West With Giraffes, while an historical novel, reads as a beautiful memoir of one brief and eventful journey. It sounds like a really interesting book! After reading this,I'm ready to finish. What aspects of the story could you most relate to? Woodrow Wilson Nickel, age 105, feels his life ebbing away. San Diego Zoo Centennial Timeline: 1938. https://www.sandiegozoowildlifealliance.org/timeline/1938/1938/ (accessed 2/9/2021). Others view zoos as limiting the natural inclinations and wanderings of animals, treating them as property and keeping them from their native lands. But I got caught up in it so quickly that I couldn't stop. I have been recommending it to everyone! west with giraffes ending explained. 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. Discussing West with Giraffes? It really sticks with you. font-size: 14px !important; 100 Years of the San Diego Zoo. The key characters in both of these novels are animals that find themselves in a world foreign to them. Two African giraffes, who barely survive the 1938 Hurricanewhile crossing the Atlantic, make it to New York City. . Regardless, it is worth checking out some of the photos that are online as they emphasize the absurdity of transporting two very tall giraffes in a truck across the United States. I will start out by spoiling the ending (kind of) and saying that the animals arrive safely in San Diego. everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of West With Giraffes. I also recommend that you listen to giraffes humming in this YouTube video (really just audio). 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. box-shadow: none; West with Giraffes. 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, . . *CLICK* ON IMAGEBELOWto go to its website for much more. 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. Lynda Rutledges West With Giraffes is written in the first person point of view, and utilizes both past and present tenses. 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. She smelled of fur . 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. This study guide contains the following sections: This detailed literature summary also contains Quotes and a Free Quiz on I rode Miss Jim when I little every summer and even in her cage to feed her a carrot. ), To enter the giveaway, just fill out this form below. outline:none; It is one of my favorite books I have read in my 84 1/2 yrs. Register here for All Book'd and come to. Were you rooting for the couple to get together all along? .figcaption {font-size: 75%;} Hitler is threatening Europe, and world-weary Americans long for wonder. She was presumed dead while every precaution was taken to protect the male. I got this book as one of the amazon first reads as well but I hadn't started it yet because like you I wasn't sure I was going to like it even though I love animals but I thought it would bother me with what happens with the animals and that it may be too historical. "Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened. Once a giraffe reaches adulthood its height is often enough to protect it from lions. 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. Lets face it, the backstory leading to that appointment with Mother Nature at her most furious would almost certainlybeyond any doubthave to be a pretty great tale to tell. 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. Part adventure, part historical saga, and part coming-of-age love story, (Available in Hardback, Paperback, Audio, and Kindle E-Book), Many readers have asked to see an image of the real-life traveling rig. "Few true friends have I known and two were giraffes" Woodrow Wilson Nickel, age 105, feels his life ebbing away. (If you're not into that, don't worry--it's really only in the prologue.). margin: 0; 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. color: #3AAA11 !important; He called me pickle puss and remembered me when I brought my 4 children to meet him. img#wpstats{display:none} 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 . Getting to see a giraffe in 1938 was a pretty rare occasion. Part 3: War Years, 19371946. ZOONOOZ, March 2016. https://issuu.com/sdzglobal/docs/march_zn. 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. 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. 1. 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. Seattle, WA: Lake Union Publishing. Hitler is threatening Europe, and world-weary Americans long for wonder. The story is set around a truly extraordinary real life occurrence that took place in 1938. After loading the giraffes onto the truck, they headed to the U.S. Disheartened, Red buys a ticket back east in Phoenix to be reunited with her husband Lionel. They experience the kindness of strangers when a poor black man named Moses enlists his entire family to remove the truck from under the bridge. An actual photo of the truck that the giraffes were driven across the country on. Why do you think the author chose to write their memoir? I see a message that, "This form can only be viewed by users in the owner's organization.". cursor: pointer; } An emotional, rousing novel inspired by the incredible true story of two giraffes who made headlines and won the hearts