Recently I attended the History Through Fiction conference in Beverly, Massachusetts. On the plane, I read The Rhino Keeper by Jillian Forsberg. I’d alread read and reviewed the author’s more recent book, The Porcelain Menagerie, and I’d enjoyed it. Besides, what better way to travel to a conference than to read the book of an author who would be there?
The weekend passed in a blur, but it was a wonderful conference. I spoke at a session myself, met many amazing authors, and attended inspiring sessions, including The Archetypes of Animals with Jillian Forsberg. I didn’t get to talk with Jillian directly, but enjoyed her talk as much as both of her books…yes, I did finish The Rhino Keeper during the conference.
The Rhino Keeper is a dual timeline novel that takes place in Holland. In the modern timeline, a college student finds ancient documents tied to an ancient grave. She is intrigued by the mystery they present and is determined to find out more.
The historical timeline is set in 1740, based on the real events when a Dutch ship captain returns to Europe with a living rhinoceros, the first in Europe. He takes Clara, the rhino, across Europe and shows her to amazed crowds that include kings.
I enjoyed both timelines in this book, which is important for dual timeline novels, but was totally captivated by Clara and her world. It’s clear the author did an amazing amount of research into Clara and her travels as well as the details of caring for a rhinoceros. As Douwe, the captain, becomes obsessed with Clara, so does the reader. The captain is familiar with transporting exotic animals for sale to European menageries, but Clara is different. She grabs onto his heart, and he is determined to protect her. My heart broke with his when Clara’s horn is cut off the living animal, and later when she eventually dies.
The college student’s story also resonated with me. The idea of staying in an old building with an antique desk is cool enough, but finding a secret compartment in that desk with ancient documents inside? That is the stuff of dreams and legends. I liked how her quest to learn more about the documents ran alongside her personal love story instead of the love story taking over her narrative. The book, after all, is about Clara, and Clara is more interesting than the men in the student’s life. Great book. Highly recommended.
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