West with Giraffes

West with Giraffes ©2021 by Lynda Rutledge is a fictional novel based on the true story of the cross country transport of two adolescent giraffes in 1938 from Brooklyn to the San Diego Zoo. These two giraffes had miraculously survived a horrendous hurricane at sea during their journey by ship from Africa. Although the ocean portion of their trip is not part of the book, the overland truck version is fascinating none the less.

The setting is the tail end of the Great Depression which ran 1929-1941; many of the associated traumas and misfortunes set a bleak and challenging backdrop. Dirt poor, teenager Woodrow Wilson Nickel's work ethic and outlooks on life, animals and honesty stem from his experiences endured during 1930s Dust Bowl in his home state of Oklahoma. This young man drives the precious cargo over many difficult to negotiate landscapes. The year 1938 falls within a period of Greenbook guidance for discriminated blacks amidst sundown town attitudes for negroes.

The front flap summary of West with Giraffes does an excellent job of summarizing the contents of this novel. Rather than reinventing the wheel I repeat it here.

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.

The remarkable story of the two giraffes' ocean voyage prior to their cross country trek is recounted in a history for the San Diego Zoo. It was at this site that I finally saw a photo of the vehicle and the customization required to carry those giraffes. I had been conjuring up pictures of my own throughout the book.

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. ... The 130-foot storm-ravaged cargo ship finally reached soggy and mangled Brooklyn on September 23. ...
What happened on that ship during the storm is almost too crazy to be true. Imagine waves so severe that a rhino is tossed overboard. Along with the rhino, the food for the giraffes was lost as well. The crate containing the female giraffe rolled and rolled until it shattered to pieces. She was presumed dead while every precaution was taken to protect the male. Amazingly, one of the crew saw the female giraffe move, so they covered and protected her as the storm raged on.

The story is narrated by Woody, the teenage drive. Initially I found his language difficult to read but I became accustomed to it and this presentation did add a depth to the tale. Woody is rather self-deprecating and this aspect also contributes to the charm. The gruff, but kind and generous, demeanor of Woody's boss is pretty awesome, and makes the recounting even endearing. Poverty, illness, cruelty, and discrimination are each present, but they are addressed very well. A tiny bit of budding romance thrown in sweetens the plot. There are two timelines in this novel: present day where Woody is in a nursing home, furious writing down the story he has to tell, and the past event of the journey. Not so sure at the beginning, I soon came to realize I really enjoyed this book — the plot, the characters, and the enlightened history that subtly educated me without bogging down my reading.

The dedication of West with Giraffes reads

To the real hurricane giraffes

The introduction Woody writes to his story within a story reads

“Few true friends have I known and two were giraffes…”
                                              —Woodrow Wilson Nickel

The giraffes were renamed by the local children of San Diego. Lofty and Patches lived at the zoo for nearly 30 years and produced seven offspring, contributing significantly to the zoo's growth.

★★★★☆ Really good; maybe only one weak aspect or limited audience