On Valentine's Day 1985, biologist Stacey O'Brien first met a four-day-old baby barn owl -- a fateful encounter that would turn into an astonishing 19-year saga. With nerve damage in one wing, the owlet's ability to fly was forever compromised, and he had no hope of surviving on his own in the wild. O'Brien, a young assistant in the owl laboratory at Caltech, was immediately smitten, promising to care for the helpless owlet and give him a permanent home. Wesley the Owl is the funny, poignant story of their dramatic two decades together.
With both a tender heart and a scientist's eye, O'Brien studied Wesley's strange habits intensively and first-hand -- and provided a mice-only diet that required her to buy the rodents in bulk (28,000 over the owl's lifetime). As Wesley grew, she snapped photos of him at every stage like any proud parent, recording his life from a helpless ball of fuzz to a playful, clumsy adolescent to a gorgeous, gold-and-white, macho adult owl with a heart-shaped face and an outsize personality that belied his 18-inch stature. Stacey and Wesley's bond deepened as she discovered Wesley's individual personality, subtle emotions, and playful nature that could also turn fiercely loyal and protective -- though she could have done without Wesley's driving away her would-be human suitors!
O'Brien also brings us inside the prestigious research community, a kind of scientific Hogwarts where resident owls sometimes flew freely from office to office and eccentric, brilliant scientists were extraordinarily committed to studying and helping animals; all of them were changed by the animal they loved. As O'Brien gets close to Wesley, she makes important discoveries about owl behavior, intelligence, and communication, coining the term "The Way of the Owl" to describe his inclinations: he did not tolerate lies, held her to her promises, and provided unconditional love, though he was not beyond an occasional sulk. When O'Brien develops her own life-threatening illness, the biologist who saved the life of a helpless baby bird is herself rescued from death by the insistent love and courage of this wild animal.
Enhanced by wonderful photos, Wesley the Owl is a thoroughly engaging, heartwarming, often funny story of a complex, emotional, non-human being capable of reason, play, and, most important, love and loyalty. It is sure to be cherished by animal lovers everywhere.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 5.0 / 5.0
Fantastic Book!!:
The story of Wesley the Owl is a fantastic read for any animal lover, and especially avian lovers. The human/animal connection Stacey shares with Wesley, and the stories she tells of that connection are entertaining, enlightening and simply wonderful. A lot can be learned from this book about the human/animal connections that we all share with our animal friends. A must read!
Wonderful book!:
I absolutely loved this book. Read it straight through in one night and can't get it out of my head. It's a beautiful story, beautifully written. And Stacey O'Brien is such an extraordinary person. It was a privilege to read about her and Wesley's life together. I think that anyone who loves animals will love this book, and hopefully it will convert some non-animal-lovers 'to the bright side' as well. It truly had me laughing and crying and in awe, all in one book.
Wesley the Owl...Best Book Ever Read!:
Wesley the Owl is an awesome book that is full of adventure, humor, love, and detail between Stacy Obrien and her owl Wesley. I never knew that an owls life was so complex! Stacy throws so much detail into her book, that you actually feel like you are a part of their lives, and experience all the emotion that goes on between them. Stacy also provides excellent pictures of her life with Wesley, and shares every moment of it with the reader. The story of Stacy and her life with Wesley was so fascinating, and... more info
Not For All Animal Lovers:
I know I'm going to get blasted for writing a negative review, but I just couldn't like this book. As an animal lover, as are most of the people who will read this book, I expected to like it, I wanted to like it. The story of the owl itself is ok, and the book is a quick, easy read. The problem arose for me when, in the first few pages, the author remembers crying all day as a child when her mother flushed a spider down a toilet, using that to portray what an animal lover she is. But a few pages... more info
