Book Club-West with Giraffes

March 15, 2023

West with Giraffes

Lynda Rutledge (author)

“Few true friends have I known and two were giraffes…”

An emotional, rousing novel inspired by the incredible true story of two giraffes who made headlines
and won the hearts of Depression-era America.

America. Woodrow Wilson Nickel, age 105, feels his life ebbing away. 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. Hitler is threatening Europe, and world-weary Americans long for wonder. They find it in two giraffes who miraculously survive a hurricane while crossing the Atlantic. What follows is a twelve-day road trip in a custom truck to deliver Southern California’s first giraffes to the San Diego Zoo. Behind the wheel is the young Dust Bowl rowdy Woodrow. Inspired by true events, the tale weaves real-life figures with fictional ones.