The release date for the English version of 'West with Giraffes' by
Lynda Rutledge is Feb 2021. If you enjoy this novel, it is available for buy as a paperback from Barnes & Noble or Indigo, as an ebook on the Amazon Kindle store, or as an audiobook on Audible.
A stirring, poignant book that draws inspiration from the amazing real tale of two giraffes that made headlines and captured the hearts of Americans during the Great Depression.
"I've only known two true friends, and they were giraffes."
Wilson Woodrow At 105 years old, Nickel thinks his life is passing him by. However, he finds himself thinking back on the life-changing encounter he will never be able to forget when he finds out that giraffes are becoming extinct.
As of 1938. There is still Great Depression. Europe is under danger from Hitler, and jaded Americans want for magic. They discover it in two giraffes traveling across the Atlantic who, by some miracle, escape a storm. The next step is a twelve-day road journey in a specially designed truck to the San Diego Zoo to bring the first giraffes from Southern California. The young, boisterous Woodrow from the Dust Bowl is behind the wheel. The story, which is based on actual events, blends historical and fictitious characters. Notable characters include the first female zoo director in history, a reclusive elderly man with a dark background, a young woman photographer with a secret, and a motley crew of misfits as uneven as the giraffes.
West with Giraffes examines what it means to be transformed by the grace of animals, the goodwill of strangers, the passage of time, and a narrative told before it's too late. It is part adventure, half historical epic, and part coming-of-age love story.