UVA Club of Middle Tennessee: February Book Club

All alumni, friends, and families are invited to join the UVA Club of Middle Tennessee on Tuesday, February 21st for our in-person February Book Club! We'll discuss "West with Giraffes" by Lynda Rutledge. All are welcome, even if you don't finish the book!

We'll gather at the Bandlow home; address information will be provided upon registration.

About the book:

"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." - Goodreads review

If you have any questions regarding this event, please contact Amanda Nichols (CLAS '09) at amanda.nichols87@gmail.com.

This event is #open to all alumni, friends, and families. #BookClub