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. West With Giraffes Summary & Study Guide includes comprehensive information and analysis to 1st ed. I also really appreciate your review with the animal notes. 8) How do you think the title, Such a Fun Age, relates to the story? I really wish the book had included a photo of the truck that the giraffes were driven in, but I found this one online. by . The giraffes were blighted with an unnamed contagion and had to be destroyed before it could spread to. . 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. Jackson aka Big Papa: father of clan that owns Cottages for ColoredsMoses: eldest son of Big Papa, first to spot giraffes when they get stuck under overpass on detourPercival T Bowles: Circus ringmasterCooter: animal abuser who owns a run-down road side desert animal attraction. cursor: pointer; Instead of running away from the crazed primate, she stretched out her arms and caught it in mid-air and carried it back to its pen. 1947. .printfriendly.pf-aligncenter { In the novel West with Giraffes, Woody Nickel, is a seventeen-year-old dirt-farm rowdy, pure as a cow pie, cunning as a wild hog bound to escape the Texas Panhandle (and any law enforcement that might be looking for him). In the novel, Woody is able to stop chasing the truck as, after much begging and pleading, he is offered the driving job by Old Man after a falling out with Earl. The past tense is used in Woody's recounting of the story, and the present tense is used in sections that describe Woody's writing process in the convalescent home. 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. Baby Giraffes from Africa Reach San Diego Zoo. Los Angeles Times (October 27, 1938): 14. When he returns years later, he learns that Red died from her heart condition, but not before giving birth to a daughter, Augie Ann. The Book Report Network 16 Mount Bethel Rd, Suite 365, Warren, NJ 07059 212-246-3100 Giraffes Proud Parents at the San Diego Zoo. Los Angeles Times (August 28, 1952): 15. 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 is a wonderful novel based on the true story of the cross-country road trip America's first giraffes took in 1938. 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. After you claim a section youll have 24 hours to send in a draft. Animal Quarantine Station in Athenia, New Jersey, for a federally mandated fifteen-day quarantine. You can help us out by revising, improving and updating Read the Study Guide for West With Giraffes. @media screen { Few true friends have I known and two were giraffes. By this time, the hurricane giraffes had made national headlines. It's 1938. 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. z-index: 1000; position: relative West With Giraffes, while an historical novel, reads as a beautiful memoir of one brief and eventful journey. An utterly beautiful novel.".. I read through the books for that month and just could't decide honestly, NONE of them looked good to me. Thanks for the review, I'm definitly going to read it now! Two African giraffes, who barely survive the 1938 Hurricanewhile crossing the Atlantic, make it to New York City. (Available in Hardback, Paperback, Audio, and Kindle E-Book)CLICK *HERE* to Sample or Buy on AMAZON__________________________. Wendy Eckart. I love giraffes and I feel I would really enjoy this book. She and Woody slowly form a relationship, but she does not share Woodys affections. ship I am getting all chocked up and tearing ..I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH ! ); I loved the giraffes, the characters, the story, the writing. } But when he learns giraffes are going extinct, he finds himself recalling the unforgettable experience he cannot take to his grave. Sorry. . It was a wonderful novel. Best-selling "West with Giraffes" author Lynda Rutledge took time out to zip around the village during our interview. "Few true friends have I known and two were giraffes" Woodrow Wilson Nickel, age 105, feels his life ebbing away. Its a foolish man who thinks stories do not matter when in the end, they may be all that matter and all the forever well ever know. page 339. The synopsis of the book sounded ordinary to me, and I can't say I was excited to read it. Another regular occurrence, this one fictional, was the sighting of a fancy green Packard, driven by a redhead full of determination. It's 1938. Copyright 1999 - 2023 GradeSaver LLC. -webkit-box-shadow: none; I too felt the love for the giraffes and all animals really. Not affiliated with Harvard College. I Has it been made into a movie, or any chance it might be? Woodrow Wilson Nickel, age 105, feels his life ebbing away. They also turned a profit for the first time in the zoos 22-year history. Worley, Karen E. 2016. vertical-align: middle; An emotional, rousing novel inspired by the incredible true story of two giraffes who made headlines and won the hearts of Depression-era America. What we called highways were barely tolerable for transporting people much less chauffeuring giraffes. Is there any talk of turning this into a movie? Benchley also once caught a rattlesnake by grabbing it by the back of the head. To Woodys astonishment, the Old Man forgives him and allows him to stay on as the driver. Many young giraffes, called calves, die from lion attacks during their first year of life. Release : 2021-02. I especially think that teen boys would really like it. What follows is a twelve-day road trip in a custom truck to become Southern California's first giraffes. 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. She also had a vocabulary that she kept in reserve that the [former] circus men could understand. The keepers came to call her Boss. She let them know that she admired their work, and responded to her with both respect and affection. But he doesn't give up. An emotional, rousing novel inspired by the incredible true story of two giraffes who made headlines and won the hearts of Depression-era America. West with Giraffes, a novel by Lynda Rutledge, gripped my attention from beginning to end. I refuse to give out any spoilers about the novel, but I encourage you to pick it up. As I looked for more historical information, I found your page. Thats up to you. page 283. Imagine my surprise, then, when I read the very first sentence of the prologue and I was hooked immediately. 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. color: #3AAA11 !important; What happens thenwhat is the actual meat of the matter, as it wereis a cross-country trip via what amounted to little more than a tricked-out pickup truck from New Jersey to the San Diego Zoo. [NOTICE: The Kindle version has all the back information, including the Authors Note, Historical Notes, and Acknowledgements. 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. 