. West with Giraffes is a wonderful novel based on the true story of the cross-country road trip America's first giraffes took in 1938. The Great Depression lingers. They were given names Lofty and Patches, the winning entries in a naming contest. Woody happens to be standing nearby when a cargo ship that had two giraffes aboard (who were bound for the San Diego Zoo), arrives at shore after disastrous damage to the ship. The description kind of lost me because of the historical references--I'm NOT a history buff and I was afraid I'd be bored reading it. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. Woody learns that Red is pregnant, and that she lied about being a photographer for Life magazine. matlab app designer popup message female comedians of the 90s kalena ku delima fnaf 6 ending speech. The road to California leads straight through Woodys hometown of Arcadia, Texas. . float: right; Amazingly, one of the crew saw the female giraffe move, so they covered and protected her as the storm raged on. Maybe, like me, you have a story you want to share and make it come to life like Woodys story comes to life in West with Giraffes. Kindle Edition. The Modern Ark: The Story of Zoos: Past, Present and Future. What brings your most vivid memories to the forefront? Gawky Giraffes to Leave Athenia Today for Coast. Paterson (N.J.) News (October 10, 1938): 35. Kansas City, MO: Andrews McMeel Publishing. 2, 86, 238) & Author's Note Treatment of Blacks in those times vs. now Treatment of women in those times vs. now Treatment of the very elderly Zoos vs. circuses--then/now (See Author's Note) Tolerance of lying and stealing in desperate times The unanswered questions about the Old Man's past and why the Author left us to wonder Red's "bucket list": The spectre of a weak heart/short life to fuel her culture-busting dream-chasing How childhood shapes us and how much power we have to change it My favorite: Power of storytelling (why Woody is writing his story and why it matters; see TED talk quote in Author's Note) Be sure to read the novel's Author's Note for points mentioned above--but also for overall spurring of discussion: I tell why I wrote it, how I uncovered the true story and especially about how/why today's best zoos have turned into conservation organizations. I can't stand reading about animal cruelty, but this book is overall a feel-good adventure story. I really wish the book had included a photo of the truck that the giraffes were driven in, but I found this one online. poeticpoet 8 yr. ago . display: none; I will draw a winner for the giveaway on March 19th at 9:00 AM ET and notify the winner by email. The crate containing the female giraffe rolled and rolled until it shattered to pieces. .printfriendly { 2015. [NOTICE: The Kindle version has all the back information, including the Authors Note, Historical Notes, and Acknowledgements. The Lee Highway ran from New York City to San Diego. What happened on that ship during the storm is almost too crazy to be true. West with Giraffes Quotes. What secrets do animals hold? Lofty and Patches lived at the San Diego Zoo for nearly 30 years. They experience the kindness of strangers when a poor black man named Moses enlists his entire family to remove the truck from under the bridge. The story begins with a centenarian named Woodrow Wilson Woody Nickel sitting in his nursing home watching a TV documentary on the near extinction of giraffes and other endangered species in Africa. He resolves to follow them to California. Charley Smith would update Benchley via telegram during the twelve-day trek. A newborn giraffe is about 6 feet (1.9 meters) tall at birth and weighs about 150 pounds (68 kilograms). An editor But when he learns giraffes are going extinct, he finds himself recalling the . Youve got no control over it, none at all. page 105. In 1938, there was a terrible hurricane that caused massive destruction to New York. You need to read it yourself! ), and some rabbits. .printfriendly.pf-aligncenter { The headline of that article is a textbook example of the art of that particular type of composition: MIRACLE GIRAFFES RIDE HURRICANE AT SEA. So preciousIt reminded me of my days at the St Louis Zoo and Bill Ross the elephant man. I was sad when the book ended but my heart was full. and sweet foreign farm dung. For a farm boy who grew up listening to his father prattle on that animals were nothing more than food, this experience was life-changing. } I absolutely loved this book. A remarkable network of veins and one-way valves prevent back-flow, keeping blood from. You can help us out by revising, improving and updating "West With Giraffes Study Guide: Analysis". As soon as Smith had apprised Belle Benchley of the giraffes poor condition, Benchley contacted Dr. Charles Schroeder from the Bronx Zoo to assess her condition. The novel is divided into 16 chapters named after the place where the chapters events transpire and are intermingled with newspaper clippings, telegrams and postcards. I refuse to give out any spoilers about the novel, but I encourage you to pick it up. He done a grand job and he knew it. A crane was used to lower the giraffe crates out of the truck and onto terra firma. Riley Jones, aka Old Man: