I had every emotion through the course of reading this book. Using prehensile tongues almost half . (If you're not into that, don't worry--it's really only in the prologue.). The story begins with a centenarian named Woodrow Wilson Woody Nickel sitting in his nursing home watching a TV documentary on the near extinction of giraffes and other endangered species in Africa. "Few true friends have I known and two were giraffes". Realizing that punching all the TVs in the world wouldnt save the giraffes, he set out to document his story of how two giraffes changed his life forever. 1940. As soon as Smith had apprised Belle Benchley of the giraffes poor condition, Benchley contacted Dr. Charles Schroeder from the Bronx Zoo to assess her condition. 'jetpack-lazy-images-js-enabled' A newborn giraffe is about 6 feet (1.9 meters) tall at birth and weighs about 150 pounds (68 kilograms). Rutledge brings to life the auto courts and roadside attractions of the 1930s. He uses a stolen motorcycle to follow the giraffes, and when the Old Mans driver, Earl, suddenly quits his job, Woody propositions him to be the new driver. West With Giraffes study guide contains a biography of Lynda Rutledge, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. It just hurts so much, animals are so innocent! But when he learns giraffes are going extinct, he finds himself recalling the unforgettable experience he cannot take to his grave.It's 1938.The Great Depression lingers. However, as soon as she was upright the crew could see that her left rear ankle was severely injured. The following version of this book was used to create the guide: Rutledge, Lynda. On the surface a road trip coming of age novel, but down deep an aching meditation on loss, time, and hope", Many readers have asked to see an image of the real-life traveling rig. What follows is a twelve-day road trip in a custom truck to become Southern California's first giraffes. It is clear from Belle Benchleys memoir that she had a wonderful relationship with many of her keepers, particularly Charley Smith. If you want to skip over it, just skip to the horizontal line break. West With Giraffes Summary & Study Guide includes comprehensive information and analysis to After his death, Woodys last wish is fulfilled, and his manuscripts are delivered to Augie Ann. Amazingly, one of the crew saw the female giraffe move, so they covered and protected her as the storm raged on. I started getting worried about something terrible happening to the giraffes so I thought I'd check for spoilers. Local Woman Names Newly Arrived Giraffes. Escondido (CA) Times-Advocate (October 28, 1938): 6. She indeed fills our imagination with a journey full of colorful characters, tall tales, and deep secrets. Animal Quarantine Station in Athenia, New Jersey, for a federally mandated fifteen-day quarantine. West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge tells the great adventure story of 17-year-old Woodrow Wilson Nickel, who drives two giraffes cross-country in 1938 America, finding himself along the way through the joys and conflicts of the voyage. However, from Benchleys 1941 memoir it is obvious that Smith did not update her as much as she would have preferred. color: #3AAA11 !important; I really wish the book had included a photo of the truck that the giraffes were driven in, but I found this one online. A man from the zoo shows up to drive the giraffes across the country to the zoo, and that's where the whole adventure begins. Read the Study Guide for West With Giraffes. Hitler is threatening Europe, and world-weary Americans long for wonder. 1947. document.documentElement.classList.add( Not affiliated with Harvard College. She smelled of fur . .printfriendly a, .printfriendly a:link, .printfriendly a:visited, .printfriendly a:hover, .printfriendly a:active { I'm doing a Friends-themed read-athon for 2021, and each month there is a different "Friends-based" theme to choose a book. A giraffe's neck alone is 6 feet (1.8 meters) long and weighs about 600 lbs. Spies, Wars, Winners and Losers, It's All So Intriguing To Me! Wonderful to see the photos and learn the history! she was such a sweet grandmotherly type. West With Giraffes, while an historical novel, reads as a beautiful memoir of one brief and eventful journey. Have you shared it? "West With Giraffes Study Guide: Analysis". } ISBN : 9781542023344. Discussing West with Giraffes? What did you discover in the expanse of your country? One of the aspects of the novel I enjoyed the most was the depiction of Belle Benchleysweet but tough, and highly respected. Lake Union. He resolves to follow them to California. But was he proud of the two beautiful animals! 1st ed. oh, those sky-high eyes of theirs. He has nothing keeping him in New York, no family, no home, and a lot of ideas about the opportunities that await in California. It was a wonderful novel. The giraffes were actually named Patches and Lofty and after surviving the tumultuous trip across the sea that saw their transport sail smack dab into a hurricane, the animals did indeed make the cross-country to the new home waiting for them at the San Diego Zoo. Did the ending answer all your questions? He has no money, no possessions, and no real direction for his life. Sharon's Book & Wine Club - May 2021 West with giraffes by Lynda Rutledge "A perfect balance between history and fiction Rutledge blends fictional characters with real historical personalities to create a story that is equal parts educational, quirky, and romantic." -POPSUGAR.com West with Giraffes is Austin writer Lynda Rutledge's second novel, preceded by Faith Bass Darling . While visiting his parents home, the flash flood threatens to topple the giraffe rig and kill Woody and the Old Man. Train travel did not allow that freedom. The explanation he offers for the killings is both convincing and painfully banal. Thank you for this! I seldom read books more than once, but this one I will