With Woody behind the wheel, true to the actual events, the giraffe truck stopped regularly at auto camps under appropriate trees with the top of the crates open to let Boy and Girl reach up and browse. San Diego, CA: Zoological Society of San Diego. I have been recommending it to everyone! One question I have, since way back in the early sixties I was licked on the nose by a giraffe at the San Diego Zoo. Rutledge brings to life the auto courts and roadside attractions of the 1930s. text-decoration: none; Thank you. She and Woody slowly form a relationship, but she does not share Woodys affections. what is a voter acknowledgement card nj. West With Giraffes, while an historical novel, reads as a beautiful memoir of one brief and eventful journey. Discussing West with Giraffes? I'm about a third of the way through and really enjoying it. Orphaned during the Dust Bowl, he found his way to New York to work for a distant cousin. (Available in Hardback, Paperback, Audio, and Kindle E-Book) CLICK *HERE*to Sample or Buy on AMAZON THE 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. "Few true friends have I known and two were giraffes". "Few true friends have I known and two were giraffes". In the year 2025, at age 105, Woodrow Wilson Nickel reads that giraffes are becoming extinct, and suddenly memories come rushing back. Hitler is threatening Europe, and world-weary Americans long for wonder. Kraft, Joy W. 2010. Old World Stone and Garden; Build; Glossary; Forum; west with giraffes ending explained. The tone is so well-crafted, the dialog so realistic. Woodrow Wilson Nickel, aka Woody Nickel, almost 18, happens to be on a New York dock in 1938 when the hurricane-battered SS Robin Goodfellow limps into the harbor. ", "A journey through a world both intimately familiar and lost in the dust of the past. I want to confirm my idea that Woody was the father of little Augie, who was the one who received his foot locker after his death with the porcelain gifaffe. Have you ever dreamed of taking or have you taken a driving trip cross-country? THIS above was the one I described in, 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. Schroeder was a former zoo veterinarian at the San Diego Zoo and would later become the zoos director after Benchley retired in 1953. Hurricane Sweeps Coast. New York Times (September 22, 1938): 1, 1618. But in many ways, the San Diego Zoo had been built on risk taking, and Dr. Harry Wegeforth, the zoos former director and then Belle Benchleys right-hand man, was darn good at fundraising. Yeah, crazy, right? 1. If you want to skip over it, just skip to the horizontal line break. I'll stop here, because I don't want to give anything away. I headed to San Diego and their new zoo, where Id heard that the animals get treated better than the people. When have you created a new story for yourself? He plots to try to follow the giraffes to California, which proves more difficult than he hoped. 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. It is clear from Belle Benchleys memoir that she had a wonderful relationship with many of her keepers, particularly Charley Smith. Have you ever visited a zoo? Thank you! If you have what were the highlights for you? Benchley recalled, I have never seen anyone so tired and relieved as Charley Smith when he drove the great awkward truck through the zoo gate, half an hour after phoning me from a suburb. Some people value zoos as a place to help individuals connect with animals they may never otherwise meet or a place to safeguard an animal from extinction. As the truck finally reached the San Diego Zoo entrance on October 17, 1938, the nearly unthinkable had been accomplished. Book: West With GiraffesAuthor: Lynda RutledgeEdition: Hardcover, Lake Union Publishing. 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. margin: 0; To Woodys astonishment, the Old Man forgives him and allows him to stay on as the driver. Red follows the giraffe rig taking pictures she hopes will be published in Life magazine. "This is the kind of story that, when well-told, can change one's perspective on the world""Heartbreakingly beautiful""Simply magic""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""A modern masterpiece", -some of Lynda's favorite reader responses, An emotional, rousing novel inspired by the incredible true story. On the other side of the pond, Hitler was invading Eastern Europe, so the combined stress of world events and personal troubles were briefly assuaged by the sight of the traveling giraffes. Residential LED Lighting. . 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. 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. I loved the giraffes, the characters, the story, the writing. I love giraffes and I feel I would really enjoy this book. Feel free to leave a comment! The Lee Highway ran from New York City to San Diego. Would you like to? In Tennessee, Woody and the Old Man get the giraffe rig stuck in a precarious position beneath a low bridge and are unable to get it out by themselves. . Giraffes Proud Parents at the San Diego Zoo. Los Angeles Times (August 28, 1952): 15. z-index: 1000; position: relative This attention, the time for which had to be borrowed from their all too few leisure hours, touched me deeply because it showed that I had won a place with them not based on relationship of boss and employee, but upon friendship and confidence, she reminisced in her memoir. How honest do you think the author was? vertical-align: middle; There are many photos online of this time in history, below are just a few. mercedes timing chain replacement; settings, processes, methods, and