What did you discover in the expanse of your country? He resolves to follow them to California. GradeSaver, 11 February 2022 Web. Maybe, like me, you have a story you want to share and make it come to life like Woodys story comes to life in West with Giraffes. He is arrested in Arizona and sent to fight in the second World War. An emotional, rousing novel inspired by the incredible true story of two giraffes who made headlines and won the hearts of Depression-era America. 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. Guest Reviewer Rating: Four out of Five Stars. And unlike the typical Broadway musical of the 1950s and before, West Side Story does not offer audiences a happy ending. Woody learns that Red is pregnant, and that she lied about being a photographer for Life magazine. When 17-year-old Woodrow Wilson Nickel buried the last of his family, he struck out from his Texas panhandle . He called me pickle puss and remembered me when I brought my 4 children to meet him. .pf-button-img { San Diego, CA: Zoological Society of San Diego. (One is Industrial tractor pictured)." SUBJECTS; Animals: Clothing and dress: Hats: Suits (Clothing) He grabs a rabbit and drops it onto the cage of the tiger, who eats it right away. Wanting more on the true story that inspired West with Giraffes?Click on this PHOTO for an unusual book review by a Zoo Historian. "An emotional, rousing novel inspired by the incredible true story of two giraffes who made headlines and won the hearts of Depression-era America. } Early on when Woody says he has no story to Red she responds, Sure you do. Kraft, Joy W. 2010. But when he learns giraffes are going extinct, he finds himself recalling the . I enjoyed West with Giraffes too, and your review was a delight -- remembering the book once again. ISBN : 9781542023344. padding: 0; 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. west with giraffes ending explained. The animal's legs are also 6 feet long. 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. But when she was angry she made Mount Vesuvius seem considerably less dangerous. Home; About. Giraffes Will Ride in Truck to California. Miami Herald (September 25, 1938): 4. 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. The tone is so well-crafted, the dialog so realistic. } html:not( .jetpack-lazy-images-js-enabled ):not( .js ) .jetpack-lazy-image { Lynda Rutledges West With Giraffes is written in the first person point of view, and utilizes both past and present tenses. Sold! The story is set around a truly extraordinary real life occurrence that took place in 1938. The Great Depression lingers. She telegraphs WIRE ME TODAY, and you can bet she gets her wire. Knowing that the female giraffe barely survived the hurricane, I can imagine Benchley was quite worried throughout Smiths cross-country trip with the giraffes! A male giraffe's average size is 14-18 feet, but you'll find the female giraffes a bit shorter than them. } body.custom-background { background-color: #505050; } The Great Depression lingers. Red was an aspiring photojournalist trying to sell her giraffe story to Life magazine. Is there any talk of turning this into a movie? and sweet foreign farm dung. For a farm boy who grew up listening to his father prattle on that animals were nothing more than food, this experience was life-changing. 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! 2021. However, from Benchleys 1941 memoir it is obvious that Smith did not update her as much as she would have preferred. It's not at all what I pictured, but it's cool to see! 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. 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. Its 1938. (Side note: these events occurred one year after young Nicky Arundel got his wish for giraffes at the National Zoo.). She smelled of fur . display: none; "Few true friends have I known and two were giraffes" Woodrow Wilson Nickel, age 105, feels his life ebbing away. mercedes timing chain replacement; settings, processes, methods, and tools in communication; 1 lb propane tank regulator for tabletop grills; chebrolu surname caste Images of America Series. I too cannot read a book or watch a movie or anything involving animal cruelty/death. This book was released on 2021-02 with total page 372 pages. An utterly beautiful novel.".. Hooray Lynda Rutledge. West With Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge. And if you end up buying a copy, I'd be grateful if you. "Few true friends have I known and two were giraffes". Local Woman Names Newly Arrived Giraffes. Escondido (CA) Times-Advocate (October 28, 1938): 6. 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. She was presumed dead while every precaution was taken to protect the male. The Lee Highway ran from New York City to San Diego. But when he learns giraffes are going extinct, he finds himself recalling the unforgettable experience he cannot take to his grave. I wasn't excited about reading it, but I wanted to stick with the theme. Even so, this is a novel; a work of historical fiction. As the giraffes were rolling out of sight, Woody runs as fast as he can through the flooded streets, passing dozens of reporters, and eventually steals a motorcycle to keep up with the truck bound for the quarantine facility. Riley Jones, aka Old Man: head keeper of the San Diego Zoo. "Few true friends have I known and two were giraffes" Woodrow Wilson Nickel, age 105, feels his life ebbing away. Download or read book West with Giraffes written by Lynda Rutledge and published by Lake Union Publishing. The road to California leads straight through Woodys hometown of Arcadia, Texas. margin: 0; West with Giraffes: A Novel Lake Union Publishing Hardcover (also available as an e-book, an audiobook, on audio CD, and in paperback), 978-1-5420-2174-6, 356 pgs., $24.95 February 1, 2021 "That's your first story, but it doesn't have to be your only story. 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. The headline of that article is a textbook example of the art of that particular type of composition: MIRACLE GIRAFFES RIDE HURRICANE AT SEA. by . Woody is highly motivated to get to California. There are many photos online of this time in history, below are just a few. What brings your most vivid memories to the forefront? So I'll give a SPOILER WARNING HERE. 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. 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. Woodrow Wilson Nickel, age 105, feels his life ebbing away. A newborn giraffe is about 6 feet (1.9 meters) tall at birth and weighs about 150 pounds (68 kilograms). Thank you for such an amazing story! Recently, one particular work of historical fiction captured my interestthe fact that the title contained the word giraffes certainly helped, but upon reading the description I discovered that its based on actual events revolving around the San Diego Zoo in 1938. 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. -webkit-box-shadow: none; Finally, the last thing I can think of is that Woody describes his last day at home in Texas, where his father forced him to put down his horse with a rifle. 1940. ), and some rabbits. 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. I started getting worried about something terrible happening to the giraffes so I thought I'd check for spoilers. Kansas City, MO: Andrews McMeel Publishing. If you have what were the highlights for you? I hope to die there, I do. 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. It started with a stack of yellowed newsclippings, a very old map, and a white board to fill up. "Few true friends have I known and two were giraffes" Woodrow Wilson Nickel, age 105, feels his life ebbing away. I have to say, though, that no matter what I write on this post, it won't do justice to this book. If you want to skip over it, just skip to the horizontal line break. . Copyright 1999 - 2023 GradeSaver LLC. 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