West with Giraffes: A Novel

An emotional, rousing novel inspired by the incredible true story of two giraffes who made headlines and won the hearts of Depression-era America.

"Few true friends have I known and two were giraffes..."

Woodrow Wilson Nickel, age 105, feels his life ebbing away. 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. Hitler is threatening Europe, and world-weary Americans long for wonder. They find it in two giraffes who miraculously survive a hurricane while crossing the Atlantic. What follows is a twelve-day road trip in a custom truck to deliver Southern California's first giraffes to the San Diego Zoo. Behind the wheel is the young Dust Bowl rowdy Woodrow. 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.

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 it's too late.

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371 pages

Average rating: 7.72

1,152 RATINGS

31 REVIEWS

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Jennifer Lane

Dec 14, 2024

8/10 stars

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.

MN/OK Book Club

Dec 05, 2024

Picked by Amy

skmoore

Nov 10, 2024

8/10 stars

Well-written and very interesting. The attempt to keep it a secret who he was writing to was overdone in my opinion. It could be said that it moved a little slowly. But it definitely gave me insights into the Dust Bowl and that period of history that I hadn’t known before. And I definitely related to how animals can mean so much to a person!

sueflood

Nov 04, 2024

oct 2024 book

Pjs536

Oct 17, 2024

4/10 stars

Didn’t enthrall me