadassa syntynyt Sara Gruen (s. 1969) asuu Pohjois-Carolinassa. Vettä elefanteille on hänen läpimurtoromaaninsa, ja sen pohjalta on tehty elokuva ja Broadway-musikaali. Gruenin perheeseen kuuluu aviomies, kolme lasta, kissoja, koiria, lintuja, hevosia sekä vuohi.

" Autora do aclamado Água para elefantes, vencedor de inúmeros prêmios e adaptado para as telonas em superprodução com Robert Pattinson e Reese Witherspoon, Sara Cruen retorna com o envolvente e emocionalmente estimulante A casa dos macacos, considerado pelo prestigiado jornal britânico The Independent o melhor romance do ano Sam, Bonzi, Lola, Mbongo, Jelani e Makena não são macacos comuns. Assim como outros de sua espécie, eles têm capacidade de raciocínio e de manter uma relação afetiva profunda - mas, ao contrário da maioria dos bonobos, eles conhecem a Língua Americana de Sinais. Isabel Duncan, cientista do Laboratório de Línguas dos Grandes Símios, não se dá muito bem com as pessoas, mas entende os animais - especialmente os bonobos. A pesquisadora se sente mais à vontade no mundo deles do que jamais se sentiu entre os humanos... até encontrar John Thigpen. Repórter de um jornal local, ele enfrenta os defensores dos direitos dos animais que protestam com o intuito de conhecer a realidade dessas pesquisas. Quando uma explosão abala o laboratório, ferindo gravemente Isabel e ""libertando"" os bonobos, a reportagem de John torna-se a principal de sua carreira, pela qual ele coloca em risco seu emprego e seu casamento. É quando estreia em circunstâncias misteriosas um reality show estrelado pelos bonobos desaparecidos. Imediatamente, o programa se torna o maior - e o mais improvável - fenômeno da mídia moderna. Milhões de fãs se postam diante da tela da TV para assistir aos primatas pedirem pratos gordurosos para viagem, fazerem sexo diversas vezes e assinar petições pedindo que Isabel venha buscá-los. Agora, para salvar sua família de primatas dessa paródia da vida humana, Isabel tem que se juntar a membros de sua própria espécie, entre eles John; Nathan, um vegano de cabelos verdes; Celia, sua assistente maluquinha; e uma estrela de filmes pornô aposentada que tem seus próprios interesses. A casa dos macacos emociona ao mesmo tempo em que diverte o leitor. Ao expor o mundo animal de forma única, Sara Gruen garante um lugar de destaque entre os romancistas que nos permitem um inovador olhar sobre nós mesmos. ""Extremamente divertido."" - The New York Times ""Quero que fique claro logo de início: A casa dos macacos é impressionante, uma narrativa repleta de emoção e vivacidade. De longe o melhor romance que li nos últimos 12 meses. Talvez 24. (...) Brilhante e inovador."" - James Urquhart, The Independent ""Um romance ambicioso."" - The Guardian "

Historical romance novel set during the Depression of the 1930s.

When Jacob Jankowski, recently orphaned and suddenly adrift, jumps onto a passing train, he enters a world of freaks, swindlers and misfits in a second-rate circus struggling to survive.

Een oude man blikt terug op een korte, maar cruciale periode in zijn leven toen hij toetrad tot een reizend gezelschap tijdens de crisisjaren in de Verenigde Staten.

Desde que perdeu sua esposa, Jacob Jankowski vive numa casa de repouso, cercado por senhoras simpáticas, enfermeiras solícitas e fantasmas do passado. Durante 70 anos Jacob guardou um segredo - nunca falou a ninguém sobre o período em que trabalhou no circo. Aos 23 anos, Jacob era um estudante de veterinária, mas teve sua vida transformada após a morte de seus pais num acidente de carro. Órfão, sem dinheiro e sem ter para onde ir, ele deixa a faculdade antes de fazer as provas finais e, desesperado, acaba pulando em um trem em movimento. Ele acaba sendo admitido no Esquadrão Voador do circo Irmãos Benzini para cuidar dos animais, Jacob sofrerá nas mãos do Tio Al, o empresário tirano do circo, e de August, o chefe do setor dos animais. É também sob as lonas que ele se apaixona duas vezes - primeiro por Marlena, a bela estrela do número dos cavalos e esposa de August e depois por Rosie, a elefanta que deveria ser a salvação do circo.