2021. 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. This study guide contains the following sections: This detailed literature summary also contains Quotes and a Free Quiz on One of the aspects of the novel I enjoyed the most was the depiction of Belle Benchleysweet but tough, and highly respected. Reflector Series Behind the wheel is the young Dust Bowl rowdy Woodrow. 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. } fnaf 6 ending speech fnaf 6 ending speech (No Ratings Yet) . Giraffes evolved to have longer necks so that they could reach the leaves at the tops of trees. Feel free to leave a comment! When she sent him on a collecting trip to Africa in 1940, she noted, I am quite sure that we shall not hear much about Charleys trip until his return. Just as Romeo and Juliet are born to rival families, Tony and Maria are associated with rival gangs. I eventually just chose the one called 'West With Giraffes', by Lynda Rutledge. float: right; During that time they had seven offspring, including aptly named D-Day, born June 6, 1944. . New York: Scribner. Orphaned during the Dust Bowl, he found his way to New York to work for a distant cousin. He has nothing keeping him in New York, no family, no home, and a lot of ideas about the opportunities that await in California. A couple of moments are flashbacks from Woody's childhood where his dad teaches him about animals and that they are "just animals" (basically worthless for anything that can't be beneficial to humans. Residential LED Lighting. .figcaption {font-size: 75%;} Down on his luck and unsure of his future, Woody sees the Old Man tending to two giraffes who almost died in the hurricane. In normal conditions this would be a rough trip, especially for temperature-sensitive giraffes, which were placed in crates and forced to endure whatever the high seas threw at them. Woody Wilson is a 17-year old boy from the Texas Panhandle in the 1930's. 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. body.custom-background { background-color: #505050; } margin-left: 6px; But I would call this book a historical adventure with several parts that will keep your heart racing. I have to say, though, that no matter what I write on this post, it won't do justice to this book. Did you notice any other prevalent themes? 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. After their quarantine was complete, it was time to load the giraffes into their custom-made, heavily padded 12 8 crates, which were large enough for the giraffes to lie down on piles of peat moss and straw. My Life in a Man-Made Jungle. Memories stick to things. But when he learns giraffes are going extinct, he finds himself recalling the unforgettable experience he cannot take to his grave. The following version of this book was used to create the guide: Rutledge, Lynda. 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. the rig, the Old Man, and the giraffes were more homeand more familythan any home Id ever had. . she was such a sweet grandmotherly type. "Few true friends have I known and two were giraffes". DeLeon, Clark. This was on his retirement day. Perhaps you will fall in love with those giraffes and enjoy the adventures of Old Man and Woody as much as I did. 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. 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. Until, one day, I finally began to write: A few of the THOUSANDS of reader reviews: "It's not often I have to sit in silence and recover when I finish a book, but I needed to after this one. Her fictional account follows the giraffe truck across the Lee Highway and illustrates the scenes of America in 1938. thissection. Benchley preferred to transport the giraffes by vehicle so that they could stop as deemed necessary to nourish and rest the animals. Historic Fiction embellished. He resolves to follow them to California. Gawky Giraffes to Leave Athenia Today for Coast. Paterson (N.J.) News (October 10, 1938): 35. justify-content: center; 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. It touched me more deeply than anything Ive read in years!! Memoirs. Lofty and Patches lived at the San Diego Zoo for nearly 30 years. If you want to skip over it, just skip to the horizontal line break. Book excerpt: 1938: The Great Depression lingers. The game plays on that feeling a lot, with the fact that humanity now has to adapt to this new infection and do things that they didn't do before to survive. However, as soon as she was upright the crew could see that her left rear ankle was severely injured. Part adventure, part historical saga, and part coming-of-age love story, West with Giraffes explores what it means to be changed by the grace of animals, the kindness of strangers, the passing of time, and a story told before it's too late. Hitler is threatening Europe, and world-weary Americans long for wonder. Part adventure, part historical saga, and part coming-of-age love story, West with Giraffes explores what it means to be changed by the grace of animals, the kindness of strangers, the passing of time, and a story told before its too late.". Overall, I don't think that the subject of animal cruelty is present enough in this book to keep anyone from reading it. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), his wish for giraffes at the National Zoo, https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/ship/3298.html, https://library.sandiegozoo.org/sdzg-history-timeline/#1930, http://timeline.sandiegozoo100.org/1930/1930-3/, https://www.sandiegozoo100.org/100-animals/lofty-and-patches, https://www.sandiegozoowildlifealliance.org/timeline/1938/1938/, https://issuu.com/sdzglobal/docs/march_zn. Discussing West with Giraffes? 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. Determined to meet his cousin at that Brooklyn dock, he arrived only to find that his cousin was killed on board the Goodfellow during the hurricane. San Diego Zoo. But when he learns giraffes are going extinct, he finds himself recalling the . display: none; An editor It started with a stack of yellowed newsclippings, a very old map, and a white board to fill up. While visiting his parents home, the flash flood threatens to topple the giraffe rig and kill Woody and the Old Man. How can you share your story and with whom? After reaching California, Woody steals a motorcycle and tries to follow Red back east. The giraffes, probably only a few years old, were met at the Brooklyn dock by the San Diego Zoos head keeper Charley Smith (Riley Jones and Old Man in the novel) and city truck driver Ed Seuss (Earl). When have you felt joy with an animal whether domesticated or in the wild? Sold! text-decoration: none; They were finally able to leave quarantine on October 10, 1938. 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