I recently had the pleasure of reading Sara Gruen's Water for Elephants. Told in flashbacks, the story is set during the Great Depression in a traveling circus. Veterinarian-in-training Jacob, reeling from the death of his parents and the loss of his family home, hops onto a train car belonging to the Benzini Bros circus. His position is always tenuous, but his veterinary skill earns him a spot and he unsteadily makes his way in the circus. He finds love, betrayal, brutality, but most importantly, hope, and a future. 
 This was an easy read - I finished it very quickly. I wanted to keep reading until the end. I definitely recommend it (don't just wait for the movie version to come out).