Wesley the Owl: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl

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Wesley the Owl: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl

4.03 of 5 stars 4.03 · rating details · 4,174 ratings · 970 reviews

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 immediate...more 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.(less)

Hardcover, 230 pages

Published August 19th 2008 by Free Press (first published January 1st 2008)

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Feb 17, 2009 Jeanette rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfiction, wildlife-and-birds, five-star-nonfiction

I LOVED this book! The author has a great sense of humor, and shares a lot of her knowledge about owls, which I found fascinating. The first few chapters are especially funny. I had to put the book down a few times just to laugh til my face hurt. You can't leave an owlet with a "babysitter," because he will screech and squawk the whole time at an ear-piercing level. So she took him with her on a first date with a guy she'd been really hot for.

Wesley was a barn owl who had nerve damage in one of...more

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Jul 09, 2010 Chrissie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fauna, bio, science, text-checked, favorites

I don't know if this should have 4 or 5 stars. Amazing literature - no. Amazing subject matter - yes. I do believe the author's message is correct. Anybody who believes that animals and people really can communicate with each other, can experience a very strong loving relationship with each other, should read this book. Communication and understanding does not have to occur through "talk". If you live with an animal for many years you come to understand just by looking at each other what the oth...more

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Dec 30, 2011 Lisa Vegan rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: those who like owls, biology, nature, science, biographies, heartwarming & funny stories

Shelves: non-fiction, biography, nature, science, gr-groups-buddies, reviewed, altta, humor

When several of my Goodreads’ friends claimed that everyone would love this book, I assumed that statement was hyperbole, even though I was interested in reading it, but now I see why they said that. I’m sure there are many readers who, in fact, would not like this book, but I think most people will appreciate and be smitten by it. I’m surprised that there aren’t more 5 star ratings at Goodreads; only 33% gave it 5 stars and only another 37% gave it 4 stars. I loved it and it definitely deserves...more

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Jan 11, 2012 Diane D. rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Animal lovers

Recommended to Diane D. by: Lisa Vegan

Shelves: animal-related, nonfiction, library-books, favorites

A big thank you to one of my reading buddies, Lisa V, and others on Comfort Reads for suggesting I read this book. It was so wonderful that I need a few days before I can start another book.

Wesley is a 4 day old baby barn owl suffering nerve damage to one of his wings, hence he is unable to survive in his natural surroundings in the wild. Fortunately for Wesley he 'lands' at Caltech after being found on the ground by hikers. From Caltech, he is taken home by one of the biologists, Stacey O'Brie...more A big thank you to one of my reading buddies, Lisa V, and others on Comfort Reads for suggesting I read this book. It was so wonderful that I need a few days before I can start another book.

Wesley is a 4 day old baby barn owl suffering nerve damage to one of his wings, hence he is unable to survive in his natural surroundings in the wild. Fortunately for Wesley he 'lands' at Caltech after being found on the ground by hikers. From Caltech, he is taken home by one of the biologists, Stacey O'Brien. What follows is the 19 year story of Wesley's life with 'his girl', Stacey.

Know that since it is the story of Wesley's life, he does pass in the end; that said, do not be hesitant to read the book. It is a wonderful journey of love, patience, respect and trust that every animal owner should share with their beloved pets. Chapter 14 "Fifteen Years of Trust" is a perfect example of what I mean; if you read the book, you will probably want to re-read that chapter once you've finished the book.

A personal message I got from this book takes place when Wesley passes away and Stacey hears soothing words from Wesley's vet, Dr. Coward, as she berates herself thinking she could have done more, as many of us animals lovers may have done:

"I had done the best I could do to make Wesley comfortable. I had protected him, kept him warm, fed him, made him feel safe and we made it to the end without anyone hurting him. We'd made it....I loved him completely."

If all of us who share our lives with animals can truly say that at the end, we must try to take some comfort in that when they leave us.

Perhaps the greatest joy of the story comes in the final chapter "After" when Stacey is writing this book and she sees a stuffed barn owl (which she buys, of course) in the window of the shop at her writer's group; and months later as she is working on the book in the library conference room, a great horned owl sits in a tree outside the window.

Don't forget to read the Acknowledgments at the end. This author is truly an amazing and gracious woman, to say nothing of her intelligence and compassion for "all living creatures with whom we share the earth." Thank you Stacey and Wesley for sharing your lives with me and for teaching me "the Way of the Owl."(less)

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Mar 25, 2010 Lance Greenfield Mitchell rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: comfort-reads

Enchanting

There are already hundreds of reviews of this book on Goodreads, so I shan’t repeat the storyline for you. However, for those of you who have any feeling for the amazing stories of relationships between animals and humans, this is a “must read.”

