Lynda Rutledge at a Glance

Full Name: Lynda Rutledge

Pronunciation: LIN-duh RUHT-lej

Born: June 8, 1950

Nationality: United States

Education:

• BA, American Literature
• MA, American Literature
• MFA, Creative Writing

Genres:

• Fiction
• Travel writing
• Journalism

Biography & Background

Lynda Rutledge Biography

As a child, Lynda Rutledge had no interest in writing. According to her, this was because she was “too busy trying to break [her] little tomboy neck” (Rutledge). However, she did grow up on a steady diet of Superman comics, Nancy Drew novels, and Hardy Boys mysteries, all of which served as a gateway into the wider world of American literature, leading to her lifelong passion. In college, she studied American literature and creative writing, then launched a richly varied, 25-year career in travel writing, copy writing, and freelance journalism, contributing to publications like the San Diego Union Tribune, the Chicago Tribune, and the Chicago Sun-Times.

In 2008, she submitted two manuscripts (one fiction and one nonfiction) to a manuscript competition hosted by the Writers’ League of Texas, which offers detailed critiques to participants. Although her nonfiction manuscript won in its category, her fiction manuscript, Provenance, scored poorly in two categories. Rutledge maintains that losing this competition was better than winning, as she took the critique to heart and fixed the manuscript’s weak points. With the stronger title of Faith Bass Darling’s Last Garage Sale, the revised novel was eventually published in 2012, ushering in Rutledge’s career as a fiction writer. She was inspired to write her award-winning novel, West with Giraffes, upon hearing the true story of two giraffes who survived a hurricane during the Great Depression and were then transported westward to California in a modified truck. She published her third and most recent novel, Mockingbird Summer, in 2024.

Fun Facts About Lynda Rutledge

• In West with Giraffes, Rutledge based the character of Riley Jones, the “Old Man,” on the real-life figure Charley Smith, who served as the head zookeeper for the San Diego Zoo in 1938; it was his task to drive the legendary giraffes to California.
• Rutledge has spent 15 years teaching as an adjunct college professor in three different states.
• Rutledge has written a range of nonfiction works on behalf of Habitat for Humanity and the San Diego Zoo.

Lynda Rutledge’s Awards & Honors

• 2008 — Writers’ League of Texas Nonfiction Manuscript Competition winner
• 2013 — Writer’s League of Texas Book Award (Faith Bass Darling’s Last Garage Sale)
• 2023 — Texas Center for the Book’s Great Read (West with Giraffes)

Interviews & Podcasts

Hear from Lynda Rutledge in her own words.

Interviews with Lynda Rutledge

_{VIEWS ON BOOKS}

Interview: Lynda Rutledge (May 23, 2022)

Rutledge reflects on the research that went into writing West with Giraffes and the surprising true story that inspired the novel. This interview highlights how fact and fiction combine in the book’s emotionally rich narrative.

_{OLLI AT FURMAN}

Lynda Rutledge West with Giraffes Lecture (March 2, 2022)

In this recorded lecture, Rutledge discusses the challenges of writing historical fiction and the cultural resonance of the 1938 giraffe journey. A must-listen for readers curious about the real history behind the novel.

Podcasts with Lynda Rutledge

_{THE NATURAL CURIOSITY PROJECT}

West with Giraffes—Thoughts on the Past and the Future (2023)

Dr. Steven Shepard—author, educator, photographer, and host of the National Curiosity Project podcast—provides a thoughtful review of West with Giraffes, that ponders the myth of “the good old days” and reflects on the power of stories to bridge generations and species.

Lynda Rutledge Quotes

It is a foolish man who thinks stories do not matter—when in the end, they may be all that matter and all the forever we’ll ever know.

— West with Giraffes (2021)

Animals can tear your heart out. They can maim you. They can kill you dead on instinct alone and saunter into the next minute like it was nothing. But at least you know the ground rules with animals. You can count the cost of breaking the rules. You never know with people. Even the good can hurt you bad, and the bad, well, they’re going to hurt you but good.

— West with Giraffes (2021)

You can know all about a person from the things they collect, the books on their shelves, the chairs in their parlor […]. Let me into your house; I could write your life story.

— Faith Bass Darling’s Last Garage Sale (2012)

In a long life, there is a singular moment when you know you’ve made more memories than any new ones you’ll ever make. That’s the moment your truest stories—the ones that made you the you that you became—are ever more in the front of your mind, as you begin to reach back for the you that you deemed best.

— West with Giraffes (2021)

From books, we learn not only to see the world through others’ eyes but also experience universal truths about life across decades and even centuries. And those truths have the power to shape the type of deeper, more well-rounded people we become.

— from an interview with Scribe excerpted on author website (Lynda Rutledge: Bio, 2011)

Notable Books by Lynda Rutledge

Faith Bass Darling’s Last Garage Sale (2012)

In Rutledge’s debut novel, a wealthy Texas widow decides to sell off her belongings on the eve of the new millennium, sparking a flood of memories and long-buried secrets. With humor and poignancy, the book explores legacy, memory, and reconciliation in a Southern Gothic voice.

Mockingbird Summer (2024)

Set in a small Texas town in 1959, this novel explores race, justice, and childhood friendship as two girls—one white, one Black—confront their community’s prejudices. With this narrative, Rutledge maintains her focus on morally complex stories that capture major social shifts through intimate relationships.

Learn more about the story with SuperSummary’s study guide.

Authors Like Lynda Rutledge

Erskine Caldwell

Recommended Read: Tobacco Road (1932)

This gritty Depression-era novel explores poverty, ignorance, and survival in rural Georgia. Like Rutledge’s fiction, Caldwell’s work reveals the enduring human spirit in times of hardship through regional detail and emotional depth.

Explore the full breakdown with SuperSummary’s study guide.

Kristin Hannah

Recommended Read: The Four Winds (2021)

Set during the Dust Bowl and Great Depression, like West with Giraffes, this novel follows a mother’s journey west in search of a better life. Both authors spotlight resilience, migration, and the way historical events impact ordinary people.

Uncover more about this novel with SuperSummary’s study guide.

Sara Gruen

Recommended Read: Water for Elephants (2006)

Gruen’s historical novel centers on a young man who joins a traveling circus during the Great Depression. With its blend of romance, hardship, and animal companionship, the novel will resonate with fans of West with Giraffes.

Ready to dig in? Check out SuperSummary’s study guide.

Follow Lynda Rutledge

Connect with Lynda Rutledge on the following platforms:

• Website: www.lyndarutledge.com
• Facebook: Lynda Rutledge Author