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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Absolutely beautiful story. My heart feels so much after reading this one.
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
adventurous
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I would give it 4.5 stars. I thought it was a great interpretation of what might have happened on this journey.
Woodrow Wilson Nickel is an old man past 100 who feels his time is finally approaching the final days. He decides he needs to tell his story. Not his life story, but of one particular adventure when he was a young man. He tells of when San Diego zoo acquired a pair of young giraffes. They were shipped to New York after surviving a hurricane at sea and needed to be transported west across America to their new home.
Woody is a dust bowl boy with a hard past and a terrible secret. Old man is the zoo keeper with a heart only for his darling giraffes. Red is a glamorous photographer hoping to record history by following the giraffes cross country journey.
This is a beautifully written book with lots of powerful imagery of the different landscapes of America. It also gives an understanding of the feel of the nation at that time. The terrible fate of the dust bowl era and all the tragic families that had to leave or perish, only to find themselves unwelcome anywhere else.
I found the older version of Woody was unnecessary. I think the story could have just been told as it was happening. For me it didn't really bring anything extra. I wasn't too keen on Woody either. The repetition about his big dark secret got quite tedious. Red seemed a bit short changed too. The thing that saved it all though was the giraffes. They were written with such love and respect. It's made me see them in a whole new light. I want to sit up high and have a giraffe rest it's head on my lap under the stars. Absolutely beautiful and majestic.
I would recommend this book to someone who's looking for something slower paced and looking for escapism. Although it's an adventure I wouldn't say it's particularly exciting apart from a few occasions. I found myself dipping in and out of it rather than it being a page turner that I couldn't put down. Which is perfect if that's the type of book you are looking for.
Woody is a dust bowl boy with a hard past and a terrible secret. Old man is the zoo keeper with a heart only for his darling giraffes. Red is a glamorous photographer hoping to record history by following the giraffes cross country journey.
This is a beautifully written book with lots of powerful imagery of the different landscapes of America. It also gives an understanding of the feel of the nation at that time. The terrible fate of the dust bowl era and all the tragic families that had to leave or perish, only to find themselves unwelcome anywhere else.
I found the older version of Woody was unnecessary. I think the story could have just been told as it was happening. For me it didn't really bring anything extra. I wasn't too keen on Woody either. The repetition about his big dark secret got quite tedious. Red seemed a bit short changed too. The thing that saved it all though was the giraffes. They were written with such love and respect. It's made me see them in a whole new light. I want to sit up high and have a giraffe rest it's head on my lap under the stars. Absolutely beautiful and majestic.
I would recommend this book to someone who's looking for something slower paced and looking for escapism. Although it's an adventure I wouldn't say it's particularly exciting apart from a few occasions. I found myself dipping in and out of it rather than it being a page turner that I couldn't put down. Which is perfect if that's the type of book you are looking for.
Unique historical fiction set in the Great Depression that was surprisingly action packed. Great for animal lovers.