Readers’ Corner, April 2023: Animal Dreams
By Bonnie McCune & Kathleen Duhamel ~
Walk With Giraffes. Lynda Rutledge’s engaging tale, based on true events, follows the improbable journey of Woodrow Wilson (“Woody”) Nickel, a Dust Bowl orphan on the brink of manhood. After Woody makes his way to New York, he is swept up in a news story involving two giraffes who have survived a shipwreck and are headed to a new home in San Diego. He convinces the Old Man in charge of the operation to let him drive the giraffes across the country. Along the way, he grows to love and respect the beautiful, towering creatures while being shadowed by a mysterious red-haired woman who claims to be photographing the trek for Life magazine.
Justice for Animals: Our Collective Responsibility. Do humans have an obligation to protect and support the other creatures that share our planet? Should animals have a legal right to live a flourishing life free from human interference? Philosopher and humanist Martha Nussbaum’s provocative book examines the ways in which animals survive in a human-dominated world and offers a compassionate and thoughtful plan of action that could help all species coexist. Justice for Animals is a must read for anyone involved with or interested in animal rights.
Like many girls, when young I was obsessed with horses. I’m not sure what horse books did for me, representing freedom or excitement, but I loved them. The first was Black Beauty, the name of a children’s novel by Englander Anna Sewall, whose mother wrote children’s books. Sewall’s only novel has been a best seller since 1877. The autobiographical tale traces the horse’s life from birth, through affections, evil owners, and the ultimate reunification with the first owner. Children’s books often are better written than you recall and can provide a soothing sigh of emotional satisfaction. Find many of them FREE at Project Gutenberg, gutenberg.org.
Find author Kathleen Duhamel at https://www.kathleenduhamel.com/ and Bonnie McCune at https://BonnieMcCune.com