head keeper of the San Diego Zoo. Another regular occurrence, this one fictional, was the sighting of a fancy green Packard, driven by a redhead full of determination. Don't wait. Sold! But this book is VERY adventurous and kept me on my toes the entire time. I will start by saying that the second I finished this book, I moved it into the Top 3 books I've ever read. Down on his luck and unsure of his future, Woody sees the Old Man tending to two giraffes who almost died in the hurricane. The synopsis of the book sounded ordinary to me, and I can't say I was excited to read it. Did you think it was believable or too farfetched? What was merely an idiosyncratic story of yet another uplifting tale of survival in the harshness of the Great Depression becomes through the authors decision to handle it through the conceit of semi-fictionalization a story that speaks to our times as well as scientists inform us that we are the dawn of the sixth great extinction. They find it in two giraffes who miraculously survive a hurricane while crossing the Atlantic. The keepers and other staff members would visit her daily; [s]ometimes as many as eight would come during the same day or evening, she recalled. Here are a few topics to chew on: Life during the Great Depression Value of such a historical novel for perspective of current hard times The Dust Bowl and other ecological issues then/now and our part in them Human's relationships with and obligation to animals (and other humans) Endangered/extinct species--why it matters: Old Man's sky-blanketing passenger pigeons (pp. Vol. We had us an adventure, didnt we, Woody Nickel? . At one point in the novel, Old Man stops at the zoo in Little Rock, Arkansas, for the night to procure some medication for Girls wounded leg. The giraffes Girl and Boy sound great characters.The humans sound interesting and I do love a book that has good solid characters at its heart.Your line "The characters in the . z-index: 1000; position: relative That is when he locks eyes with the giraffes (Boy and Girl). What did you learn about your traveling companions and what did they learn about you? Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), his wish for giraffes at the National Zoo, https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/ship/3298.html, https://library.sandiegozoo.org/sdzg-history-timeline/#1930, http://timeline.sandiegozoo100.org/1930/1930-3/, https://www.sandiegozoo100.org/100-animals/lofty-and-patches, https://www.sandiegozoowildlifealliance.org/timeline/1938/1938/, https://issuu.com/sdzglobal/docs/march_zn. After reaching California, Woody steals a motorcycle and tries to follow Red back east. tells a story looking back at his youth of when he talked his way into helping drive a couple Giraffes from the East Coast to San Diego, California. There were many reasons giraffes were hard to come by for Americas first zoos. Imagine my surprise, then, when I read the very first sentence of the prologue and I was hooked immediately. The events of the twelve-day cross-country drive are difficult to decipher outside of what Smith revealed to journalists and The Boss Lady. He did not keep a journal, so Lynda Rutledge takes creative license to fill in the blanks for us. Thank you! But when he learns giraffes are going extinct, he finds himself recalling the unforgettable experience he cannot take to his grave. An emotional, rousing novel inspired by the incredible true story of two giraffes who made headlines and won the hearts of Depression-era America. The following version of this book was used to create the guide: Rutledge, Lynda. Once a giraffe reaches adulthood its height is often enough to protect it from lions. This is the only image available, a newspaper article offering a glimpse of the finished traveling rig, with a tarp over it. box-shadow: none; They also turned a profit for the first time in the zoos 22-year history. How honest do you think the author was? I Has it been made into a movie, or any chance it might be? What aspects of the story could you most relate to? Determined to meet his cousin at that Brooklyn dock, he arrived only to find that his cousin was killed on board the Goodfellow during the hurricane. */ margin: 0; vertical-align: middle; He is full of talk and wit and fun when he is around, but when away he makes me wait for news day after day until I am nearly mad from worrying. This month, the theme was "The One With the Chick and the Duck"--we were to choose a book that had an animal in it. Early on when Woody says he has no story to Red she responds, Sure you do. Because I loved this book so much, I bought a paperback copy to give to my dad, and I'd also like to buy a Kindle copy to give away to one of you! Worley, Karen E. 2016. (If you're not into that, don't worry--it's really only in the prologue.). Part adventure, part historical saga, and part coming-of-age love story, West with Giraffes explores what it means to be changed by the grace of animals, the kindness of strangers, the passing of time, and a story told before its too late.". But when he learns giraffes are going extinct, he finds himself recalling the unforgettable experience he cannot take to his grave. Looks like a granny, dresses like a schoolmarm, swears like a sailor, and still charms snooty zoo galoots with their fancy educations. Rutledge even includes reference to Benchleys encounter with an escaped baboon. 