Over a year, it turned into this calculated mess. We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make yourown. Inspired by true events, the tale weaves real-life figures with fictional ones, including the worlds 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. West with Giraffes Summary. Lynda Rutledge's West With Giraffes is written in the first person point of view, and utilizes both past and present tenses. Amazingly, one of the crew saw the female giraffe move, so they covered and protected her as the storm raged on. An utterly beautiful novel.".. If you want to dip your toe in the water you can read a few tips on line such as How to Tell Better Stories: 4 Simple Tips for Introverts from Introverts, Dear short and to the point! 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. She was delighted when Coronado selected West with Giraffes for their city-wide Community Read . I'm about a third of the way through and really enjoying it. I hope to die there, I do. Be sure to add marmaladeandmustardseed@gmail.com to your contacts so the newsletters will come to your inbox. It's 1938. San Diego, CA: Zoological Society of San Diego. I too felt the love for the giraffes and all animals really. display: none; ", "The author manages to wrap a travelogue, a historical novel, a social and political commentary, a coming of age story, and a love story together in one book. 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. west with giraffes ending explained west with giraffes ending explained (No Ratings Yet) . Book: West With GiraffesAuthor: Lynda RutledgeEdition: Hardcover, Lake Union Publishing. ", "Rutledge brought to life a remarkable story that few know about, and tells it so beautifully as a plea for the preservation of the Earth's most exotic creatures", "Ms. Rutledge has spun a masterpiece. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing. That was the plan, anyway, but the female giraffe had had enough of travel crates! There is not a man now on the animal staff who is not in the work because he would rather be in it than anywhere else in the world, and because he feels that his contribution is important to the Zoo and to the community. According to Ken Stott, a former San Diego Zoo curator, . 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. A treasure for sure. How can you share your story and with whom? . The tone is so well-crafted, the dialog so realistic. -moz-box-shadow: none; "It is a foolish man who thinks stories do not matterwhen in the end, they may be all that matter and all the forever we'll ever know.". Get ready to receive more awesome content from WFE soon! An emotional, rousing novel inspired by the incredible true story of two giraffes who made headlines and won the hearts of Depression-era America. My sister passed it on to me and knew Id enjoy it. San Diego, CA: Zoological Society of San Diego. I'll stop here, because I don't want to give anything away. Woodrow Wilson Nickel aka Woody: 105 year-old man in 2025 writing about his experiences driving the two giraffes westMr. img.pf-button-img + .pf-button-text { .printfriendly.pf-aligncenter { .fun to weave the book with your stellar research! They find it in two giraffes who miraculously survive a hurricane while crossing the Atlantic. About Us; Staff; Camps; Scuba. . I seldom read books more than once, but this one I will return to again in the future! Home. Hooray Lynda Rutledge. document.documentElement.classList.add( As his life closes in on him in a convalescent home bed, Woody hears about the impending extinction of giraffes and punches the TV. San Diego, CA: Zoological Society of San Diego. 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. This book sounds really interesting! You can see a map of it on this Tillman County Blog. Everybodys got one. page 96. Thanks for the review, I'm definitly going to read it now! Lynda. Lake Union Publishing, 371 pages, $14.95. .figcaption {font-size: 75%;} He has often bragged, When the Missus gets tired of waiting for me to write she just burns up the wires. When have you been so driven to do something that you felt like nothing could stop you? I remembered that I had gotten a book recently from Amazon's First Reads about an elephant or giraffe or something. It's a little hard to read, but it's a memory of Woody's, rather than happening in real time, which makes it a little easier. But I got caught up in it so quickly that I couldn't stop. I read through the books for that month and just could't decide honestly, NONE of them looked good to me. west with giraffes ending explained. After his death, Woodys last wish is fulfilled, and his manuscripts are delivered to Augie Ann. Animal Quarantine Station in Athenia, New Jersey, for a federally mandated fifteen-day quarantine. "A boy running from his mystery past, two giraffes, a gruff old zoo keeper, a red headed photographer and an adventure so extraordinary it has given me goosebumps", "West with Giraffes, along with Water for Elephants, The Last Bus to Wisdom, News of the World and Where the Crawdads Sing are the kind of books that the reader wants to devour in a dayonly to immediately turn back to the beginning to savor each page.", "This is a book unlike any I have ever readThere is black humor, heartbreak, and hope all balled up into a crazy road trip and a story that spans 100 years that will touch heart and soul", "Read this book. There are several viewable at Wisconsinhistory.org, such as this one of a woman on the running board of the truck feeding a giraffe in the crate and this one of the crates being loaded with a giraffe leaning out the window of one crate. 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. the rig, the Old Man, and the giraffes were more homeand more familythan any home Id ever had. "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. What a delightful story! West with Giraffes. 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. matlab app designer popup message female comedians of the 90s kalena ku delima fnaf 6 ending speech. } Just finished this wonderful book!! } Using prehensile tongues almost half . GradeSaver, 11 February 2022 Web. I will start out by spoiling the ending (kind of) and saying that the animals arrive safely in San Diego. The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden. 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. An emotional, rousing novel inspired by the incredible true story of two giraffes who made headlines and won the hearts of Depression-era America. As Woody shares his story with the Old Man, the Old Man responds, Thats your first story, but it doesnt have to be your only story. Hurricane Sweeps Coast. New York Times (September 22, 1938): 1, 1618. What motivates you to action? I loved the giraffes, the characters, the story, the writing. "Few true friends have I known and two were giraffes" Woodrow Wilson Nickel, age 105, feels his life ebbing away. (272 kilograms). Woody displays an unusual gift for working with animals, and the Old Man agrees to keep him on as the driver for the duration of the journey. 