I’m starting off my 2025 Book Reviews with an audiobook set in 2025! Usually it doesn’t seem important whether I consumed a book I’m reviewing with ears or eyes, but in this case the narrator’s voice added both tension and depth. Afterward I looked him up, because Danny Campbell manages to sound so much like a 105-year-old Woodrow Wilson “Woody” Nickel that I found myself hoping neither—Danny, or Woody—would keel over before finishing.
The novel, based on actual events, takes us back to September 1938 when two giraffes are off-loaded in New York, having somehow survived a 50-plus day Atlantic crossing—and the Great Hurricane. The teenaged Woody can’t take his eyes off the majestic creatures, which are headed by truck for the San Diego Zoo. He has recently lost everything—again—to the storm, so he signs on as the rig’s driver and heads west, toward the sunny promise of California.
What It’s About
While the tale covers the challenges of crossing a Depression-era country towing two very tall passengers, the larger theme is animal grace and how it can change and improve humans. To enrich what could’ve been a rather dull travelogue, author and former travel writer Lynda Rutledge also overlaid a fictional love story—and wove in many imagined details well beyond the scope of various newspaper stories and memoirs.
When I read this book, I didn’t know anything about the giraffes and their history; it’s only after I finished, not wanting to let them go, that I dug into what was actually “true” and what only took place between my ears. The wonderful thing about fiction is that it can bring to life stories we would never hear otherwise… and the writing didn’t show any gaps between what was gleaned from a newspaper and what came solely from Rutledge’s imagination.
I always like to include what I didn’t like about a book, but in this case I can’t think of any criticism at all. I’d recommend it to everyone who loves animals, especially those who enjoy cross-country adventures. IMHO, it’s even richer and more engrossing than Amor Towles’ far more popular The Lincoln Highway.
And even though this might be considered a spoiler, I will tell you: both Danny Campbell and Woody Nickel do manage to finish the story. Only then do we find out who the very specific audience is, identified only as “you”—which makes for the most satisfying ending I’ve read in many years.
Authorial Voice
Rutledge has written two novels (as well as a history of the San Diego Zoo). After digging into her website, I’m looking forward to reading her latest, Mockingbird Summer. I especially liked this answer about her unique voice:
I’m told my style is “humorously serious.” I like that. Robert Frost nailed what a good piece of writing should do, saying it “begins in delight and ends in wisdom.” A good story, the kind that stays with you and gives you food for thought, packs a velvet punch––so it must have some gravitas to it, but it should be delivered lightly and with a dash of joy. That’s what I’m aiming for in all my novels, the past ones and the ones still to come.” Read more on LyndaRutledge.com
The only reason I stumbled onto West with Giraffes is because of libro.fm’s easy-to-search library. If you too enjoy reading-listening to full-length books while your hands are busy with other tasks, their fee includes a monthly book credit—and a portion goes to the independent bookstore of your choice. (No portion goes to me; I just like their service.)
Got a book you’ve loved that hasn’t received as much attention as you think it should? Share it in the comments below, or send me an email. I read every single one, with gratitude.
PS There’s an excellent summary of how fact and fiction intersect in West with Giraffes on Zoo Walks Through History.
