“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.

On August 1, Books on Tap met to discuss West With Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge, a fictional account of the actual trans-continental trip of two giraffes at the end of the Depression. After surviving a hurricane while crossing the Atlantic, they embark on a twelve-day road trip from New York City to the San Diego Zoo.

Almost universally, readers enjoyed the story itself, but most felt it was not as well written as other books the group has read. One attendee described it as a nice book, a good summer read. The book did prompt discussion about individual close encounters with giraffes and how the experience differed from encounters with other animals as well as how the experience of seeing animals in a zoo differs from seeing them in an open landscape where they can roam.

Lynda Rutledge has stated that she set the story in 2025 to be far enough into the future for the extinction of giraffes to be plausible. She also wanted the main character, Woody Nickel, to be 105 as he remembers and records the story of his adventures. 

As a road trip story, it prompted readers to remember events from cross-country trips they had taken. Others enjoyed the local connection of crossing the Blue Ridge Mountains, complete with a harrowing  detour down Skyline Drive. 

This book is often described as a coming of age novel. The group discussed whether it really was. Some felt that young people of a similar age today wouldn’t relate to it because their experiences of the world are so different. Rather, it was a book about coming of age at the end of the Depression, a time when rules were different and weren’t always followed even when they existed. 

The question arose of whether the author had crowded too many historical things into one book: the Depression, the Dust Bowl, Sundowner Towns, treatment of women, etc. The verdict was not necessarily. However there are a lot of themes in the book. One that prompted a fair bit of discussion was the character Red, the woman photojournalist. She provides a romantic interest, but it’s a romance that never really happens. Red is a spunky character, a favorite of some readers who wanted more of her story. 

Other aspects of the story that stood out for members of the group were the description of Dust Bowl survivors trying to get to California, the black family that took charge to rescue the travelers when the truck got stuck in a tunnel, and the fact that the giraffes were not props, but actual characters in the story. One reader admitted to becoming attached to the giraffes while reading, and another said the only way they were able to complete the book was because they knew from the beginning that the giraffes would arrive safely.

The group discussed the contrast between the then-revolutionary San Diego Zoo and the treatment of the animals in cages in a traveling circus. This prompted a discussion of how we treat animals and the controversy over zoos, the negative of keeping animals in captivity vs. the need to protect endangered species. We still see animals as entertainment. 

This book is also a story of survival and redemption. Woody saves the giraffes, but they also save him. Members of the group also noted that the Old Man, the animal handler sent by the zoo to shepherd the giraffes across the country, also served as almost a therapist for Woody, helping him talk through the trauma in his life. 

As we approach 2025, how close are giraffes to extinction? Overall the species is not endangered, though two subspecies are endangered and two are critically endangered. 

And yes, giraffes really do enjoy raw onions as a special treat . . . 

Rutledge’s website with photos from the time period. Also a map of the cross country trip: https://www.lyndarutledge.com/images/LeeHighwayMap.gif