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Welcome to the August "Kindle Unlimited" Buddy Read!
starts 1-Aug-2024, ends 31-Aug-2024

Our theme this month is Literary Fiction and we're reading West With Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge.

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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...you must read the book and participate by doing ONE of the following:
*Post at least 3 meaningful comments below (more than "This was great!")
*Answer at least 3 of the discussion questions below

Discussion Questions
If you would like to answer 3 of these questions, instead of engaging in discussion with other members, here are your options! (view spoiler)[

Historical Context: How does the historical setting of the Great Depression impact the story and the characters' journeys? What did you learn about this period through the book?

Character Relationships: How do the relationships between Woody, Riley Jones, and the giraffes develop throughout the story? What do these relationships reveal about each character?

Themes of Survival and Resilience: How do themes of survival and resilience play out in the novel? How do the characters and the giraffes embody these themes?

Animal-Human Bond: How is the bond between humans and animals portrayed in the book? What significance do the giraffes hold for the characters, especially Woody?

Adventure and Discovery: How does the cross-country journey serve as a metaphor for adventure and self-discovery? What do the characters discover about themselves and each other?

Narrative Voice: How does the use of Woody's perspective as an older man reflecting on his past affect the story? How does his narration shape your understanding of the events?

Social Issues: What social issues of the time, such as poverty, racism, and animal welfare, are addressed in the novel? How do these issues influence the characters' actions and decisions?

Nature and Environment: How does the natural landscape and environment play a role in the story? Are there specific scenes where the setting is particularly impactful?

Moral and Ethical Dilemmas: What moral or ethical dilemmas do the characters face during their journey? How do they navigate these challenges?

Personal Reflection: Did any part of the story resonate with you personally? How did the characters' experiences and growth affect your perception of the novel? (hide spoiler)]

I'm starting on this one now. Is anyone else reading?

I've finished the book, so my thoughts will be a bit haphazard and maybe not in the correct order!

Watching Woody, Riley and Red grow and learn to trust each other as the journey across the US progressed was interesting. And weaving my way through all the stories and half truths and lies and exaggerations was quite the journey in and of itself. All of their stories needed to be told too.

I really couldn't believe (view spoiler)[that so close to the end of the journey, Woody choose a different path - thinking he'd only be gone a day - that ended up changing what he thought was his path or purpose. It was sad that he missed so much all because he was trying to do the right thing and chose a bad way to get there. (hide spoiler)]

I liked this quote - "It is a foolish man who thinks that stories do not matter—when in the end, they may be all that matter and all the forever we'll know... and it is a selfish man who takes stories to the grave that aren't his and his alone." - and it should have been a clue to me that Woody was telling the story (view spoiler)[to someone who wasn't there! Nope! I didn't pick up on that at all. It wasn't until almost the end that I figured out who he was writing the story for!! (hide spoiler)]

I liked knowing that whatever happened in the story, Woody had survived it and the Depression, since he was writing the story many many years later!

I thought our main character's name was quite ironic. Woodrow Nickel - that made me think straight away that he was going to be a bit of a character and possibly a swindler. (Don't take any wooden nickels, kept playing in my head!)

Finally, the end - (view spoiler)[ with Little Red receiving Woody's trunk and the story when she was in her 80s!!! I know I should have realized the person would be older, since Woody was 105. But again, it didn't enter my mind. I did think once that he was writing the story for his daughter; and dismissed it because I couldn't see him not having contact with his family. (hide spoiler)]

I'm hoping to read it!

I have to say, I enjoyed this book and really thought that I would not. It wasn't a book that I would normally read either. Great characters who were flawed and still lovable. I would recommend this one.

I've read one other book that was set during the 1930's and was about a family's journey trying to survive the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl. Also, not my normal read (and yes I read it for point in some challenge!) but it was a very good story also! The Four Winds

Angie �� wrote: "I have to say, I enjoyed this book and really thought that I would not. It wasn't a book that I would normally read either. Great characters who were flawed and still lovable. I would recommend thi..."

What a coincidence - i just finished borrowing The Four Winds from my library. I have not read any books set during the 1930's yet and it's a period of time I am interested in learning more about.

I’m moving through this one. Currently at 33%. I loved how the book stuck me right in the feels from the beginning with a poor boy losing his entire family and doing his very best to survive on his own. The tragedy of a hurricane and surviving, but wounded animals and the commitment of most involved trying their best to keep them alive. I love how beautifully they are all thrown together, flaws and all looking out for the best interests of themselves but also learning to love others along the way I also love how we get a glimpse of Woody in his old age telling the story. I’m hopeful that Woody and Red fall in love and live happily ever after!
Great book so far! I wasn’t expecting to enjoy it like I am!

