A reimagining based on a true happening. . . two story lines intertwined.

One takes place in 1740, and is the subject of the second story - all about Clara, a rhinoceros who travels throughout Europe with her keepers. She supports those same keepers and never sees her homelands again. Even though her circle of supporters was bonded with her, her life was not a natural one and she had my full sympathies.

The second story is present day(ish) arising out of a student's historical mystery hunt while she is in Holland. Andrea Clarkson finds an old grave with a rhino on it. . .and her questions whip her up into a full-on search. . .finding the last chapters of Clara's story.

The two storyline were nicely tied together - one of those ". . .and now for something completely different," stories. . .

*A sincere thank you to Jillian Forsberg, History Through Fiction, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.*

I'm sorry but I just couldn't finish this audiobook and only made it just over a 1/3 of the way through and that was with a struggle - really rare for me because I hate to be beaten by a book.

I loved the idea but I found the sections about Clara quite long and not really that interesting. I really disliked Andrea (and the pronunciation of her name as Ondrea). The constant harking back to her 'trauma' from seeing stuffed animals at her ex boyfriends did not seem relatable or understandable. I'm sorry to be so negative but this just wasn't the book for me at this time

Review: The Rhino Keeper by Jillian Forsberg
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I picked up The Rhino Keeper in audiobook format, and what a wonderful surprise it turned out to be! The narration really brought the story to life—it was engaging, immersive, and transported me right into the heart of the world Jillian Forsberg created.

From the very beginning, I felt drawn into the atmosphere of the story. The pacing was smooth, the world-building vivid, and the characters had a quiet depth that made them easy to root for. There was something so calming and captivating about how the plot unfolded—slow burn, but never dull. It balanced adventure, emotional beats, and subtle suspense beautifully.

What stood out most to me was how fresh and unique the concept felt. It didn’t try too hard but still managed to hold my attention from start to finish. The audiobook format enhanced that experience even more, making every moment feel cinematic.

While this might not be your typical high-octane fantasy, it has a soul of its own—gentle, powerful, and memorable. I'm really glad I gave it a listen, and I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for more from this author.

Highly recommend giving this one a try—especially in audio!

Thank you NetGalley and History Through Fiction | Jillian Forsberg for this ARC Audio Copy!

This is such a beautiful story about an FMC who is strong enough to stand up for herself and the journey of transporting an Indian Rhino across the seas to Europe. It really was beautiful representation of what I believe was a true story and shows just how greed and money can really make anything happen, but how others will suffer to fulfill that process. Clara was such a beautiful character, and I hate that she was being uprooted from her homeland to be shipped across the world to be ogled by the rich, but I am glad that she had caretakers that truly cared about her.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in return for an honest review.

The good:
* It was clear that the author loved rhinos, and had spent some decent time with rhinos and talking to rhino-keepers to make Clara as realistic as possible. Her ear twitching and huffing and leaning were all perfect.
* The actual historical story is so interesting, and generally well-presented.
* Douwe and Zubin are interesting characters and make for many interesting moments.

The irritating:
* The constant repeating of certain catch phrases. Once I'd clocked them it was so distracting.

The bad:
* Every regional accent the narrator attempted, some of which were borderline offensive, and many of which were unintelligible or bizarre. (Scottish was a low point).
* Pretty much the entire modern story arc.
* The idea that Andrea could be about to get engaged and not know anything about this person's history.
* The author having apparently no concept of how university works in Europe.
* The idea that Andrea would win a scholarship to come and... dig up a graveyard that nobody else really cares about?
* Pretty much everything about Andrea to be honest.
* All of the romantic arcs in the whole book, which made me roll my eyes so hard they came out of the back of my head.
* The whole ending, which was just a mad pivot into a completely different genre.

I found myself racing through Andrea's bits with poor grace to get back to Clara and a good story. Overall, a very weird book.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read the arc for The Rhino Keeper. This story was told in a dual timeline. I found the past timeline to be more engaging and fully fleshed out than the present day one. As I read, I wanted to see if there really was a Rhino that traveled through Europe. The Author's note clarified some of the questions that came up for me. The present day plot seemed less believable especially with the Andrea's boyfriend and his family. It was interesting and I kept reading to find out what happened to the Rhino and her keepers.

This was a fantastic story that helps you to understand what life was like for people in the 1700s. The story takes you through this Indian rhinos (almost whole) life as well as her carers. The way the story flipped back and forth between present day and the 1700s was a really fun way to keep the reader interested. While this wasn’t the type of story I usually choose I found it extremely entertaining! The author really did her research and it shows! The narrator was fantastic as well! All in all this was a great story that came with some valuable education along the way.

I really had no idea if I’d like this book going into it, but ended up really enjoying it! I don’t read historical fiction as much as I used to, but I loved learning that Clara and the rhino keeper were both real, but the other characters and parts of their lives were imagined (to line up with the limited information about Clara, her journey, and the rhino keeper).

I also appreciated it being a historical fiction with a decent amount of action that wasn’t a war story. The dual timelines kept things interesting as well, and I loved the feeling like we as the reader were learning about Clara and the other characters from the 18th as the modern day characters learned about them.

The audio narration and production was well done in my opinion, and I had no issues with it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Independent Book Publishers Association for an advanced listening copy of this book!

A Man and a Rhinoceros called Clara is a story about adventure from the first page to the last. This was a well-written story and the audiobook was narrated well. The addition of the historical mystery made the store captivating and at times, I felt as if I were there on land and sea. I enjoyed the two different perspectives on their travels. With ease I was transported back in history and part of this novel. This book is a must for anyone wanting an adventure back in time that will not disappoint.

