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A review by kristafoley18
West With Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge
4.0
West with Giraffes was a book I had on my list, but also chosen for my May book club read. The journey across the nation was adventurous and a good picture of the USA in those times. Well researched for a book based on a true story. A nice story about building relationships with both people and animals.
So touching and sad to read about the Depression era and Dust Bowl, as well as the hurricane Woody experienced. As someone else says, "just imagine having your entire family wiped out during those days and the effect that a survivor would always carry with him. Incredible."
Reading about the sweet giraffes Wild boy and wild girl was great! It was touching to see how much their cross country trek lifted the spirits of the people around them as they traveled. Red and the Old Man were nice characters to read about too. It wasn't as emotional and connected as I'd hoped, but still a nice heartwarming story focused on compassion for animals and people. As expected, I was saddened during the story when the circus train passed by and how poorly animals are treated there.
Good for older Woody to reflect on his past life, but I did think that the nursing home setting and going from past to present was a bit confusing and not as well written as I'd like. I more so enjoyed just the Depression era setting.
I liked it, 3.5 stars.
Quotes:
"whenever I locked eyes with an animal I felt something more soulful than I ever felt from the humans I knew, and what I saw in that sprawled giraffe's eye made me ache to the bone." 143
"'This world of misery is in dire need of some natural wonder to learn secrets to life from.'" 954
"'Life is life no matter who or what is living it, boy - a thing to respect.'" 1073
"'Home's not the place you're from, Woody. Home's the place you want to be.'" 2767
"I mean what if you had to live the rest of your life not spreading your wings?" 2774
"'People look at you peculiar if you talk about the feeling you got for animals, saying animals have no souls, no sense of good or bad, no value up next to humans,' he said. 'I don't know about that. Sometimes I think animals are the ones who should be saying such things about us.'" 3680
"But the truth is I kept up my relationships with Girl and Boy better than I did any human, family having become a word without boundaries for me." 4353
So touching and sad to read about the Depression era and Dust Bowl, as well as the hurricane Woody experienced. As someone else says, "just imagine having your entire family wiped out during those days and the effect that a survivor would always carry with him. Incredible."
Reading about the sweet giraffes Wild boy and wild girl was great! It was touching to see how much their cross country trek lifted the spirits of the people around them as they traveled. Red and the Old Man were nice characters to read about too. It wasn't as emotional and connected as I'd hoped, but still a nice heartwarming story focused on compassion for animals and people. As expected, I was saddened during the story when the circus train passed by and how poorly animals are treated there.
Good for older Woody to reflect on his past life, but I did think that the nursing home setting and going from past to present was a bit confusing and not as well written as I'd like. I more so enjoyed just the Depression era setting.
I liked it, 3.5 stars.
Quotes:
"whenever I locked eyes with an animal I felt something more soulful than I ever felt from the humans I knew, and what I saw in that sprawled giraffe's eye made me ache to the bone." 143
"'This world of misery is in dire need of some natural wonder to learn secrets to life from.'" 954
"'Life is life no matter who or what is living it, boy - a thing to respect.'" 1073
"'Home's not the place you're from, Woody. Home's the place you want to be.'" 2767
"I mean what if you had to live the rest of your life not spreading your wings?" 2774
"'People look at you peculiar if you talk about the feeling you got for animals, saying animals have no souls, no sense of good or bad, no value up next to humans,' he said. 'I don't know about that. Sometimes I think animals are the ones who should be saying such things about us.'" 3680
"But the truth is I kept up my relationships with Girl and Boy better than I did any human, family having become a word without boundaries for me." 4353