Jacob Jankowski and Marlena Rosenbluth finally confess their love, setting in motion a series of dramatic events that will forever alter their lives. They resolve to leave the circus, but Jacob knows they must tread carefully to avoid the wrath of Uncle Al. As the Benzini Brothers circus teeters on the brink of collapse, Jacob and Marlena find themselves caught in a web of deceit, violence, and desperate measures.
Chapter 21: I Think I'm Going to Have a Baby
The morning after their night together, Jacob and Marlena plan their escape, deciding to wait until they reach Providence, where Camel’s son is scheduled to pick him up. Jacob reveals the horrifying truth about redlighting, explaining how Uncle Al threatened to throw Walter and Camel from the train if Jacob didn't convince Marlena to return to August Rosenbluth. This revelation reinforces their need for caution. When Jacob shares their plan with Walter, Walter reacts with fury, feeling abandoned and terrified about his future. In a moment of desperation, Jacob invites him to join them.
To buy time, Jacob deceives Uncle Al, pretending to work towards reuniting Marlena and August. He plays on Al’s greed, suggesting a happy star performer is essential for business and manipulating him into keeping August away from Marlena. The ruse works temporarily, but August continues to stalk and harass Marlena. Meanwhile, the Benzini Brothers circus is collapsing due to a Prohibition raid and a near-riot in Hartford over Rosie’s absence. The financial ruin culminates on payday when only the bosses receive wages. Walter is enraged, screaming that as a performer, he should be paid. The chapter ends with Marlena whispering to Jacob that she is late and believes she is pregnant, raising the stakes dramatically.
Chapter 22: We're Going to Do It My Way Now
Uncle Al, his patience exhausted, tells Jacob, "We're going to do it my way now." That evening, August forces Marlena to perform the elephant act. Jacob, warned to stay away, watches from under the bleachers. During the act, Rosie becomes belligerent and stampedes out of the big top. August follows, beating her mercilessly with a bull hook. When Marlena intervenes, August throws her over his shoulder and carries her away. Blackie and other workers tackle Jacob, knocking him unconscious as he tries to intervene.
Jacob awakens on the moving train with a severe concussion, tended to by Walter. Panicked about Marlena, especially now that she is pregnant, Jacob wants to act immediately. Walter insists they wait three more days until Providence to ensure Camel’s safety. Later that night, consumed by rage, Jacob takes Walter's knife and makes a perilous journey across the rooftops of the moving train, intent on killing August. He finds August asleep and alone, looking boyish and peaceful. Unable to commit murder, Jacob leaves the knife on Marlena's empty pillow as a silent threat. On his exhausting return trip, he nearly falls from the train. He finally drops back into the stock car to find it empty except for a terrified Queenie. The doors are open, and he realizes with horror that Walter and Camel have been redlighted over a trestle.
The next morning, a grief-stricken Jacob confronts Earl, who is genuinely shocked and confirms he knew nothing. Earl reveals that ten men were thrown from the train and warns Jacob that he was the primary target. Jacob manages a brief, frantic conversation with Marlena during lunch, and they plan to escape that day. He promises to retrieve their money from the stateroom but spends the afternoon unable to get near the car, aware that August might be inside.
Chapter 23: In for a Penny, in for a Pound
In the chaotic aftermath of the stampede, the Benzini Brothers circus dissolves. Uncle Al has vanished, and the police are investigating August's death, which they assume was caused by trampling. The cookhouse runs out of food, and the sheriff orders the defunct circus off the railroad siding. Soon, the Nesci Brothers Circus arrives to absorb the Benzini assets. Facing unemployment and homelessness, Jacob calls his former dean at Cornell, who agrees to let him return to sit his final exams.
Jacob's plans are complicated when he sees the Nesci manager preparing to take Rosie. Thinking fast, Jacob claims Rosie is his personal, untrainable elephant. With an assist from Greg and Rosie's own stubbornness, he convinces the man she's worthless. Shortly after, Marlena stages a fiery public confrontation to reclaim her horses, berating the sheriff and the Nesci manager until they relent. Now the unlikely owners of an elephant and eleven horses, they decide their only option is to join a bigger show. Marlena suggests Ringling, noting they'd have a strong act as a married couple—a Cornell-educated vet and a star performer. While Marlena goes to make the call, the Nesci workers unrolling the Benzini big top canvas make a grisly discovery: the body of Uncle Al, strangled with a garrote. That night, solidifying their strange new family, Jacob and Marlena sneak into the menagerie and rescue Bobo the chimpanzee.
