West With Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge

I never would have read this book if it wasn't a book club selection, despite the rave reviews. I could not imagine that a book about two giraffes would be interesting or entertaining. Well, this is why I belong to a book club! I read the book in one day, and the story was quite engaging.

Woody Nickel is the main character. He is 17 years old - and on his own. He is dirty, starving and doesn't have a dime to his name. His parents and sister are dead (from the Dust Bowl) and his uncle, who he located on the east coast & lived with for awhile after his parents died, has recently died as well. Woody is a thief and a liar, but he is a survivor. He falls in love (at first sight) with a red-headed photographer who wants to take pictures of the "hurricane giraffes" and make a name for herself with Life magazine. The giraffes were being transported via ship from Africa to the New York Harbor when the ship (SS Robin Goodfellow) got caught in the Great Hurricane of 1938, off Haiti. The giraffes, who are young, were initially saved from poachers. Now they miraculously survive a hurricane in their crates on the ship. Woody names them Wild Boy and Wild Girl.

Riley Jones is the head keeper of the San Diego Zoo. He is charged with the mission of driving the giraffes across county from New York to the San Diego Zoo - which is quite a feat in and off itself, especially since Wild Girl has an injured leg. Riley has a driver since he can't drive due to an unexplained injury of his shifting hand. This driver is certainly not a solid fellow, and soon he abandons Riley. Woody wants to take his place. Riley finds himself between a rock and a hard place because he needs a driver asap, and he doesn't trust Woody at all (as he shouldn't!), but Woody finds a way to convince him to give him a try as a driver.

Woody has a nickname for everyone. He refers to Riley as "Old Man" and the photographer Augusta (aka Augie) as "Red". Red follows Woody & Old Man across the country taking pictures. This adventure takes 12 days, but they nearly lose their lives a few different times. It's a harrowing journey.

I normally don't like characters that make bad decisions again and again, which Woody does. Fortunately, he learns a few important things along the way as well. So, although he does some really stupid things and suffers the consequences, he does manage to redeem himself in my eyes. I really enjoyed this book, especially since the author includes historical facts.

Wendy's Rating: *****