The Rhino Keeper - by Jillian Forsberg (Paperback)

About the Book

"2022 - College student Andrea Clarkson uncovers a historical mystery while studying abroad in Holland. From hidden desk drawers come unusual historical documents featuring a rhinoceros. On a lichen-covered eighteenth-century grave, the same animal is carved. When an expanding river forces exhumation, what she finds buried there is life-changing. Andrea faces her nightmares to retrieve what a grave robber steals: valuable proof of a long-forgotten history. 1740 - Ship captain Douwemout van der Meer has something not seen in two hundred years: the only rhino in Europe, called Clara. Douwemout and Clara tour Europe, enthralling peasants and queens, hoping to change popular views that rhinos are man-eating beasts. Absolute wonder follows, but when a priest sees idol worship and becomes hell-bent on destroying her, Clara, Douwe, and the lives of her bonded caretakers are at risk. As Douwe becomes protectively dedicated to adventuring with Clara, unexpected love finds him, and his heart starts to tear. Will he choose a life with a traveling wonder-beast forever, or can love exist in many forms for the rhino keeper?"--

Book Synopsis

⭐️ Named a 2025 Kansas Notable Book ⭐️

Winner of the Midwest Book Award for Cover Design

Before The Porcelain Menagerie, Jillian Forsberg introduced readers to the dazzling and dangerous world of 18th-century Europe in The Rhino Keeper-a sweeping tale of wonder, obsession, and the fragile line between curiosity and control.

Based on the true story of a Dutch sea captain who toured the continent with an Indian rhinoceros named Clara, The Rhino Keeper brings to life an age when science, art, and spectacle collided in breathtaking-and sometimes perilous-ways.

2022 - College student Andrea Clarkson uncovers a centuries-old mystery in Holland: strange documents, a carved rhinoceros on an ancient grave, and a secret buried deep beneath the earth. What she finds will challenge her understanding of history-and of herself.

1740 - Ship captain Douwemout van der Meer possesses what no European has seen in generations: a living rhinoceros. Together, he and Clara travel across Europe, thrilling peasants and queens alike. But when devotion turns to obsession, and admiration to fear, Douwe must face the limits of his own wonder.

Among those enchanted by Clara is a young artist named Johann Joachim Kändler, whose porcelain creations capture the creature's grace-and whose ambition will one day take center stage in Forsberg's companion novel, The Porcelain Menagerie.

Narrated by Caroline Hewitt, The Rhino Keeper evokes the marvel of discovery and the danger of desire. Continue the journey with The Porcelain Menagerie, also from History Through Fiction-where the artist who sculpted Clara's likeness becomes the master of a court built on fragile beauty.

Review Quotes

"Poignant and tender, this impeccably researched novel marks Forsberg as a writer to watch. A captivating debut you'll never forget."

-Paulette Kennedy, bestselling author of The Witch of Tin Mountain

"A heart-wrenching tale of a man and his beloved rhinoceros, The Rhino Keeper is both a historical mystery and a tale of old-world adventure, reminding us that even the wishes we take to our grave may someday come true after all."

- Sarah Penner, NYT Bestselling Author of The Lost Apothecary and The London Séance Society

"Rich with adventure, historical detail, and love of all kinds, The Rhino Keeper is an enchanting true story. Readers of Forsberg's accomplished debut will find their hearts expanded with each page they turn."

-Molly Greeley, author of Marvelous

"Jillian Forsberg has crafted a masterful tale of mystery, love, and the magic of discovery. In The Rhino Keeper she takes a compassionate look at history while simultaneously weaving in a modern-day story. And how can anyone resist a tale about a rhinoceros named Clara and the salty seaman who loves her?"

- Elizabeth R. Andersen, author of The Alewives

"A charming page turner perfect for animal and history lovers alike."

- Diana Giovinazzo, author of Antoinette's Sister

"An absorbing delight from start to finish, readers will be pulling for the central characters, past and present, as we follow in Clara's outsize footsteps to discover her history and final fate. Jillian Forsberg is deeply engaged in this remarkable story and, after reading The Rhino Keeper, you will be, too."

- Glynis Ridley, author of Clara's Grand Tour: Travels with a Rhinoceros in Eighteenth-Century Europe