An interesting story based on the true story of Clara the rhino who toured Europe in the 1700s. The historical events are fascinating, and led me to do some more research into Clara. However, this is an overly simplistic and romanticized book. The characters were very flat, there was a lot of telling instead of showing, events happened too fast and in random, unrealistic ways and I found the romantic storylines too forced and awkward. However, readers may not care about these points and enjoy the story for what it is.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced audiobook. All opinions are my own.

This one I thoroughly enjoyed, and I really adored the voice reading it to me. Might have especially enjoyed it because I'm Dutch, and it always delights me to hear stories that have my own country as a part of it (Leiden is also where my brother studied).

What an incredibly well-researched, captivating, and heart-warming story about the magnificent Clara the rhino!

I went into this book with zero expectations and was pleasantly surprised. The amount of historical detail is astounding and truly made this book an enjoyable read, especially coming from someone who is an avid historical fiction reader.

The dual timeline was drove the plot forward and kept me engaged with the story; I especially enjoyed the opening scene and actually LOL’d from shock.

Personally, the writing style was more direct with much more “tell” rather than “show” which hindered me a bit from fully connecting emotionally with the characters. However, by the end Douwe and Clara fully stole my heart and I may have even shed a tear or two.

The audiobook, narrated by Caroline Hewitt, was engaging and flowed very well. I appreciated the nuance and detail she provided for each character’s unique voice.

Brava, Jillian Forsberg for a phenomenal read! I will be recommending this book to all my animal-lover reader friends.

Thank you to Netgalley for the audiobook ARC.

This was "Water for Elephants" set in the late 1600s with a rhino. I loved the story and the characters, both past and present, though I was definitely more taken with the characters of the past. It seems the author was too as they are written more like fully rounded people and not black or white like Andrea. I loved Clara and Zubin and their relationship as well as the relationship that developed between Zubin and the Captain. However I think this is an overly- romanticized version of history, the history we would like to be true instead of the one that actually existed: sexism, racism, colonizers who decimated the lands they conquered.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author Jillian Forsburg, and History Through Fiction for my advance copy of this audiobook.

The Rhino Keeper is an easy read with a lot of heart, and a few flaws. This dual timeline historical fiction offers up much to think about – human rights, animal rights, women’s rights – all while telling the fascinating tale of the first rhinoceros to travel Europe. Despite the volume of research the author did, some of the cultural representations are inaccurate, though clearly not intentionally, as she obviously aspires to a commendable degree of inclusivity. I also wish the author had focused more on character development than the unnecessary romance elements of the plot. However, I still found myself rooting for the protagonists in both timelines and thoroughly charmed by Clara the rhinoceros.
Thank you, History Through Fiction, for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

THE RHINO KEEPER by Jillian Forsberg

Thank you to NetGalley and History Through Fiction, LLC for the audiobook of this story.
Narration by, Caroline Hewitt, was done very well.

This delightful book is based on the true story of a Dutch sea captain who toured Europe with an Indian rhinoceros named, Clara, in the 18th century, along with Zubin, the young caretaker for, Clara. A young college student, Andrea, makes a life-changing discovery while studying abroad in the Netherlands in 2022.

If you liked the book, West With Giraffes, I think you might enjoy this book, as well. Dual timelines creates this endearing tale spanning continents and centuries. I was pulled in right from the beginning of this enchanting journey of Clara and her companions along with the story of the aspiring historian, Andrea.

From a modern viewpoint, traveling continents with a wild animal in the 18th century and not having the knowledge to fully understand and properly care for the needs of Clara was a tad disturbing. I enjoyed this book and the unique story of Clara. I look forward to more from this author.

This book was a beautiful listen and the fact that it is a part of history I knew nothing about was so special. Clara sounds like a lovely animal full of fun and warmth - what happened to her horn was horrible and I can't believe that still happens to this day. The relationship between the owner and the keeper was so great. Thank you to netgalley for letting me listen and review.

A book based on a true story of a Dutch sea captain who traveled with an Indian rhinoceros called Clara across 18th century Europe.

It was a beautiful and lovely book to read. I was captivated by the relationship of Douwe and Clara. I thoroughly enjoyed the historical timeline of the book.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the audiobook/DRC.

The Rhino Keeper is a captivating historical fiction, dual timeline tale about the life, travels, and adventures of an 18th century, 5000 pound Rhino named Clara and the Dutch sea captain and the boy who bonded with her for life. It’s always such a delight to stumble upon a historical fiction book that tells a unique and beautiful story, AND teaches you something new. The author skillfully integrated fact with fiction to bring to the reader history, suspense, found family, and mystery. I love the emphasis on the timeless theme of how animals impact humans and humans impact animals. This author did a tremendous amount of research!