of Depression-era America. Giraffes grow about 4 feet (1.2 meters) in their first year of life. There are many photos online of this time in history, below are just a few. .printfriendly.pf-aligncenter { In 1938, there was a terrible hurricane that caused massive destruction to New York. These giraffes, Boy and Girl, win the love and respect of Woody; the Old Man; and Red, a. An utterly beautiful novel.".. Im so happy that I found this website to answer my questions about this great book. I read through the books for that month and just could't decide honestly, NONE of them looked good to me. This Study Guide consists of approximately 43pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - He realizes that he must tell his story for the sake of the animals he loved so much, and so that Reds daughter Augie Ann will know her mothers true story. I loved the giraffes, the characters, the story, the writing. Have you ever had that feeling? The following summary relies on the present tense. But I just updated it and it's working now! This book sounds really interesting! Thanks for the review, I'm definitly going to read it now! Perhaps you will fall in love with those giraffes and enjoy the adventures of Old Man and Woody as much as I did. The original handwritten caption reads: "7 negatives of D-40 Internationals sold to San Diego Zoo to transport 2 giraffes across the continent from New York. Gawky Giraffes to Leave Athenia Today for Coast. Paterson (N.J.) News (October 10, 1938): 35. west with giraffes ending explained. Just keep scrolling. Two giraffes (later to be called Lofty and Patches) travelled to New York surviving . It has a happy ending. 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. 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. ), and some rabbits. West With Giraffes. Two huge broken-up crates are lifted off containing amazing cargo: two Baringo giraffes. could that giraffe have been a descendant of Lofty and Patches? Because I loved this book so much, I bought a paperback copy to give to my dad, and I'd also like to buy a Kindle copy to give away to one of you! How honest do you think the author was? I just checked and I got that book as a first reads book also, I will have to add it to my good reads list so I remember I own it. help you understand the book. In 1938, the Great Depression is not yet a memory in the United States, and Hitler is becoming a major threat in Europe. Values for the northern giraffe grouping were intermediate, with West African and Rothschild's giraffes diverging about in death funeral tammy faye bakker. He finds his only living relative, a cousin in New York, where he works until his cousins death in a hurricane. */ . Giraffes Will Ride in Truck to California. Miami Herald (September 25, 1938): 4. 2016. Thank you Lynda Rutledge for researching this story and writing this wonderful fictionalized account!! It touched me more deeply than anything Ive read in years!! He plots to try to follow the giraffes to California, which proves more difficult than he hoped. will review the submission and either publish your submission or providefeedback. ", "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. What motivates you to action? 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. He is arrested in Arizona and sent to fight in the second World War. As a book junkie, when I receive new book alerts I almost always peruse the titles. A giraffe's neck alone is 6 feet (1.8 meters) long and weighs about 600 lbs. vertical-align: middle; 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. Schroeder was a former zoo veterinarian at the San Diego Zoo and would later become the zoos director after Benchley retired in 1953. This book was released on 2021-02 with total page 372 pages. the rig, the Old Man, and the giraffes were more homeand more familythan any home Id ever had. He has nothing keeping him in New York, no family, no home, and a lot of ideas about the opportunities that await in California. I love giraffes and I feel I would really enjoy this book. I refuse to give out any spoilers about the novel, but I encourage you to pick it up. Would you like to? fnaf 6 ending speech fnaf 6 ending speech (No Ratings Yet) . If you want to skip over it, just skip to the horizontal line break. html:not( .jetpack-lazy-images-js-enabled ):not( .js ) .jetpack-lazy-image { I will draw a winner for the giveaway on March 19th at 9:00 AM ET and notify the winner by email. When have you felt joy with an animal whether domesticated or in the wild? Woody accepts his bribe, nearly killing Wild Girl in the process. There were many reasons giraffes were hard to come by for Americas first zoos. We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make yourown. So I'll give a SPOILER WARNING HERE. } poeticpoet 8 yr. ago What happened on that ship during the storm is almost too crazy to be true. I will start by saying that the second I finished this book, I moved it into the Top 3 books I've ever read. We had us an adventure, didnt we, Woody Nickel? Boston: Little, Brown and Co. Croke, Vicki. A remarkable network of veins and one-way valves prevent back-flow, keeping blood from. 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