Adult Book Discussion: West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge

Meeting Rooms. The St. Marys Community Public Library is holding in-person book discussions on the 2nd Thursday of the month at 6:00 p.m. Join us as we share our love of books, and discover a possible selection of new books to try for yourself. It’s a great time to come back to the library! Patrons of the St Marys Community Public Library will discuss West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge on Thursday, November 12th, 2026. A library staff member will lead the discussion in the library meeting room from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. 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. Check out a copy of West with Giraffes at the library to read before the discussion.