Character Relationships: How do the relationships between Woody, Riley Jones, and the giraffes develop throughout the story? The relationships develop from complete stranger to almost completely depending on each other. There is trust and growth involved.
What do these relationships reveal about each character? The relationships reveal that they all need a little bit of help, but together they can be incredibly successful.

Themes of Survival and Resilience: How do themes of survival and resilience play out in the novel? Each character has a need, ranging from help due to incapability all the way through to survival. I feel there also is a need or desire for an emotional connection and they unintentionally manage to fulfill those needs for each other and / or together. How do the characters and the giraffes embody these themes? I think as a whole, they all have very similar needs and they all manage to fulfill them for each other mostly through modeling trust and forgiveness.

Animal-Human Bond: How is the bond between humans and animals portrayed in the book? It almost seems as though the giraffes sensed who they could trust instantly. Where as the humans were quite a bit more reluctant to let down the walls and trust each other.
What significance do the giraffes hold for the characters, especially Woody? I feel like the humans learned so much from the giraffes from the ability to trust and depend on someone to care for them all the way through teaching compassion and forgiveness. Especially to Woody who only had himself to rely on after the loss of his family.

Ok, I just finished. As far as the ending goes, I think I was expecting more. I don't know what exactly I was expecting. But I feel like we came a really long way and didn't get a whole lot of a finish. It was an enjoyable read for the most part though.

This was a really touching read! I didn’t expect to finish it in one sitting, but I did! I think what touched me the most was learning the reasons behind Woody’s and Red’s “escape�� from “home��. And being there as they embarked upon this adventure of getting these animals across the country as well as finding their own “freedom��.

Spoiler perhaps �� (view spoiler)[

I was disappointed that Woody didn’t do more to have a relationship with his daughter. I feel like maybe he and Red’s husband could have worked something out so that he could have been around in some type of capacity. But learning who “you�� was at the end of the book, makes up (a tad bit) for my disappointment. (hide spoiler)]

Favorite quote: 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." He shook his head. "Animals can tear your heart out. They can maim you. They can kill you dead on instinct alone and saunter into the next minute like it was nothing. But at least you know the ground rules with animals. You can count the cost of breaking the rules. You never know with people. Even the good can hurt you bad, and the bad, well, they're going to hurt you but good." He dropped his arm from the window to rub his gnarled hand. "It's why I keep choosing animals. Even if it kills me. One day, it probably will.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story! I loved how realistic it all was on their travels from NY to CA. The Brooklyn Bridge, the Sundown Town, the Texas Flash Floods, all of this added to the authenticity of the struggles these folks had to go through.

I tried.....DNF

I started reading this other day. I'm through the first three chapters. I'm really enjoying the book so far. Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres. The giraffes have a long way to go to get to San Diego. I have been to that zoo. It is quite impressive, and I think it is one of the most visited zoos in the US. It certainly must be one of the most expensive - admission is over $70 per person!

I live just outside of Philadelphia which is home to the oldest United States zoo and have been many times, more when daughter was younger. Admission there is only $20 or so per person.

So far in the books have travelled through New York, New Jersey, Delaware & Maryland. I can visualize that journey because I have traveled those roads myself. The snippets of the newspapers are interesting to read.

Woody, Riley and the giraffes just made it through the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Scenic Skyline Drive. That is a fabulous drive! While reading about it I remembered every switchback while my husband was driving, and I had my hands clenched and eyes closed at times. I cannot image doing that drive pulling 2 giraffes.

Woody is falling in love with Augusta (Reds) but will the love be returned?

I like the switch back & forth to old Woody and young Woody. Old Woody is telling the story to someone only he can see and I can't figure out yet who it is. More to be revealed, I'm 36% done.

I'm 62% done and we've travelled with Riley, Woody and the giraffes through New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Virgina, Tennesse and Arkansas. I have been through all of those states and cannot imagine travelling in through them in the 1930's during the depression and segregation and with the types of vehicles, roads and bridges they had then. I really feel like I am traveling with them.

Woody's thoughts back to the Dust Bowl remind me of The Four Winds. That was a period I was unfamiliar with before I read that book and having that background is helpful here.

One of my favorite quotes so far "Home's not the place you're from Woody. Home's the place you want to be."

I loved this book🥰I agree with Lulu that their travels were very realistic. It was quite an adventure!

I didn't realize Woody was writing for Red's daughter until near the end, but it made sense after he met her.