Stacey and Wesley live their lives together from the time that the owl is four days old. They form such a very strong relationship that they converse with each other, and share each other’s emotions, happy and sad. The story is beautifully narra...more

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Mar 27, 2010 Virginie marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Ohhhhh, I love owls so much !!!!! Especially barn owls !!!!I want to buy this.....

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Oct 02, 2008 JC rated it 5 of 5 stars

I started this book one night intending to read just the first chapter before bed. I had to force myself to put it down at chapter six lest I miss out on a good night's sleep!

I've never been a bird person, but O'Brien's heartwarming account of her life with Wesley the Owl may make me a convert...for owls at least. O'Brien mixes scientific fact with personal anecdote in a way that is clear and compelling. By the end, you feel like you've learned something about owls, but most of all, you'll have...more

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May 31, 2012 Caroline rated it 4 of 5 stars

Okay, one thing I’ve learnt from this book is that if you want to adopt an owl it’s best to be a biologist, and experienced with working with birds, and be prepared to go to any lengths to keep it happy. Stacey was all of these things.

Wesley developed from being a fluffy ball of cuteness into being a fully mature adult male owl. He saw Stacey as his mate (in every sense of the word), and he really didn’t like other people very much at all. He was utterly endearing with Stacey though, giving her...more Okay, one thing I’ve learnt from this book is that if you want to adopt an owl it’s best to be a biologist, and experienced with working with birds, and be prepared to go to any lengths to keep it happy. Stacey was all of these things.

Wesley developed from being a fluffy ball of cuteness into being a fully mature adult male owl. He saw Stacey as his mate (in every sense of the word), and he really didn’t like other people very much at all. He was utterly endearing with Stacey though, giving her cuddles, making her nests, and trying to feed her mice.

Ahhh, the mice. Not a great bit of the book for me. Stacey sometimes had to kill these for Wesley, and my heart went out to them as she experimented with various ways of doing this humanely. Owls eat mice though. They don’t eat other stuff. It’s mice or nothing. So Stacey did what she had to do.

Wesley lived his life in her bedroom, tethered to a post. I know, it sounds absolutely alien and awful when you consider the lifestyle of a wild owl. Yet due to Stacey’s commitment and enthusiasm (lots of conversation, cuddles, games - magazines to rip up, letting him dunk himself joyfully in the bath....), it comes across that she really succeeded in giving him a good quality of life. I think Wesley was a happy owl.

Most of all I enjoyed the ways in which Wesley and Stacey communicated.... Never was this better illustrated than when she needed to file the beak and claws of the ageing Wesley. Simply through gentle talking, and showing Wesley examples of using a file on various things in the room, she was finally able to file down both his beak and his claws. It must have taken such trust on his part to let her do this, yet he did so without complaint. Not only were they able to communicate about practical things - they were also clearly able to convey their love to one another, and share a great mutual pleasure in play. Stacey was also very good at picking up on whenever Wesley felt distressed, and quick to find out what was the cause.

Towards the end of the book Stacey experiences some very serious medical problems. She reacted with much courage, and her relationship with Wesley was obviously a hugely important factor in keeping her going. I found this part of the book very moving.

Do read the ‘acknowledgements’ section at the end. It’s about all the help and encouragement she got from everyone to write the book. The writers’ groups, the innumerable edits she did over the phone with a friend, and just generally, how everyone piled in to help her. After all she had been through with her medical problems, she so deserved something nice. And that is what she got – because on the front cover of my edition it says “New York Times Bestseller”. Yaaaaay!

Note: There is an excellent You Tube video done by Stacey which is great introduction to the book.
(less)

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Mar 04, 2012 Rebecca rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favourites, kindle-books, very-moving

Absoloutely amazing. That is all I can say when I think of this book.
I found it in a kindle sale and thought it sounded like a cute little book to pass the time. I did not expect it to be full of emotion, that at points made me keel over with laughter or muffle my sobs with a pillow.
The book explored the relationship and growth between the author and her lovely owl Wesley, highlighting their trust and love. I was amazed and awed by some of the things they achieved together. Between the laugh o...more

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Nov 02, 2010 Christina Stind rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, animals, non-fiction, biography

