Author- Lynda Rutledge
Publisher- Lake Union Publishing
Pages- 381
Rating- 3/5
Summary- In the year 1938, a pair of Baringo giraffes had miraculously survived the Great Hurricane when the ship in which they were traveling rode through it. After reaching the New York Harbor, they were driven cross-country for twelve days in a little more than a tricked-up pick-up truck to the San Diego Zoo to become the first giraffes in Southern USA. A time when America had still not come out of the Great Depression and the actions of Hitler were threatening, over five hundred newspapers had covered their story and lightened the mood of the readers.The author has written this book based on that story.
Review- The fact that the author is an animal lover can be well understood from the way she has brought to life a real incident about two giraffes which was left buried in the sands of time. Her compassion towards animals can be felt through her words which can make any reader feel the same way for them. Throughout the book we get to meet characters who can be placed under any one of the two categories- animal lovers or animal exploiters. The author has also raised concern about the present day scenario where many animals including giraffes have the danger of becoming extinct. She has beautifully portrayed the way of life during the 1930s where women were not supposed to travel alone and coloured people were not allowed in some places after sundown. However, it was also a time when the San Diego Zoo was led by the only female zoo director of the world, Mrs. Belle Benchley. There is also mention about the Dust Bowl and its consequences.
The story mainly switches between two timelines- when the protagonist Woodrow Wilson Nickel was almost eighteen years old and when he is above hundred years old. His almost eighteen year old self had driven the giraffes to the San Diego Zoo accompanied by the zoo's head keeper. It is through him that we get to know about other characters like Mr. Riley Jones, head keeper of San Diego Zoo and a mysterious woman, Augusta. Throughout the book, we get an account of the journey, all the hurdles they faced, those that tried to harm them and also about the people who greeted them with open arms.
The pace of the story is too slow which often made it difficult for me to continue. I felt that a large part of the book revolved around Augusta and the narrator's feelings for her which could have easily been shortened.
This book teaches you to love animals and be kind to them. It also gives us a lesson about how animals can reciprocate feelings and can save you from danger. It expresses concern about how giraffes along with many other species are threatened by the sixth extinction and may disappear from the world if no efforts are made from our side. It is a book for all animal lovers and those who want to love them.
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