Everything Must Come to a Close
The riot causes many, many problems for the members of Benzini Brother's Circus. For one, most of the animals are nowhere to be found. The workers spend the next few days searching all over town for the rest of the circus animals. While they are looking for them, they notice that Uncle Al is nowhere to be found. The circus looks run down and in horrible condition. Circuses passing by stop at Benzini Bros. to come and pick it over. Jacob is not sure what to do at this point. He has no money and no job. Jacob decides to leave the circus to go find a phone to call the head man of Cornell's vet school and explain his whole story to him, hoping the man can do something for Jacob. The man says Jacob can come back and finish his degree at Cornell. Jacob returns to the circus just in time to save Rosie from being taken away by a group of men who work at another circus. Jacob does not trust these men with Rosie and he tells them that Rosie is dumb and doesn't know any commands. Rosie is so smart that when the group of men tell her a command, she doesn't move. The men decide that they don't want her and now and that she is Jacob's responsibility. Marlena also needs to protect her horses from the group of men and she wins. Jacob realizes that their small family just got incredibly huge. Jacob calls over to Cornell explaining that he now has a elephant and eleven horses. This is a problem because Jacob cannot bring those to Cornell. Marlena has the idea that they will join Ringling Brothers Circus, the best circus in New York. Jacob and Marlena talk about getting married and set off for New York. Before leaving Benzini, they take along Bobo, a small circus monkey, to add to their growing family.
The book ends in the present day, Jacob learns that his favorite nurse, Rosemary, is no longer going to be working at the nursing home so he decides to leave. Jacob sneaks out to a local circus and meets a young man named Charlie. Charlie talks with Jacob and is very intrigued by all of his circus stories. Readers learn that Jacob and Marlena had five children together and that Jacob never told Marlena that Rosie killed August. Back at the circus, without even asking, Charlie offers Jacob a job so he can stay. Jacob accepts and is happy again, back in the circus.
The book ends in the present day, Jacob learns that his favorite nurse, Rosemary, is no longer going to be working at the nursing home so he decides to leave. Jacob sneaks out to a local circus and meets a young man named Charlie. Charlie talks with Jacob and is very intrigued by all of his circus stories. Readers learn that Jacob and Marlena had five children together and that Jacob never told Marlena that Rosie killed August. Back at the circus, without even asking, Charlie offers Jacob a job so he can stay. Jacob accepts and is happy again, back in the circus.