I eventually just chose the one called 'West With Giraffes', by Lynda Rutledge. Anatole France, Nobel Laureate, 1921". Woody accepts his bribe, nearly killing Wild Girl in the process. Getting to see a giraffe in 1938 was a pretty rare occasion. As a book junkie, when I receive new book alerts I almost always peruse the titles. ", "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. Its 1938. The description kind of lost me because of the historical references--I'm NOT a history buff and I was afraid I'd be bored reading it. "Few true friends have I known and two were giraffes" Woodrow Wilson Nickel, age 105, feels his life ebbing away. Pages : 372 pages. in death funeral tammy faye bakker. I hope to die there, I do. It has a happy ending. 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. Animal Trainer Called by Death. Los Angeles Times (July 21, 1941): B16. ", "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. 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. West With Giraffes, while an historical novel, reads as a beautiful memoir of one brief and eventful journey. If you have what were the highlights for you? They find it in two giraffes who miraculously survive a hurricane while crossing the Atlantic. The first words in the narrative that one sees in this novel is the beginning of an article published in the New York World-Telegram newspaper on September 22, 1938. } Spies, Wars, Winners and Losers, It's All So Intriguing To Me! Over a year, it turned into this calculated mess. I wasn't excited about reading it, but I wanted to stick with the theme. Youve got no control over it, none at all. page 105. Did you think it was believable or too farfetched? Thats up to you. page 283. The key characters in both of these novels are animals that find themselves in a world foreign to them. After loading the giraffes onto the truck, they headed to the U.S. Note that this guide, like all of the guides, may contain spoilers. 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. 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. We had us an adventure, didnt we, Woody Nickel? 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. Initially they refused to leave their traveling carriers but were eventually lured out with onions. He called me pickle puss and remembered me when I brought my 4 children to meet him. Red follows the giraffe rig taking pictures she hopes will be published in Life magazine. 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. Giraffes Will Ride in Truck to California. Miami Herald (September 25, 1938): 4. I enjoyed West with Giraffes too, and your review was a delight -- remembering the book once again. 'jetpack-lazy-images-js-enabled' Have you ever had that feeling? It's gripping, moving, and so incredibly touching. Woodrow Wilson Nickel, age 105, feels his life ebbing away. About Us; Staff; Camps; Scuba. I will draw a winner for the giveaway on March 19th at 9:00 AM ET and notify the winner by email. .wp-block-image figcaption {text-align: center; font-size: 75%}, As the country teeters between a depression and Europes looming war, a pair of giraffes, survivors of a hurricane at sea, left a wake of much-needed cheer while driven cross-country to the San Diego Zoo, where lady zoo director Mrs. Belle Benchley awaited.. Baby Giraffes from Africa Reach San Diego Zoo. Los Angeles Times (October 27, 1938): 14. } Woody, havent you ever wanted something so bad you had to do it or die trying? page 156. The Modern Ark: The Story of Zoos: Past, Present and Future. Not affiliated with Harvard College. West with Giraffes is a heart-warming novel based on a true story. I'm about a third of the way through and really enjoying it. 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. Thank you for this! .printfriendly.pf-alignright { 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 the giraffes leave quarantine, Woody jumps back on the stolen motorcycle and follows them. thissection. You made the people come alive as you filled in the lives to match the historical facts. The circus people aren't being gentle, and wrangle the female with a rope, but she is uninjured when all is said and done. border: none; You need to read it yourself! More books than SparkNotes. 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. Traveling shows displayed them as early as 1837; however, they were difficult to capture and transport, making them expensive to procure. That puckish little ship battled the onslaught of the tempest for six hours and it is definitely worth keeping in mind that ships charged with transporting exotic animals back looked nothing like the state-of-the-art vessels of today. This book was released on 2021-02 with total page 372 pages. 