'West with Giraffes' by Lynda Rutledge and 'Becoming' by Michelle Obama

Becoming, Michelle Obama (4.5)

I found this book to be an interesting, engaging memoir that reads as much as behind the scenes look at a woman coming of age as a sweet love story of a wife and mother. I found myself tearing up several times at the poignancy of the Obama relationship to each other and to their children. Ms. Obama has done an amazing job at raising to seemingly normal children during a very non-normal time for their family while also keeping true to her own strong path forward.

 

West with Giraffes, Lynda Rutledge (4)

I appreciated that this book was based on the newspaper clippings the author found while researching something else at the San Diego Zoo. It is a fictionalized story of how two African giraffes were transported across the US during the depression. The description of how the giraffes interact with the main characters is lovely – makes one want to run to a zoo and interact with them. The backstory of the dust bowl’s effects on society was also very interesting. Some of the characters were a bit melodramatic, but overall I enjoyed the story.