tools in communication; 1 lb propane tank regulator for tabletop grills; chebrolu surname caste As a reader I felt as if I were sitting with Woody, the Old Man, Red, Wild Girl and Wild Boy as they traveled west, feeling the giraffes snuffling, hearing their thrumming, watching them reach out for an onion. Theyve seen the world. Upon hearing that the giraffes were bound for San Diego, Woody became determined to follow them to the land of milk and honey and begin a new life. Benchley preferred to transport the giraffes by vehicle so that they could stop as deemed necessary to nourish and rest the animals. He is forced to visit his familys homesite when a sheriff closes the highway due to the threat of flash flooding. They find it in two giraffes who miraculously survive a hurricane while crossing the Atlantic. Found your piece on the Giraffes through researching the question So, is it true? as our Buddy read group was working its way through West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge. My thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for a review e-copy of this one. It touched me more deeply than anything Ive read in years!! ", "I've read some truly wonderful books in my life, but never one I'm convinced will stay with me forever as will West with Giraffes. "Few true friends have I known and two were giraffes" Woodrow Wilson Nickel, age 105, feels his life ebbing away. Notice that it is very different from the only image online (seen with Zoo Historian's book review BELOW), showing the wobbly, patched hurricane-whipped crates being moved off the ship by the empty truck before the real-life traveling rig itself was fashioned while they were in quarantine. But this book is VERY adventurous and kept me on my toes the entire time. Kindle Edition. They find it in two giraffes who miraculously survive a hurricane while crossing the Atlantic. Behind the wheel is the young Dust Bowl rowdy Woodrow. Why do you think the author chose to write their memoir? ), and some rabbits. By this time, the hurricane giraffes had made national headlines. It really sticks with you. 2 vols. Everybodys got one. page 96. San Diego Zoo. The family generously feeds them and buys them a new set of tires, getting them safely back on the road. They are all saved when Red wedges her car against the truck and prevents it from overturning. The headline of that article is a textbook example of the art of that particular type of composition: MIRACLE GIRAFFES RIDE HURRICANE AT SEA. West with Giraffes Summary. But when he learns giraffes are going extinct, he finds . You can see a map of it on this Tillman County Blog. If youre looking for a good read where you dont need to think too much, except maybe to daydream about your own cross-country adventure, this novel is an excellent choice. West with Giraffes is a wonderful novel based on the true story of the cross-country road trip America's first giraffes took in 1938. Wonderful to see the photos and learn the history! When he returns to the zoo, the Old Man has also recently passed away. Spies, Wars, Winners and Losers, It's All So Intriguing To Me! 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. There is a part where they come across a gas station with a "zoo" in the middle of nowhere in the desert, and the man who owns it is cruel to his "attractions"--a bear, a rattlesnake, a tiger (? What follows is a twelve-day road trip in a custom truck to deliver Southern California's first giraffes to the San Diego Zoo. It started with a stack of yellowed newsclippings, a very old map, and a white board to fill up. poeticpoet 8 yr. ago After reaching California, Woody steals a motorcycle and tries to follow Red back east. There are plenty of opportunities to learn the skill of storytelling perhaps you can take a class at your local library or from a local storyteller. You can help us out by revising, improving and updating As Riley tells Woody, animals know the secret to life. page 79. and later watching the murmuration of the birds beside the road, the 105-year old Woody writes, For two full hours, my sideview mirror was brimming with both birds and giraffes, framing it all like a picture, the giraffes long necks swaying along with the billowing birds, and each glance surprised me with what I can only describe as a jolt of joy. page 237. National Geographic shared a 2-minute video of murmuration of starlings in the Netherlands with an audio track that is mesmerizing to listen to all by itself. ), To enter the giveaway, just fill out this form below. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. Lynda. He has often bragged, When the Missus gets tired of waiting for me to write she just burns up the wires. Copyright 1999 - 2023 GradeSaver LLC. Why or why not? Wanting more on the true story that inspired West with Giraffes?Click on this PHOTO for an unusual book review by a Zoo Historian. 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. 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. San Diego, CA: Zoological Society of San Diego. She was right. As the giraffes leave quarantine, Woody jumps back on the stolen motorcycle and follows them. According to Benchley, Our relations as Boss and Man-Friday are ludicrously funny, and when he thinks he is working for me I am overjoyed. Historic Fiction embellished. . That is when he locks eyes with the giraffes (Boy and Girl). Smith stayed with the giraffes during their time in quarantine, sleeping beside their stalls, nursing the females injury, and getting to know these towering creatures of Gods pure Eden. 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