West with Giraffes: A Novel

Go West (With Giraffes), Young Man Great book club pick! Woody is a 17-year-old Dust Bowl survivor who flees from his home after a tragedy. He jumps on trains until he arrives at NYC, where he encounters two giraffes at the dock, headed for the San Diego Zoo. Though the African giraffes made it through an Atlantic hurricane, their journey across the US might be even more perilous, especially due to the injury to the female giraffe's leg. Perhaps identifying with fellow survivors from a storm, Woody becomes intrigued by the majestic one-ton animals. He steals a motorcycle and follows along behind the trailer, eventually worming his way into serving as the driver. Another car also follows the group, its driver a plucky redhead who claims she's a photojournalist for Time magazine. Apparently the giraffes' adventure is based on true events in 1938, and I enjoyed learning some aspects of their history. My favorite part was the bond between Woody and the giraffes, who he fondly names Girl and Boy. The story is told through flashbacks from 105-year-old Woody, and narrator Danny Campbell's raspy voice fit the character. As Woody explains: "Time plays its cruelest trick without you knowing it. Even the memories the body holds most dear become like scratchy old phonograph records played too long, fading in and out, with little sound and even less fury." This book fell a little short of five stars for me because Woody's family trauma seemed weird and unrealistic. I felt disappointed after such a big buildup. I also didn't connect fully with the emotion of the story until the last chapter, which brought on tears.