Take Five: Jillian Forsberg and THE RHINO KEEPER

We are so excited to bring you an advance look at the upcoming release of WU contributor and debut author Jillian Forsberg. The book, THE RHINO KEEPER–out this coming Tuesday, October 22nd–is receiving fantastic early praise, such as:

“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

Are you as intrigued as we are? Ready to hear more? Here’s Jillian!

Q1: What’s the premise of your new book?

JF: The Rhino Keeper is a dual timeline historical fiction novel set in modern day Holland and 18th century India and Europe. While studying abroad in Holland, college student Andrea Clarkson discovers the strangest piece of history – a rhino drawing on a crumbling broadside, an advertisement claiming the Behemoth of Job was visiting Vienna in the 1740s…

The obscure, true story of Clara the Indian rhino, often called the first animal celebrity, is unwoven in the past timeline, where ship captain Douwemout van der Meer makes his way from Calcutta to Rotterdam, Versailles to Venice, and all over the continent of Europe, while caring for the rarest mammal on the continent. But when he discovers his life is held captive by Clara the same way he holds her, he has decisions to make, and some of those decisions might be made for him as love of many kinds presents to the rhino keeper.

Q2: What would you like people to know about the story itself?

JF: The 18th century part of this story is true. But people from the past leave us fragments, snippets, whispers. Often we historical fiction authors are left wondering if we’re gifted truths or glamorous lies? What we know: a rhino named Clara traipsed Europe for 18 years. What we don’t: hardly anything else. Her owner, a real person who died in 1775, left behind no surviving journal or log of their adventures. What remains of Clara’s legacy are pieces of art, preserved for their absolute mastery. It is with this that historians and myself were able to piece together her star-studded journey.

The modern part of this story is what I want to happen, in some ways. A college student discovering a historical mystery, a lichen-covered grave, treasure, antiques, museums, high-stakes moments, and a satisfying, full-circle end. My mentor asked me: What happened to Clara’s remains? Where is she now? And that inspired this entirely new story, one that many people would love to experience in their own lives. The modern part of this book helps people with little knowledge of the 18th century feel comfortable there – you’re learning alongside a college student with a museum internship!

Q3: What do your characters have to overcome in this story? What challenge do you set before them?

JF: The biggest challenge for the main character Douwe was learning how to care for an Indian rhino! There was no rhino on the continent of Europe that lived more than six months prior to Clara. The challenge for Douwe was more than how to keep her alive, though. It was acceptance that he had to abandon everything he knew to care for something so fragile. Douwe becomes selfish, obsessed with his animal instead of the people who love him. How does he say yes to his own needs when he has a two-ton celebrity to look after? And how does he respond when the people he loves most need him desperately? He must decide who gets his attention and what that means for him, his animal, and the many forms of love in his story.

In the modern timeline, Andrea is recovering from a massive personal problem, and her triggers are multiple and visceral and so tender. Writing those parts of this book, when someone’s heart is broken and every ping of her phone sends her reeling, was both sad and satisfying. How can she simply move on? By keeping herself busy, yes, but also by finding self-worth in something that happened long ago. But first she must overcome the fear that wraps itself around her like a heavy blanket.

Q4: What unique challenges did this book pose for you, if any?

JF: I am not a rhino keeper myself, so learning about the species was a big challenge. Luckily I was able to spend time with rhino keepers and rhinos themselves. They’re quite smart, lovable, and intelligent animals. They’re often downplayed as big brutish things, but the rhino I know best comes when his name is called, shows off doing zoomies, and will open his mouth on command. Rhino husbandry basics were a challenge, but so was filling in the gaps of real history when there’s blank space. I felt I had been handed a beautiful book, something really compelling, but someone had redacted 75% of it. Sometimes history is like that: we’re given small starts of sentences from people in the past, and we have to decide what to do to help those people finish their own stories. That’s why, to me, historical fiction is truly honoring to those who didn’t leave behind a complete story for us.

Q5: What has been the most rewarding aspect of having written this book?

JF: The most rewarding aspect of having written this book is the reaction from rhino keepers. It’s all been the same when I ask them: “How do you think Douwe kept Clara alive for 18 years, when all other rhinos died within six months?” Their answer, which gives me chills: “They must have been bonded.”

Congratulations on your new book, Jillian! Thank you for sharing this enticing advance peek.

WU Community, you can learn more about Jillian’s debut novel on her website, or by following the buy-links below. Look into ordering the book directly from the publisher here. Follow Jillian on Facebook, X, or IG for more. And read on!