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A review by bethreadsandnaps
West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge
4.25
4.25 stars
Woodrow Nickel is orphaned at 17 in 1938. After the Dust Bowl claims his family, Woody treks to the Northeast to be with his cousin "Cuz." He isn't there long when a hurricane devastates the area, kills Cuz, and brings two giraffes to shore. Woody is enamored with these giraffes, and after a series of calamities becomes the driver for Riley Jones (aka "Old Man") and these two giraffes whose final destination is the San Diego Zoo (and also Woody's - he's going to "Californy").
Now 105 years old, Woody reflects on this road trip adventure with giraffes that he experienced on the cusp of him becoming a man. This is a slow burn. I don't often enjoy road trip stories, but the giraffes and their relationship with Woody and Riley made the story. I loved that both of these men cared deeply for the giraffes' health. While they have some adventures on the trip, nothing was too zany (which I liked and might be why I usually become turned off at road trip stories). I loved that Woody saw this trip as extremely pivotal in his own life in retrospect.
This is an endearing story. It might be too slow for some. I liked the short newspaper articles and telegrams that were interspersed among the narrative.
I lived in Muleshoe, Texas, where part of this novel takes place, in the mid 1980s. It's in the Texas panhandle, and at the time I lived there it wasn't big enough to get a McDonalds. (It probably still isn't big enough.) When I meet someone from Texas now, I usually mentioned that I lived in Muleshoe, TX, and very rarely has even a Texas native known that small town. So I was excited to see it featured here. :)
Also, my stepdad - now deceased - was born in 1938 in Texas and also named Woodrow.
Woodrow Nickel is orphaned at 17 in 1938. After the Dust Bowl claims his family, Woody treks to the Northeast to be with his cousin "Cuz." He isn't there long when a hurricane devastates the area, kills Cuz, and brings two giraffes to shore. Woody is enamored with these giraffes, and after a series of calamities becomes the driver for Riley Jones (aka "Old Man") and these two giraffes whose final destination is the San Diego Zoo (and also Woody's - he's going to "Californy").
Now 105 years old, Woody reflects on this road trip adventure with giraffes that he experienced on the cusp of him becoming a man. This is a slow burn. I don't often enjoy road trip stories, but the giraffes and their relationship with Woody and Riley made the story. I loved that both of these men cared deeply for the giraffes' health. While they have some adventures on the trip, nothing was too zany (which I liked and might be why I usually become turned off at road trip stories). I loved that Woody saw this trip as extremely pivotal in his own life in retrospect.
This is an endearing story. It might be too slow for some. I liked the short newspaper articles and telegrams that were interspersed among the narrative.
I lived in Muleshoe, Texas, where part of this novel takes place, in the mid 1980s. It's in the Texas panhandle, and at the time I lived there it wasn't big enough to get a McDonalds. (It probably still isn't big enough.) When I meet someone from Texas now, I usually mentioned that I lived in Muleshoe, TX, and very rarely has even a Texas native known that small town. So I was excited to see it featured here. :)
Also, my stepdad - now deceased - was born in 1938 in Texas and also named Woodrow.