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. Official Guide Book of the San Diego Zoo. Memoirs. display: none; Hitler is threatening Europe, and world-weary Americans long for wonder. However, from Benchleys 1941 memoir it is obvious that Smith did not update her as much as she would have preferred. .figcaption {font-size: 75%;} The giraffe's eyes are located on both sides of the skull, giving them an all-round look from the height. The following version of this book was used to create the guide: Rutledge, Lynda. could that giraffe have been a descendant of Lofty and Patches? 1947. 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. What a delightful story! by . 100 Years of the San Diego Zoo. "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.". Riley Jones, aka Old Man: head keeper of the San Diego Zoo. It is rare to pick up a book that is really DIFFERENT. (Available in Hardback, Paperback, Audio, and Kindle E-Book) CLICK *HERE*to Sample or Buy on AMAZON THE When the storm finally abated they tried to get her out of what was left of her crate, but they were not successful. It was fascinating to see my route through the eyes of someone traveling there nearly 100 years prior. Many young giraffes, called calves, die from lion attacks during their first year of life. San Diego, already a world-class zoo, opened their WPA-constructed Reptile House and a zoo caf. .pf-button.pf-button-excerpt { But I would call this book a historical adventure with several parts that will keep your heart racing. Just as Romeo and Juliet are born to rival families, Tony and Maria are associated with rival gangs. Yeah, crazy, right? . While the cars and signs and lodgings have changed, there remains something special about a cross-country road trip. Thank you Lynda Rutledge for researching this story and writing this wonderful fictionalized account!! img.pf-button-img + .pf-button-text { We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make yourown. Prior to becoming head keeper at the San Diego Zoo, he had been with the circus since he was eleven years old, including sixteen-year gig as the lead keeper of the Ringling Bros. circus. West with Giraffes. There they begin a cross country trip to their new home at the San Diego Zoo, followed all the way by newspaper accounts and a public weary of bad economic and political news. I Has it been made into a movie, or any chance it might be? I too cannot read a book or watch a movie or anything involving animal cruelty/death. 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. She smelled of fur . Why do you think the author chose to write their memoir? Fantastic, and such a good read. even Maggie the orangutan. Giraffes are animals that have long legs, but their body is small in comparison. font-weight: 600; 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. ;) Have lots of enlightening fun! I dont know how I was led to this book.Thank you to whomever suggested it. The animal's legs are also 6 feet long. .pf-button-img { 1944. document.documentElement.classList.add( oh, those sky-high eyes of theirs. I too felt the love for the giraffes and all animals really. 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 (? The crate containing the female giraffe rolled and rolled until it shattered to pieces. It's not at all what I pictured, but it's cool to see! 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! The giraffes were blighted with an unnamed contagion and had to be destroyed before it could spread to. 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. I will start out by spoiling the ending (kind of) and saying that the animals arrive safely in San Diego. West with Giraffes Summary. Woodrow Wilson Nickel, age 105, feels his life ebbing away. [NOTICE: The Kindle version has all the back information, including the Authors Note, Historical Notes, and Acknowledgements. west with giraffes ending explained. ), and some rabbits. And unlike the typical Broadway musical of the 1950s and before, West Side Story does not offer audiences a happy ending. I'm going to try to convince my kids to read it--they don't like to take suggestions from their mom, because I'm so uncool ;), I'm SO glad that I picked it out for my First Reads book. With the necessary funds, zoo director Belle Benchley, the first female zoo director in the world, paid for two young Ugandan giraffes and one rhinoceros to be shipped from Africa in 1938. Hitler is threatening Europe, and world-weary Americans long for wonder. This is the only image available, a newspaper article offering a glimpse of the finished traveling rig, with a tarp over it. But heres the really amazing part of West with Giraffes. 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. 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. His parents and baby sister died in the Dust Bowl and Woody makes his way to New York City to find his only known/living relative, Cuz. This was on his retirement day. Im so glad you enjoyed it! west with giraffes ending explained. } He plots to try to follow the giraffes to California, which proves more difficult than he hoped. ); ), To enter the giveaway, just fill out this form below. 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. . 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