I can fully see why this book has such a polarizing effect on its readers: the circus setting led me to anticipate this as a fantastical and magical, fast-paced read, akin to The Night Circus. What was actually delivered was a moving and slow-building portrait of life as part of a circus. This was densely descriptive and evocative of the life of Jacob Jankowski, veterinarian for the Benzini Brothers' circus show, but there was little plot to move the story forward. 
 The novel was split between past Jacob, as he traveled with the circus, and present Jacob, as he reminisced on his life whilst incarcerated into a nursing home by ill-health and old age. It was interesting learning why the naive and hopeful youth turned into the old miser the story opens with. 
 This is, in fact, a romance story with an unusual and exotic background. I fell in love with the story and the characters, despite the simplicity of the tale. For me, this book's strongest moments were in the beautiful simplicity and the thorough creation of the wonderful setting. I fell into the pages and was lost in this past, magical world.