When 23-year-old Jacob Janowski's parents are killed in a car crash a week before he completes veterinary school, leaving him with nothing, he skips out on his exams, leaves town, and jumps a train, unaware that it is the train of the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth circus. He finds a job as veterinarian for the show animals, including an elephant named Rosie, makes friends with other circus workers and performers, falls in love with Marlena, the star of the equestrian act, and struggles to decipher the behaviour of Marlena's husband, August, the owner of the circus who fanicies himself an animal trainer, a man who wavers rapidly between charm and brutality. At the same time, Jacob learns about the circus' darker side and struggles to find a way to leave without bringing ha