return to again in the future! The country had endured a Great Depression, filling the landscape with Hoovervilles and shantytowns, WPA and CCC projects, and migrants searching for a better life. . Best for: 12 and up. What follows is a twelve-day road trip in a custom truck to deliver Southern California's first giraffes to the San Diego Zoo. What brings your most vivid memories to the forefront? This book is AMAZING and it's one of those books that you just can't forget. West With Giraffes. They were instant successes, and beloved by staff and visitors alike. Behind the wheel is the young Dust Bowl rowdy Woodrow. tells a story looking back at his youth of when he talked his way into helping drive a couple Giraffes from the East Coast to San Diego, California. The synopsis of the book sounded ordinary to me, and I can't say I was excited to read it. What follows is a twelve-day road trip in a custom truck to deliver Southern Californias first giraffes to the San Diego Zoo. . Did you think it was believable or too farfetched? ;) Have lots of enlightening fun! -webkit-box-shadow: none; And it is through the construct of historical fact and modern-day fiction that this remarkable story which captivated a nation before fading away into almost a forgotten legend is made tangible for todays reader. Americas First Zoostory: 125 Years at the Philadelphia Zoo. Just finished this wonderful book!! -moz-box-shadow: none; The San Diego Zoo: The First Century. But when he learns giraffes are going extinct, he finds himself recalling the unforgettable experience he cannot take to his grave. Rutledge didnt include photos of the actual trip with her novel, perhaps due to the expense of copyrights, perhaps because she wanted to keep it as Woodys story. He done a grand job and he knew it. A crane was used to lower the giraffe crates out of the truck and onto terra firma. I hope to die there, I do. . I appreciate the opportunity to win a copy! And even those ships do everything possible to stay away from the hurricanes of the Caribbean. San Diego Zoo. Few true friends have I known and two were giraffes. Which is why we're providing you with this list of top book club questions that will generate general discussion whether you're focused on nonfiction, a self-help book, a juicy historical romance novel, or one of Reese's, Jenna Bush Hager's or, of course, Oprah's favorites. Inspired by true events, the tale weaves real-life figures with fictional ones, including the world's first female zoo director, a crusty old man with a past, a young female photographer with a secret, and assorted reprobates as spotty as the giraffes. We would like to show you a description here but the site won't allow us. This was kind of tough for me, because the books I read typically don't have animals in them. On that trip we drove through the same passes in the Appalachians, drove along a similar route into San Diego and stopped in many of the same cities, (if not the same lodgings :), as Woody and Riley. The story isnt even about that boat ride. "Few true friends have I known and two were giraffes" Woodrow Wilson Nickel, age 105, feels his life ebbing away. Hooray Lynda Rutledge. @media screen { Thank you! Imagine waves so severe that a rhino is tossed overboard. Hitler is threatening Europe, and world-weary Americans long for wonder. Sherr, Lynn. Many zoos simply werent willing to take the risk or didnt have the funds. Woody, havent you ever wanted something so bad you had to do it or die trying? page 156. New York: Scribner. 2021. DeLeon, Clark. At the end of the novel, she sits down to read the true story of her mothers amazing journey across the continent with the giraffes. Giraffes grow about 4 feet (1.2 meters) in their first year of life. west with giraffes ending explained. They are all saved when Red wedges her car against the truck and prevents it from overturning. This is the All Book'd Book Club pick for January! I especially think that teen boys would really like it. Worley, Karen E. 2016. border: none; html:not( .jetpack-lazy-images-js-enabled ):not( .js ) .jetpack-lazy-image { While I believe great storytelling is as much art as science, Science of People shares tips from the science side. 1997. The novel is divided into 16 chapters named after the place where the chapters events transpire and are intermingled with newspaper clippings, telegrams and postcards. He is forced to visit his familys homesite when a sheriff closes the highway due to the threat of flash flooding. ", "It had me both laughing and crying. Reading it was like falling into another world. The animals were loaded onto the S.S. Robin Goodfellow in Mombasa, British East Africa (present-day Kenya), for a 52-day, 3,200-mile journey to the coast of New York. 3rd ed. There is no real bluffing and nothing underhanded between Charley Smith and me nor is there between any of us; we are all working for one end, here in the Zoo, though perhaps by different methods. Giraffesan animal most Americans had never actually see for themselves with their own two eyes at the timehad actually somehow managed to survive a wild ride aboard the SS Robin Goodfellow when it headed straight into a typhoon off the coast of Haiti. A remarkable network of veins and one-way valves prevent back-flow, keeping blood from. I too cannot read a book or watch a movie or anything involving animal cruelty/death. What we called highways were barely tolerable for transporting people much less chauffeuring giraffes. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. . An utterly beautiful novel.".. What secrets do animals hold? Pages : 372 pages. So I'll give a SPOILER WARNING HERE. the rig, the Old Man, and the giraffes were more homeand more familythan any home Id ever had. 1944. Thank you so much for the feedback! The first giraffes could be seen in Central Park in 1872 and in Philadelphia in 1874, and the first baby giraffe in captivity was born in Cincinnati in 1889. a woman on the running board of the truck feeding a giraffe in the crate, the crates being loaded with a giraffe leaning out the window of one crate, listen to giraffes humming in this YouTube video, 2-minute video of murmuration of starlings in the Netherlands, How to Tell Better Stories: 4 Simple Tips for Introverts from Introverts, Dear, cience of People shares tips from the science side. They find it in two giraffes who miraculously survive a hurricane while crossing the Atlantic. vertical-align: middle; Wild Girl and Wild Boy are at the heart of this novel and throughout and directly in her Authors Note following the novel, the author shares her views of how we can be charmed and inspired by animals. } Perhaps you will fall in love with those giraffes and enjoy the adventures of Old Man and Woody as much as I did. West Side Story shows how racism and xenophobia create a system that dooms the youths of working class families. She had red curls all over her head, a fiery halo of raging waves she surely battled into submission every morning, and she was wearing trousersthe first woman Id ever seen doing so in real life. Just when Woody thought this crazy girl had stopped following them, the green Packard would come roaring into view. How can you share your story and with whom? "Lynda Rutledge has written a one in a million book", "The depth of feeling that went into the writing of this wonderful book exudes from every page", "This book is so good it gives me shivers", Woodrow Wilson Nickel, age 105, feels his life ebbing away. Giraffes Proud Parents at the San Diego Zoo. Los Angeles Times (August 28, 1952): 15. The past tense is used in Woodys recounting of the story, and the present tense is used in sections that describe Woodys writing process in the convalescent home. West With Giraffes, Lynda Rutledge "Few true friends have I known and two were giraffes" Woodrow Wilson Nickel, age 105, feels his life ebbing away. An emotional, rousing novel inspired by the incredible true story of two giraffes who made headlines and won the hearts of Depression-era America. The giraffe's eyes are located on both sides of the skull, giving them an all-round look from the height. I absolutely loved this book. I enjoyed West with Giraffes too, and your review was a delight -- remembering the book once again. ", "A journey through a world both intimately familiar and lost in the dust of the past. Stephenson, Lynda Rutledge. The description kind of lost me because of the historical references--I'm NOT a history buff and I was afraid I'd be bored reading it. I was sad when the book ended but my heart was full. Home; About. The book was wonderful and reading this was the icing on the cake! Red was an aspiring photojournalist trying to sell her giraffe story to Life magazine. font-size: 14px !important; west with giraffes ending explainedmr patel neurosurgeon cardiff 27 februari, 2023 . Download or read book West with Giraffes written by Lynda Rutledge and published by Lake Union Publishing. "Few true friends have I known and two were giraffes" Woodrow Wilson Nickel, age 105, feels his life ebbing away. West with Giraffes: A Novel Lake Union Publishing Hardcover (also available as an e-book, an audiobook, on audio CD, and in paperback), 978-1-5420-2174-6, 356 pgs., $24.95 February 1, 2021 "That's your first story, but it doesn't have to be your only story. The animal's legs are also 6 feet long. float: right; In 1938, America was looking for a feel-good tale to help them through the threat of Hitler in Europe and the continuing Great Depression. Kraft, Joy W. 2010. Don't wait. Schroeder was a former zoo veterinarian at the San Diego Zoo and would later become the zoos director after Benchley retired in 1953. But when he learns giraffes are going extinct, he finds . Wanting more on the true story that inspired West with Giraffes?Click on this PHOTO for an unusual book review by a Zoo Historian. Two giraffes (later to be called Lofty and Patches) travelled to New York surviving . It's also a coming of age story that demonstrates the positive influence caring friends and gentle animals can have on a young man's life. . 1. When he returns to the zoo, the Old Man has also recently passed away. Unbeknownst to him, she is a married woman and is being pursued by the police for stealing her husbands car and crossing state lines without a male chauffeur. Recently, one particular work of historical fiction captured my interestthe fact that the title contained the word giraffes certainly helped, but upon reading the description I discovered that its based on actual events revolving around the San Diego Zoo in 1938. The key characters in both of these novels are animals that find themselves in a world foreign to them. Hurricane Sweeps Coast. New York Times (September 22, 1938): 1, 1618. Whats your story? I felt it worthwhile to let that go and just enjoy the ride as I was effortlessly transported on a cross-country drive in the autumn of 1938. 219 Reviews. I too felt the love for the giraffes and all animals really. By: Lynda Rutledge. An emotional, rousing novel inspired by the incredible true story of two giraffes who made headlines and won the hearts of Depression-era America. And the novel is centered on Woody as he rapidly writes down his and Reds story because he feels its important to share with Reds daughter. One of those books that make you not want to even start another cuz. . Here are a few topics to chew on: Life during the Great Depression Value of such a historical novel for perspective of current hard times The Dust Bowl and other ecological issues then/now and our part in them Human's relationships with and obligation to animals (and other humans) Endangered/extinct species--why it matters: Old Man's sky-blanketing passenger pigeons (pp. The auto courts and roadside attractions of the past Zoostory: 125 Years at the Philadelphia Zoo,. 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