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. 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. 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. He grabs a rabbit and drops it onto the cage of the tiger, who eats it right away. West With Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge. fnaf 6 ending speech fnaf 6 ending speech (No Ratings Yet) . Sherr, Lynn. You can carry around a heavy load only for so long, though, before youve got to set it down, and that does double if youre only eighteen. page 277, The thing about knowing youre doing something for the last time is that it takes the joy right out of it. page 301. January 19, 2023 . I would recommend this book to pretty much anyone--from about 12 years old and up, whether you're an "animal person" or not, or interested in history or not. I see a message that, "This form can only be viewed by users in the owner's organization.". West With Giraffes study guide contains a biography of Lynda Rutledge, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. I had every emotion through the course of reading this book. The Great Depression lingers. 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. 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. giraffe, (genus Giraffa), any of four species in the genus Giraffa of long-necked cud-chewing hoofed mammals of Africa, with long legs and a coat pattern of irregular brown patches on a light background. If you want to skip over it, just skip to the horizontal line break. Two giraffes miraculously survive a hurricane while crossing the Atlantic and end up in New York. West with Giraffes Quotes. They were instant successes, and beloved by staff and visitors alike. West with Giraffes, a novel by Lynda Rutledge, gripped my attention from beginning to end. While the cars and signs and lodgings have changed, there remains something special about a cross-country road trip. Lofty and Patches. San Diego Zoo: 100 Years. Woodrow Wilson Nickel, age 105, feels his life ebbing away. Rutledge, Lynda. 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. t's 1938.The Great Depression lingers. (If you're not into that, don't worry--it's really only in the prologue.). I dont know how I was led to this book.Thank you to whomever suggested it. 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. ); 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. Why do you think the author chose to write their memoir? The giraffes were blighted with an unnamed contagion and had to be destroyed before it could spread to. . even Maggie the orangutan. 9) This novel touches on important topics such as: race, classic, identityetc. After reaching California, Woody steals a motorcycle and tries to follow Red back east. . It reminded me of The Green Mile (movie) where Tom Hanks' character is ridiculously old and he tells the whole story of The Green Mile to a woman at the nursing home where he lives. -moz-box-shadow: none; (Available in Hardback, Paperback, Audio, and Kindle E-Book)CLICK *HERE* to Sample or Buy on AMAZON__________________________. .printfriendly { West with Giraffes is an endearing, and also heart-rending piece of historical fiction. Train travel did not allow that freedom. Oh, the writing! And even those ships do everything possible to stay away from the hurricanes of the Caribbean. matlab app designer popup message female comedians of the 90s kalena ku delima west with giraffes ending explained. 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. Sexton, Timothy. Red shares with Woody that she suffers from a broken heart. 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. Disheartened, Red buys a ticket back east in Phoenix to be reunited with her husband Lionel. The Oklahoman published a set of photos on the 80th anniversary of Black Sunday. The 45-mile drive from Brooklyn to the quarantine facility through flooded and debris-ridden streets, avoiding potentially low-rise overpasses, was certainly a true test of how the giraffes might handle a drive across the country, which in fact had never been done before with the towering creatures. An aged veteran (105!) 2016. Would you like to? resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss thenovel. The Old Man reluctantly accepts, but only wants Woody to stay on for the first part of the journey. West With Giraffes Summary & Study Guide includes comprehensive information and analysis to I'm like your sister. 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. I dont want this story to evaporate from my memory. I really wish the book had included a photo of the truck that the giraffes were driven in, but I found this one online. font-size: 14px !important; The explanation he offers for the killings is both convincing and painfully banal. That the animals survived at all was, as the headline rather politely insists, miraculous. I enjoyed West with Giraffes too, and your review was a delight -- remembering the book once again. Others view zoos as limiting the natural inclinations and wanderings of animals, treating them as property and keeping them from their native lands. Did the ending answer all your questions? By: Lynda Rutledge. Just the climax alone covering what must have happened aboard that ship to keep that precious cargo alive and spitting screams Hollywood, make this into a movie! Astonishingly, however, the actual story being told by the author is all about what happens after the giraffes have made it safely back to land via New York Harbor. He plots to try to follow the giraffes to California, which proves more difficult than he hoped. Down on his luck and unsure of his future, Woody sees the Old Man tending to two giraffes who almost died in the hurricane. I have been recommending it to everyone! I also recommend that you listen to giraffes humming in this YouTube video (really just audio). . 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 . What was merely an idiosyncratic story of yet another uplifting tale of survival in the harshness of the Great Depression becomes through the authors decision to handle it through the conceit of semi-fictionalization a story that speaks to our times as well as scientists inform us that we are the dawn of the sixth great extinction. Woody accepts his bribe, nearly killing Wild Girl in the process. To Woodys astonishment, the Old Man forgives him and allows him to stay on as the driver. 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