Jamrach's Menagerie

Jamrach’s Menagerie, a short-listed novel for the 2011 Man Booker Prize, is a gripping story set in the 19th century about a young street urchin, Jaffy Brown, who becomes involved with a famed exotic animal importer and embarks on a perilous whaling expedition. Alongside a friend named Tim, Jaffy captures a legendary dragon and faces the brutal realities of seafaring life and survival. The novel explores themes of friendship, sacrifice, and human versus animal nature through a vivid, atmospheric narrative.