A fascinating blend of historical fiction and present-day mystery, *The Rhino Keeper* offers both heart and wonder. Clara the rhino is the beating heart of this story, and her journey across 18th-century Europe—alongside the kind-hearted captain Douwemout—feels fresh, charming, and genuinely emotional. The dual timelines are well balanced, with Andrea’s modern-day investigation adding intrigue and momentum. There’s real tenderness in the relationships—both human and animal—and a thoughtful exploration of legacy, storytelling, and the marvels that shape history. A captivating tribute to an unforgettable creature and the people who loved her.

I want to thank NetGalley for the chance to review this book!
The story is done in duel prospective, the story is about a rhino named Clara, being taken across 18 sentry Europe by a a sea captain. The other prospective is Andrea Clarkson that uncovers a historical mystery. I like the story listened to audiobook narrator was pleasant to listen too. was very well told. I will say not something I would probably listen to normally but once I got into the story I was pleasantly surprised. I would recommend to people that want history along with a good story.

Thank you #NetGalley for the opportunity to preview this audio book.
While I listened, I also borrowed the ebook from hoopla to fully understand some of the words and names.
I did like this book and found the historical part of the dual timeline really interesting.
The current timeline was pretty predicable. However, I do think great thought was put into quickly developing the characters to support the storyline.
This book was not as endearing to me as "West with Giraffes" but still a good storyline to increase awareness of the dire loss of this magnificent creature due to ignorance.
The narration is really good.

Unfortunately, I decided to dnf this book, I could not find myself getting into it enough to want to pick it back up after putting it down.

The concept is so fascinating, and I love the idea of following two timelines. The past timeline is the journey with the rhino and its keeper (Clara sounds adorable), and the future timeline is about discovering that old journey of the rhino, and it follows a woman who is passionate about protecting animals, much like the characters of the past.

Listening to the audio, there were far too many characters to keep them all straight and it caused a lot of confusion for me.

While this certainly has its audience in historical fiction readers, I unfortunately am not that audience, despite my deep love for rhinos which inspired me to pick up this book in the first place.

Such a sweet story of the bond between an animal and it's humans. I enjoyed the dual timeline povs and I found the book entertaining and educational. The cover of this book is just so pretty and the narrator for the audiobook did a fantastic job with all the diverse characters and accents.
Overall a really good read.

The Rhino Keeper is a touching and beautifully written story that highlights the powerful bond between humans and wildlife. Jillian Forsberg delivers an inspiring tale of courage and conservation, and Caroline Hewitt’s narration brings it to life with warmth and emotional depth. A must-listen for anyone who loves heartfelt stories and unforgettable characters.

I really enjoyed the story and historical setting of The Rhino Keeper. The part of the book set in modern day I found uninteresting and the characters one dimensional. The relationships, locations, etc of 18th century Europe were fabulous.

This story is told in two times, the first is in 2020, when college student Andrea decides to study abroad in the Netherlands to get away from her ex. The second starts in 1740, when Dowemout van der Meer gets the opportunity to buy a Rhinoceros named Clara and starts to tour Europe with her. When Andrea discovers documents in a hidden compartment in a desk in her dorm room, she begins to uncover the story of Dowemout and Clara.

I relished listening to it, partly due to the narrator's enjoyable voice. I also liked the dive into history through Dower's story, and the two storylines complemented each other great.
But sometimes the story moved too slowly, especially in the middle, and the love story between Andrea and Lucas seemed a bit rushed and forced.
Overall, it was great, and by the end, the story gained momentum, and I loved the "Author's Notes" pointing out which parts of the story were completely fictional and especially the reading suggestions for learning more about Clara.

Thank you, History Through Fiction, for providing me with this audiobook to review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley, the Independent Book Publishers Association and author Jillian Forsberg for this audio ARC.

A dual-timeline novel about a rhino traveling from India to Europe in 1740 and the rediscovery of it's journey in modern times.

I personally enjoyed the historical storyline much more as I feel like the characters were more fleshed out and I loved Clara so much. I also found it so interesting, that it's based on actual events that we know so little about.

The modern storyline was interesting, but our MC Andrea wasn't my favourite. I loved that she knew what she wanted (or didn't want) but she had a very naive, at times almost child-like, black and white way of thinking. Also I agree trophy hunting should be banned and is horrible her reaction to any kind of taxidermy or skeleton seemed a little over the top and it's never explained why she has such a visceral/traumatic response to it.

Caroline Hewitt did a wonderful job with the narration and I highly recommend the audiobook!

I loved diving into this fascinating slice of history, following Clara the rhino’s incredible journey across 18th-century Europe. The relationships between Clara, Zubin, and Dowermout were beautifully written, and the inclusion of historical figures like Voltaire and real artwork added a rich, immersive layer to the story.

The dual timeline with Andrea started off a bit slow but gained momentum toward the end. While the book offers an entertaining and romanticized take on Clara’s travels, it does gloss over some harsher historical realities. That said, the final chapters are absolutely heartbreaking for animal lovers.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed The Rhino Keeper. Some elements felt a bit forced, but the story kept me engaged, and I’d happily recommend it—4 stars!

Thank you Netgalley and History Through Fiction for a free Advanced Listeners Copy in exchange for my honest review.

Courtesy of History Through Fiction and Netgalley, I received the ARC of The Rhino Keeper by Jillian Forsberg in audible format. So well narrated, this amazing historical novel traces the introduction of Clara the Indian rhino through Europe with her Dutch owner. I was entranced by this story...I learned so much about navigation, customs, and wild animal interest of 18th century Europe. The author crafted a heartwarming, creative, and thoughtful story! I loved this book!