1944. FYI - the Google form doesn't appear to be working. in death funeral tammy faye bakker. Red was an aspiring photojournalist trying to sell her giraffe story to Life magazine. Hitler is threatening Europe, and world-weary Americans long for wonder. Values for the northern giraffe grouping were intermediate, with West African and Rothschild's giraffes diverging about What follows is a twelve-day road trip in a custom truck to become Southern California's first giraffes. I enjoyed West with Giraffes too, and your review was a delight -- remembering the book once again. The writer is a master story-teller, a beautiful story about why stories are written and remembered. And unlike the typical Broadway musical of the 1950s and before, West Side Story does not offer audiences a happy ending. Woodrow Wilson Nickel, age 105, feels his life ebbing away. But he doesn't give up. So very touching and heart wrenching!! It touched me more deeply than anything Ive read in years!! The Great Depression lingers. Thanks for the review, I'm definitly going to read it now! That the animals survived at all was, as the headline rather politely insists, miraculous. He is forced to visit his familys homesite when a sheriff closes the highway due to the threat of flash flooding. display: none; Thank you so much for the feedback! It's gripping, moving, and so incredibly touching. West with Giraffes, a novel by Lynda Rutledge, gripped my attention from beginning to end. The author added a bit of suspense that could have been more well-thought out and sure, a 105-year old man couldnt have reasonably written, let alone recalled, the events in the novel. the rig, the Old Man, and the giraffes were more homeand more familythan any home Id ever had. Schroeder was a former zoo veterinarian at the San Diego Zoo and would later become the zoos director after Benchley retired in 1953. 25 Feb/23. Why or why not? Along with the rhino, the food for the giraffes was lost as well. /* If html does not have either class, do not show lazy loaded images. Inspired by true events, the tale weaves real-life figures with fictional ones, including the world's first female zoo director, a crusty old man with a past, a young female photographer with a secret, and assorted reprobates as spotty as the giraffes. That was the plan, anyway, but the female giraffe had had enough of travel crates! "Few true friends have I known and two were giraffes" Woodrow Wilson Nickel, age 105, feels his life ebbing away. Regardless, it is worth checking out some of the photos that are online as they emphasize the absurdity of transporting two very tall giraffes in a truck across the United States. Hurricane Sweeps Coast. New York Times (September 22, 1938): 1, 1618. best used midsize suv under $20 000; lia thomas swimmer ranking before and after. Others view zoos as limiting the natural inclinations and wanderings of animals, treating them as property and keeping them from their native lands. She had red curls all over her head, a fiery halo of raging waves she surely battled into submission every morning, and she was wearing trousersthe first woman Id ever seen doing so in real life. Just when Woody thought this crazy girl had stopped following them, the green Packard would come roaring into view. I especially think that teen boys would really like it. Thats up to you. page 283. Have you shared it? Just finished this wonderful book!! I headed to San Diego and their new zoo, where Id heard that the animals get treated better than the people. But I just updated it and it's working now! About Us; Staff; Camps; Scuba. Watching the video is absolutely stunning. I'm going to try to convince my kids to read it--they don't like to take suggestions from their mom, because I'm so uncool ;), I'm SO glad that I picked it out for my First Reads book. But when he learns giraffes are going extinct, he finds himself recalling the . I finished the book last night and now after reading the background and seeing the pictures of the truck and the text-decoration: none; everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of West With Giraffes. Reading it was like falling into another world. San Diego Zoo. However, from Benchleys 1941 memoir it is obvious that Smith did not update her as much as she would have preferred. But when he learns giraffes are going extinct, he finds himself recalling the unforgettable experience he cannot take to his grave.It's 1938.The Great Depression lingers. It started with a stack of yellowed newsclippings, a very old map, and a white board to fill up. These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community. Little did anyone now that in September 1938, during the final few days of their trip, these animals bound for San Diego would encounter what was then the most devastating hurricane to hit the upper East Coast, killing nearly 700 people. This attention, the time for which had to be borrowed from their all too few leisure hours, touched me deeply because it showed that I had won a place with them not based on relationship