Chapter 24: Yo, Gramps
The narrative returns to the present day. Ninety-three-year-old Jacob is in the nursing home lobby, anxiously waiting for his son Simon to take him to the circus. As time passes, he realizes with a crushing sense of despair that he has been forgotten. Refusing to accept this fate, he makes a bold decision. In a powerful act of defiance, he escapes the facility with his walker and begins the slow, arduous journey down the block to the circus tent. The sights and sounds of the outside world are overwhelming and thrilling.
When he finally arrives, a young ticket-taker with piercings, Russ, tries to turn him away because he has no money. Just as Jacob's hope fades, the circus manager, Charlie O'Brien, steps in. He treats Jacob with kindness and respect, offering him a wheelchair and a ringside seat. During their conversation, Jacob mentions he was with the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. Charlie is stunned, recognizing the name from one of the most infamous disasters in circus history. Fascinated to meet a "living piece of history," Charlie invites Jacob to his trailer for a drink after the show to hear the story of the 1931 stampede firsthand.
Chapter 25: This Is Home
In Charlie's well-appointed RV, Jacob sips a fine single malt scotch and, feeling a profound sense of catharsis, tells his story. He confesses everything he has held inside for seventy years: the affair, the redlighting of his friends, his own murderous intentions, and the final, explosive secret—that Rosie deliberately killed August, splitting his head open with the iron stake. The relief is palpable, like an absolution. He then recounts the happy life he and Marlena built: joining Ringling, having five children, his long career as the head veterinarian at Chicago's Brookfield Zoo, and their peaceful life on a small farm.
A police officer interrupts them, searching for a missing man from the nearby nursing home. In a remarkable act of compassion and circus camaraderie, Charlie lies to protect Jacob, claiming he is his own father who is unable to speak after a stroke. Once the officer leaves, Jacob makes a desperate, heartfelt plea. He explains that while his family loves him, he feels like a burden, an object of duty rather than a part of their lives. He begs Charlie to let him join the circus, offering to sell tickets. Moved by the old man's passion, Charlie agrees. Overcome with delirious joy, Jacob realizes he has run away with the circus one last time. He is finally home.
Character Development
Jacob's journey is one of profound transformation. He evolves from a naive student into a resilient man who confronts cruelty and loss with unwavering determination.
- Jacob Jankowski: He completes his transformation from a naive student into a cunning, desperate, and ultimately resilient man. He deceives Uncle Al, attempts murder, and suffers immense loss. In the present, he reclaims his agency and dignity, refusing to fade away and finding his true home.
- Marlena Rosenbluth: She fully commits to a life with Jacob, finding the strength to leave her abusive husband. She demonstrates her fierce, protective nature when she reclaims her horses, showcasing her resilience.
- August Rosenbluth: His paranoia and violence spiral out of control, culminating in his public abduction of Marlena and his brutal death at Rosie's trunk.
- Uncle Al: Al's greed and ruthlessness lead to his downfall. He orders the redlighting that kills Walter and Camel and is ultimately murdered himself, a victim of the violent world he created.
- Rosie: She is revealed to be more than just an animal; she is an agent of justice. After enduring horrific abuse, she deliberately kills August, an act that is both shocking and cathartic.
- Walter & Camel: Their tragic deaths serve as the ultimate example of the circus's brutality and the consequences of Uncle Al's cruelty. Their murder is the catalyst for Jacob's final break with the circus world's dark side.
Themes & Symbols
The themes of cruelty vs. compassion, survival in a harsh world, and aging, dignity, and mortality converge in these chapters, highlighting the stark contrasts that define the characters' experiences. August's cruelty leads to his demise, while Jacob's compassion prevents him from becoming a murderer. The circus itself becomes a symbol of both exploitation and belonging, reflecting the duality of human nature.
"We're going to do it my way now."
This quote from Uncle Al encapsulates his controlling and ruthless nature. It foreshadows the escalating violence and desperation that will consume the circus, ultimately leading to his own downfall.
"I am ninety-three years old. I can do whatever the hell I want."
This defiant statement from Old Jacob embodies his refusal to be defined by his age or circumstances. It marks a turning point in his character arc, as he reclaims his agency and embarks on a final adventure.
Why This Matters
These chapters represent the climax and resolution of the novel, bringing together the various plot threads and character arcs. The stampede serves as a chaotic culmination of the simmering tensions within the circus, while the deaths of August and Al offer a sense of dark justice. Jacob's escape from the nursing home and his confession to Charlie provide closure to the framing narrative, allowing him to find peace and belonging in the place where he truly feels at home. The ending affirms that a life, no matter how long, is defined by its moments of passion, purpose, and connection.