To that which you tame, you owe your life.
When I was a kid, my father had owls in some small aviaries in our garden. I remember the great horned owls the best but since then I've been fascinated by all kinds of owls - and it's kind of a family thing that I'm trying to pass one to my daughters as well. And so far my oldest daughter - at two years old - loves her owl pajamas!
So when I heard about this book about a woman living together with an owl for 19 years, I was intrigued. And very fittingly,...more To that which you tame, you owe your life.
When I was a kid, my father had owls in some small aviaries in our garden. I remember the great horned owls the best but since then I've been fascinated by all kinds of owls - and it's kind of a family thing that I'm trying to pass one to my daughters as well. And so far my oldest daughter - at two years old - loves her owl pajamas!
So when I heard about this book about a woman living together with an owl for 19 years, I was intrigued. And very fittingly, I got the book as a gift from my parents.
Unfortunately, although I went into this with all the hopes in the world, I was disappointed. This is a book about Stacey O'Brien and Wesley, the barn owl she was lucky enough to get when he was just 4 days old and then take care of till he died at the ripe age of 19.
We really get to know Wesley and the stories of his antics are amusing and endearing. I loved when Stacey told of their relationship and of the things Wesley did, both typical and atypical for barn owls. I loved how he developed a love of water and wanted regular baths. It was so amusing reading about how Stacey had to fight him off when taking showers and baths before they figured out a way to enable him to take baths also without catching a deadly cold - it helped when he learned to accept being blowdried!
When Stacey gets Wesley, she's kind of momma bird to him. She takes care of all his needs and tries to teach him, just like his mother would do in the wild. But somewhere along the way, Wesley reaches sexual maturity and chooses Stacey for his mate. And let's just say, any doubt about whether Wesley really was a male owl, is quickly resolved. But I would have liked a deeper look into how he can make this switch - from her being the one taking care of him to suddenly him building nests for her and desperately trying to get her to eat the mice he tries to feed her.
"Wesley and other owls are emotional and show their feelings. They are intelligent and communicate their thoughts in creative ways that we don't always recognize. In fact, many of the higher animals are not really that different from us, they are just 'other." (s. 190)
I really liked reading about Wesley trying to learn to fly - and land - and how he turned and faced the wall when Stacey laughed at him afterwards. It's always difficult with these types of books when the author then writes that Wesley felt ridiculed when she laughed at him. It's easy to wonder if the author reads too much into things - we aren't there, we only read her description and of course her description is influenced by how she interprets the situation. For me, I'm willing to believe that Wesley loved his baths even though it's not normal for a barn owl, that he felt something at least when she laughed at him falling clumsily around and I'm all for accepting that animals are not just instincts - or some kind of ticking clock, as Descartes thought. Of course not. But for one not already feeling this way, I don't think this book will convince them that owls - and birds - are capable of emotions. Even though the fact that owls mate for life and if they loose their mate, they can will themself to death within much shorter time than it would take for to starve themselves to death, is a beautiful testament to the fidelity of owls - and that they are capable of more emotion, than we may think.
My big issue with this book is that it just felt too uneven. It felt like the story of Wesley couldn't fill the entire book and then the author hadn't quite worked out what she wanted to fill the rest of the book with so she put all kinds of stuff in it. The facts about barn owls - and other owls as well - are appropriate and fitting but although I found it interesting that if a snake is cold and is fed a mouse, the snake can't defend itself against the mouse and instead the mouse can actually eat the snake while it's still alive! Although I kind of feel this is the revenge of the mice, this and other facts about other animals throughout the book did feel like page filling at times. Also, some parts of the book was more about Stacey's life and her career, lovelife, illness etc - and not all of this quite fitted in the book - at least not the way it was presented. Also, on several occasions she compares Caltech to Hogwarts - and while the comparision is fitting when you see at all the owls flying around at both places, once was enough.
In the Acknowledgments, Stacey mentions that this is her first book and for her best friend, it's her first editing job - and maybe that's the problem with this book. And it's such a shame - Wesley's story in itself is worth reading and unfortunately this book is not as good as it could be. It's still worth the time because Wesley is such a character and the love and trust between Stacey and Wesley clearly shine through throughout the book but it could have been so much better!
I'll leave you with some of the facts about barn owls that I was most fascinated with.
- the father owl is the one doing all the hunting. An owl pair typically gets 5 owlets and to feed them and himself and the mother, the father has to catch 37 mice. Each night!
- barn owls have to eat the whole mouse. Otherwise, they will die slowly from blood poisoning.
- a barn owl can digest a whole mouse in an hour.
- their ears are irregularly placed on their heads and thereby enabling them to create a map of their surroundings by auditory means.(less)

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Jul 09, 2009 Mark rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I've always had a fascination with owls. When I was growing up there was an owl that lived in the tree outside my bedroom window. I used to smile laying in bed waiting to drift off because I knew the soft hooting would never fail to lull me into a great restful sleep. That owl was my night time companion for a number of years.

