This light, enjoyable book is hard to put down. It’s historical fiction told in a lovely way. Brings up some good, relevant conversation starters Loved it.

In a beautifully written ode to life, to youth, to mistakes, to hope, Rutledge marks her spot as an inspired author. A tiny piece of history comes to vibrant life in West with Giraffes, an adventure following a teenage boy on the verge of becoming a man in the middle of the heartbreaking desperation of the Great Depression and Dust Bowl. Woodrow Wilson Nickel - more commonly known as Woody - is struggling at 105 to remember his youthful adventure across the country with a pair of wonderfully exotic creatures… but something tells him its critical that he does. So he begins to write his story… it all begins with a hurricane that tosses the simultaneously powerful, hardy, and unbelievably fragile pair of young giraffes that will forever change Woody's life. As characters from his past haunt his memories, Woody is transported back in time. Transported back to driving a group of unlikely characters across a broken and ravaged country, trauma from his hometown coming unexpectedly nearer by the mile.
Rutledge's story doesn't just tell Woody's story, or the story of the Hurricane Giraffes - she tells the story of a country fighting to hope amidst the worst times. She tells of Black hotels, of newly paved mountain roads, of ramshackle trucks and of hopeless hearts finding second chances. She tells the story of us all, and we find that the love we find for Woody and the giraffes encapsulates the love we have for our unlimited potential in this life. Fear and hope intermingle in this tenuous race to save giraffes… and one boy hungry for a home.