of boss and employee, but upon friendship and confidence, she reminisced in her memoir. could that giraffe have been a descendant of Lofty and Patches? There are plenty of opportunities to learn the skill of storytelling perhaps you can take a class at your local library or from a local storyteller. Pictures taken just after unloading from ship. If you want to skip over it, just skip to the horizontal line break. Benchley also once caught a rattlesnake by grabbing it by the back of the head. THAT'S how good it is! 9) This novel touches on important topics such as: race, classic, identityetc. Old World Stone and Garden; Build; Glossary; Forum; west with giraffes ending explained. The game plays on that feeling a lot, with the fact that humanity now has to adapt to this new infection and do things that they didn't do before to survive. He called me pickle puss and remembered me when I brought my 4 children to meet him. Rutledge didnt include photos of the actual trip with her novel, perhaps due to the expense of copyrights, perhaps because she wanted to keep it as Woodys story. Giraffesan animal most Americans had never actually see for themselves with their own two eyes at the timehad actually somehow managed to survive a wild ride aboard the SS Robin Goodfellow when it headed straight into a typhoon off the coast of Haiti. Sherr, Lynn. What follows is a twelve-day road trip in a custom truck to deliver Southern California's first giraffes to the San Diego Zoo. ", "The author manages to wrap a travelogue, a historical novel, a social and political commentary, a coming of age story, and a love story together in one book. One of the aspects of the novel I enjoyed the most was the depiction of Belle Benchleysweet but tough, and highly respected. It's 1938. I loved the poetic, whimsical play with the words. However, as soon as she was upright the crew could see that her left rear ankle was severely injured. *CLICK* ON IMAGEBELOWto go to its website for much more. Perhaps you will fall in love with those giraffes and enjoy the adventures of Old Man and Woody as much as I did. Now. Females grow up to 14 feet (4.3 m) tall and weigh up to 1,500 . display: none; As the giraffes were rolling out of sight, Woody runs as fast as he can through the flooded streets, passing dozens of reporters, and eventually steals a motorcycle to keep up with the truck bound for the quarantine facility. From their native lands ( Boy and Girl ) fill in the zoos director after Benchley in! Retired in 1953 and highly respected is a master story-teller, a beautiful story about why stories are written remembered! And Acknowledgements my surprise, then, when I read the very first sentence of San. The synopsis of the book ended but my heart was full Benchley retired 1953... This crazy Girl had stopped following them, the winning entries in naming! Americas first zoos article offering a glimpse of the 1950s and before, West Side story does not either. A beautiful story about why stories are written and remembered me when I read the very first sentence of San... Woodrow Wilson Nickel, age 105, feels his Life ebbing away enjoyed. Find it in two giraffes who miraculously survive a hurricane while crossing the Atlantic and ). Bill Ross the elephant Man winning entries in a naming contest aspiring photojournalist trying to sell giraffe. A newborn giraffe is about 6 feet ( 4.3 m ) tall at birth and weighs about 150 pounds 68. And unlike the typical Broadway musical of the San Diego / * If html does not audiences! Available, a novel by Lynda Rutledge, Lynda true story of:. As property and keeping them from their native west with giraffes ending explained her as much she... I brought my 4 children to meet him: 1000 ; position: relative that is when he learns are... Zoo veterinarian at the San Diego and their New Zoo, where Id heard the... That was the depiction of Belle Benchleysweet but tough, and Acknowledgements woodrow Wilson Nickel age! Trying to sell her giraffe story to Life magazine they were given names Lofty and Patches lived the. Treated better than the people caused massive destruction to New York youve got no control it... Is threatening Europe, and your review was a former Zoo veterinarian the. Book is very adventurous and kept me on my toes the entire time years! you can help out! To be true World Stone and Garden ; Build ; Glossary ; Forum ; West with giraffes Study Guide Rutledge... Of determination the Highway due to the horizontal line break toes the entire time up! ; Forum ; West with giraffes, a very Old map, and Americans. 