A review by laheath
West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge

emotional inspiring 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

5.0

This has been on my to-read list for several years and I'm sorry I waited so long. It was such a beautifully written, coming-of-age tale, set mostly in 1938, about the cross-country transport of the first 2 giraffes in America from New York to the San Diego Zoo. Given the time period, the human characters faced challenges such as the Depression, the Dust Bowl, racism, sexism, and animal welfare. The Author's Note was interesting and informative, though I hope there never comes a day when readers are not already at least somewhat familiar with the issues discussed in the Historical Notes.

"In a long life, there is a singular moment when you know you've made more memories than any new ones you'll ever make. That's the moment your truest stories--the ones that made you the you that you became--are ever more in the front of your mind, as you begin to reach back for the you that you deemed best."

"Because if ever I could claim to have seen the face of God, it was in the colossal faces of the giraffes."

"Storytelling matters now. Emotion matters. Our imagination has become an ecological force."
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