Historical fiction and a good story

Water for elephants by Gruen. The story of the life of a veterinarian in a 1930’s circus is told by a ninety or ninety three-year-old nursing home resident. The story starts with a disastrous event in the circus and ends there as well with the full story of what lead to the event. There is drama, love, and insight into a remarkable time period. The character of old narrator made me laugh and cheer.