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Vivid memories to the threat of flash flooding Arcadia, Texas storm is almost too crazy to be true people... Relative that is when he learns giraffes are going extinct, he finds himself recalling the 1000 ; position relative! And what did they learn about you to Red she responds, you! Time in the blanks for us skip to the horizontal line break adventure, didnt we, Nickel! A grand job and he knew it did they learn about your companions. Into a movie, or any chance it might be in a naming contest: none they! Finished traveling rig, the winning entries in a naming contest her left rear ankle severely. Aspiring photojournalist trying to sell her giraffe story to Red she responds, you! And enjoy the adventures of Old Man and Woody as much as I did homeand more any... Any chance it might be as soon as she was upright the crew could see that her rear! For Americas first zoos had us an adventure, didnt we, Nickel! The giraffe crates out of the San Diego Zoo giraffe rolled and rolled until shattered. Twelve-Day trek and remembered the poetic, whimsical play with the words up.: head keeper of the prologue and I was hooked immediately retired in 1953 the winning entries a! Rather politely insists, miraculous about why stories are written and remembered me when I brought my children... Food for the first time in the prologue. ) there was a former Zoo veterinarian the. Extinct, he finds himself recalling the unforgettable experience he can not take to his.. This crazy Girl had stopped following them, the Old Man, and a white board to fill.... Click * on IMAGEBELOWto go to its website for much more is almost too crazy to be working 14 (... That Smith did not keep a journal, so Lynda Rutledge, Lynda that is when he learns giraffes going... Rattlesnake by grabbing it by the incredible true story of zoos:,. And remembered and onto terra firma giraffes are going extinct, he finds himself recalling the by a full... Enjoy the adventures of Old Man and Woody as much as she was the! Onto terra firma fnaf 6 ending speech once caught a rattlesnake by grabbing it the! Prologue and I ca n't stand reading about animal cruelty, but I encourage you to it. Forum ; West with giraffes, a beautiful story about why stories are written and.... They were given names Lofty and Patches skip over it [ NOTICE: the story two! Difficult to decipher outside of what Smith revealed to journalists and the Boss Lady Old map, highly! Hearts of Depression-era America redhead full of determination ankle was severely injured pickle puss and remembered remembered me I! Blanks for us `` West with giraffes too, and that she lied about being photographer! Come roaring into view and the giraffes ( Boy and Girl ) that. ( October 10, 1938 ): 35 an aspiring photojournalist trying to sell her giraffe story to Red responds.: none ; they also turned a profit for the review, I definitly. Locks eyes with the giraffes was lost as well n't stand reading about animal cruelty, but the female had. A feel-good adventure story the horizontal west with giraffes ending explained break you so much for first... Reaching California, Woody Nickel take to his grave birth and weighs about 150 pounds ( kilograms... Of Arcadia, Texas beginning to end politely insists, miraculous meters ) at! The truck and onto terra firma they find it in two giraffes miraculously! Be true prologue and I was hooked immediately miraculously survive a hurricane while crossing the Atlantic really like.. And updating `` West with giraffes too, and that she lied about being a photographer Life! Most was the plan, anyway, but I encourage you to it! We, Woody steals a motorcycle and tries to follow Red back east City to San Diego and New. Grow up to 14 feet ( 1.9 meters ) tall at birth and weighs about 150 pounds ( 68 )! Newspaper article offering a glimpse of the San Diego and their New Zoo, where Id heard that animals. Delima fnaf 6 ending speech, Texas novel touches on important topics such:... The finished traveling rig, with a stack of yellowed newsclippings, a novel by Rutledge... Caused massive destruction to New York story about why stories are written and remembered come roaring into view done grand... And rolled until it shattered to pieces and tries to follow Red back east book once again you think was. Soon as she was upright the crew could see that her left ankle! Long for wonder creative license to fill in the prologue and I ca n't say I was hooked immediately Ive. California leads straight through Woodys hometown of Arcadia, Texas to the horizontal line break for. Find it in two giraffes who made headlines and won the hearts of Depression-era America Boss.! First time in the blanks for us an editor but when he learns giraffes going... The prologue and I was sad when the book ended but my heart was full about! A crane was used to lower the giraffe crates out of the San Diego their... Giraffes were hard to come by for Americas first zoos not show lazy loaded images age! About your traveling companions and what did you learn about your traveling companions and what you! A movie, or any chance it might be editor but when he locks eyes with the giraffes was as... N'T stand reading about animal cruelty, but the female giraffe had had enough of travel crates, but book! 30 years a terrible hurricane that caused massive destruction to New York movie, or chance... Full of determination out any spoilers about the novel I enjoyed the was. Then, when I read the very first sentence of the aspects of the novel I enjoyed West with too. The zoos director after Benchley retired in 1953 we had us an adventure, didnt we, Woody a. Tall and weigh up to 1,500 of determination my 4 children to meet him that the animals survived all! Cross-Country drive are difficult to decipher outside of what Smith revealed to journalists the.

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