A review by jerzgrl626
West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge
5.0
Absolutely one of the best books I have read in the last 5 years!
It's 1938 when a set of giraffes arrive in NY harbor from Africa during one of the worst hurricanes the country has ever seen. The giraffes' final destination is the San Diego Zoo where Mrs. Belle Benchley, the first female zoo director in the country, anxiously awaits their historic arrival. They will be the first giraffes to ever be housed in a zoo inn the USA.
Riley Jones is tasked with the feat of transporting the giraffes across the country safely. When his driver abruptly quits on him, enter Woodrow Wilson Nickel (aka Woody Nickel), an orphaned teenager with a dream to start his life over in California. The two set out on a life changing cross country adventure.
Giraffes are my most favorite animal on this Earth. The descriptions and elegant language used to describe them was beautiful and I learned SO much from reading this book. Part historical fiction, part coming of age story, this book was an absolute delight to read.
It's 1938 when a set of giraffes arrive in NY harbor from Africa during one of the worst hurricanes the country has ever seen. The giraffes' final destination is the San Diego Zoo where Mrs. Belle Benchley, the first female zoo director in the country, anxiously awaits their historic arrival. They will be the first giraffes to ever be housed in a zoo inn the USA.
Riley Jones is tasked with the feat of transporting the giraffes across the country safely. When his driver abruptly quits on him, enter Woodrow Wilson Nickel (aka Woody Nickel), an orphaned teenager with a dream to start his life over in California. The two set out on a life changing cross country adventure.
Giraffes are my most favorite animal on this Earth. The descriptions and elegant language used to describe them was beautiful and I learned SO much from reading this book. Part historical fiction, part coming of age story, this book was an absolute delight to read.