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.
140 Kentucky Street
707-762-0563
click for hours & info
140 Kentucky Street
707-782-0228
click for hours & info
138 N.Main Street
707-823-2618
click for hours & info
(Montgomery Village)
775 Village Court
707-578-8938
click for hours & info
104 Matheson Street
707-433-9270
click for hours & info
1300 First Street, Suite 398
707-252-8002
click for hours & info
1330 Lincoln Avenue
707-942-1616
click for hours & info
1200 4th Street
415-524-2800
click for hours & info
999 Grant Avenue
Suite 105
(415) 763-3052
click for hours & info