Thank you to NetGalley, History Through Fiction, and Jillian Forsberg for the free audio version of this book in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 stars rounded up. This book was incredibly inconsistent. I enjoyed parts and couldn’t stop rolling my eyes at others. I don’t mind dual timelines but I don’t understand the point of the modern day story. It was so unnecessary and I truly disliked the main character. Her “trauma” (which she mentions constantly) made zero sense to me and, while clearly meant to be significant , did nothing to drive the plot. I wish the author had scrapped that storyline (as well as the silly romance) or, better yet, focused solely on Clara’s story.

I really enjoyed this story, it was an interesting look into a lesser known piece of history with touch of mystery a bit of romance. I loved the dual timeline and the way the modern time line unearthed the story of the past of but I felt that the romance didn't add anything to it other than a dramatic prologue. Andrea's ex could be lifted out of the story and all it would change is her reaction to taxidermy and Lucas. I get that that would remove most of her character development but it didn't feel like it added anything to the story. Other than that I have no critiques, the 1700s timeline was fascinating, emotional, adventurous and the historical mystery added by the modern one was fun. I'd happily read more books like this!

Went into this book blindly. Love the cover artworks. Listened to the audiobook thought was a great storyline of the past not as bonded to the current storyline. Didn’t realize was based on a true story till the end. I love the history lesson of Clara’s story path. I couldn’t turn the audiobook off!

Well drawn characters that felt real to me, and an excellent audio book, with a good narrator. Thank you to netgalley for giving me a copy of the audio book, highly recommended.

I found The Rhino Keeper to be a captivating read that truly kept me engaged from start to finish. Forsberg's storytelling drew me right in with its narrative and slight hints at mystery.
The book's strengths made me feel deeply connected to the characters and their mission. I was particularly impressed by the story as it was both informative and emotionally present. The characters felt real, and their dedication to finding the truth did not disappoint.
The author's writing style made it feel like an adventure.
A solid 4-star read that I would definitely recommend to anyone interested in slight mystery with some romance.

Wonderful book. Loved it from beginning to end. Loved the alternating in the past and then current. Kept me guessing until the end. Would definitely recommend and read anything from this author.

I listened to this as an audiobook and thought the narrator (Caroline Hewitt) was excellent and held my attention throughout.

I did find this book slow to get going - but the 2 person narration / moving between the two different time periods probably contributed (and for some reason I always find 2 person narration more difficult to follow with an audio book).

Overall, I really enjoyed the story of Clara the rhino, which I hadn't heard of before. Clara, Douwe and Zubin's travels in Europe were entertaining.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!

The Rhino Keeper tells the enchanting tale of the lovely rhinoceros Clara and her dedicated Keepers.

I experienced a whirlwind of emotions while reading The Rhino Keeper! I adored the dual timelines, and Clara's adventures across Europe were truly captivating! This book pulled me in completely, making me feel as if I were right there alongside them. The storytelling was genuinely beautifully crafted

What an excellent choice of narrator for this joy of a book. I read this last fall, as I was able to get an advanced copy from the author. I love to do immersion reads so as soon as I found out I was able to get the audio for this, I jumped on the opportunity. The audio narration brought the world to life in a whole new and refreshing way.

Review of audiobook.

A mostly enjoyable listen.
As with many dual timelines, there's one I preferred.
It was Clara and her Captain.
Who knew you could become fond of a fictionalised rhino.
I wasn't so keen on Andrea who just seemed a bit much at times.
As the story nears its end, the action ramps up surprisingly. Quite fun.
My main take on this is the effort it took to feed and keep that rhino whilst travelling.
I'm definitely off to google a bit more about her now.

This was one of my fave reads in 2024. And I got 4 friends to buy it, post me reading it. I also own a physical copy now!

With the narration added, it takes this book up another level!

So my review is as per my goodreads page from 2024

I selected this book from NetG, simply on the basis that my favourite animal is the rhinoceros. From a novel perspective, I had zero expectations.

What I got was incredible. This story is enchanting, beautifully crafted, and with the perfect blend of known history, assumed history, and fiction.

When people say they can't put a book down, they do tend to actually put said book down. However, with Rhino Keeper, I put the book down exactly once (to sleep) , I read the entire book in two sittings, and I could have read a 1000 more pages about Clara

One of the most wonderful stories I've had the pleasure of reading