West with Giraffes cover art

West with Giraffes

A Novel

Preview
Try Premium Plus free
1 credit a month to buy any audiobook in our entire collection.
Access to thousands of additional audiobooks and Originals from the Plus Catalogue.
Member-only deals & discounts.
Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

West with Giraffes

By: Lynda Rutledge
Narrated by: Danny Campbell
Try Premium Plus free

Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $33.99

Buy Now for $33.99

About this listen

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.

©2021 Lynda Rutledge (P)2020 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.
Coming of Age Fiction Friendship Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Heartfelt

Critic Reviews

“A delightful read.”The New York Times Book Review

“Every year I find at least one book that soars above all the others. This year West With Giraffes is that book.”Florida Times Union

“[A] larger-than-life story about the power of both animal magnetism and human connection…witty, charming, and heartwarming.”Booklist

All stars
Most relevant  
If you like journey stories, if you like Steinbeck you’ll like this. Narrator evoked the time and brought the story to life.

Writing was beautiful

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

A beautiful story, loved every second. Beautifully written. One of those book you just don’t want to end.

Soul touching story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

As gentle and touching as the giraffes in the story, this memoir is a coming of age story set in the pre-war, depression era of USA.

charming, endearing, touching, unusual

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

This book should be made into a movie. Loved it. Couldn’t stop listening. A++ highly recommended

Loved it

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

I loved the giraffes as much as the characters. A great insight to the life and poverty of USA citizens during and after the war.

lovely storytelling.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

This is not a book I would typically pick up but it captured me and I couldn't put it down. You feel so many emotions towards Woody and the choices he makes and the giraffes just tie everything together with such beauty and peace.

beautiful tale

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

I had to stop listening as I could literally not listen to the narrators voice.

Terrible Narration

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.