by Stacey O’ Brien
The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl
Written with the same heartwarming sentiment that made the memoirs Marley and Me and Chosen by a Horse runaway bestsellers, biologist and barn owl expert O’Brien chronicles her rescue of an adorable, abandoned baby barn owl – and their astonishing and unprecedented nineteen-year life together.
Wesley the Owl is a love story that begins when a young, compassionate biologist adopts a baby bird–and unknowingly embarks on a relationship that will last almost two decades.
Told with both wit and wonder, this memoir relates the touching, frustrating, and funny events of Wesley’s “growing up.” After being rescued from a fall that ensures he will never be able to survive in the wild, Wesley finds a new home with biologist Stacey O’Brien. With affection and a scientist’s eye, O’Brien narrates Wesley’s growth from a helpless ball of fuzz to a playful and clumsy adolescent–and finally to a macho adult owl who admires himself in the mirror, eats up to six mice a day, and objects to any other male (animal or human) invading “his” territory. Along the way, Wesley’s caretaker makes important discoveries about barn owl behavior, intelligence, communication skills, and emotions. Ultimately, the biologist who saved the life of a helpless baby bird is herself rescued by the insistent love and protective strength of this wild animal. O’Brien’s anecdotes are enhanced by wonderful photos of their life together.
By turns playful and informative, Wesley the Owl is a surprising story of a complex non-human being capable of reason, communication, love, and loyalty–it is sure to be cherished by animal lovers everywhere.
New York Times Best Seller
LA Times Best Seller
Audubon Magazine Editor’s Choice
People Magazine 4 of 4 Stars
Indie Top Ten