I bought this book because I thought it would evoke some pleasant memories of "my" owl. Unfortunately the book sucked. The 2 revelations that hit the reader mid-book are;...more

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Sep 28, 2008 Julie rated it 4 of 5 stars

I just read this book in a few hours...I have been sick in bed all day with nothing else to do, and it was impossible to put down.
Not only is it just a cute story of an owl and his girl, but a learning experience because she is a biologist, and adopted Wesley to get to observe barn owl behavior first hand.
I just love when a book teaches me things, especially about animals. And I think one of her main points was to show that animals of all sorts have emotions that are sometimes even more sensitiv...more

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Aug 26, 2012 Ray rated it 5 of 5 stars

I've always known owls to be amazing creatures. This funny, nicely written book just cements that notion in my mind. On a recent trip to the UK, my wife and I happened onto one of many birds-of-prey centers that dot that island nation and were able to handle a barn owl and a European eagle owl. Wow! Words can't express the power and beauty of these birds. Stacey O'Brien's story of Wesley the barn owl reveals the hidden world of these remarkable birds to the lay reader in ways all of the scientif...more

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Dec 03, 2008 Ginny Messina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: animals

I loved reading about Stacey O’Brien’s experience in raising a barn owl. And, I learned a great deal about owls and about the challenges of living with an animal whose wild instincts can never be completely tamed.

The writing is not great, and sometimes it’s actually pretty bad, especially when the author recreates dialog. In some cases conversations are so awkwardly placed in an obvious attempt to make a particular point, that they sound like a very low-budget public service announcement. And t...more

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Dec 08, 2009 Neel rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was a very interesting story of love, caring, intimacy, deep bond, attachement etc. and astrange and weird events that happened between the author and an owl. Though it's very strange how she became so brave to kill thousands of mice in such a brutal way to feed a single soul out of love, specilally who was regretted days seeing her mom flushed a spider in toilet bowl. But I really enjoyed reading it.Thanks, Renee.

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Oct 30, 2012 Julie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-club

This book was interesting and at times good, however I couldn't get past the part where she let the owl mate with her. This would be like letting my dog hump me. Never! I love my pets too but her relationship with the Owl went too far especially when she also considered herself his mother. Aside from that she did have cute stories about him and a lot of interesting information about Owls. At the end when she said she'd love to adopt another owl I knew for sure that she is nuts. I mean if you hav...more

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Oct 27, 2011 Moira rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: wildlife, science, relationships, memoir, womens

Lovely and amazing chronicle - just a beautiful story and raises important considerations about the emotional lives of animals.

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Sep 14, 2008 carlie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: nature-pets

I picked this book up because of the adorable picture on the cover. The title didn't give me much hope that it would be good, but I was pleasently supprised.
The star of the book is Wesley, a smart barn owl who's antics were a joy to read. From the first moment the author sees the helpless baby she fell in love , and in reading along, so did I.
I found myself continually stoping to share both odd scientific facts I was learning, as well as beautiful pictures of Wesley scattered throughout the b...more

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Nov 23, 2008 Marissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

oh my dear god, this book is adorable. just adorable.

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Mar 27, 2009 Helen rated it 2 of 5 stars

As a researcher at Cal Tech in 1985, Stacey O’Brien made an easy target when a four day old barn owl with an injured wing needed a permanent home. After Wesley had consumed Stacey’s life I have to wonder if, had she known, she would have taken on the responsibility.

Wesley lived close to 20 years, and during that time was totally dependent of Stacey for survival. She had to provide him with no less than 6 mice each day, more when he was molting. Owls mate for life and, since he considered Stacey...more

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Dec 15, 2008 Kathryn rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'm making inroads into animal/human memoirs, and this is my second in a series. What I'm noticing is it's hard to stay focused on the animal, that is, make the animal a true second voice, because, even in the case of Alex the Grey, their vocabulary is quite limited in English. Stacey does a good job. Wesley is alive in many ways and her story, partly because of personal setbacks, is a harrowing one. To convey the intense connection between an animal and its person, when it happens which isn't a...more

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May 17, 2013 Lupita Kirklin rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Psychologists, biologists, students of all degrees and majors, anybody

Recommended to Lupita by: My gut feeling when I saw it in a gift store at the Arizona Airport before departing back home.

With heartwarming sentiment, biologist and owl expert O'Brien chronicles her rescue of an adorable, abandoned, baby barn owl--and their astonishing and unprecedented 19-year life together.

***Just finished reading this beautiful story about a Biologist and her domesticated barn owl. This book makes us reflect on our innate need to relate to living beings. This is a remarkable book! Thanks to the author, Stacey O'Brien, for sharing your amazing and loving story. Her book put smiles and laughter i...more

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May 08, 2013 Rachel rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: animals, non-fiction, biography-memoir

On Valentine's Day in 1985, Stacey O'Brien adopted a four-day-old owlet whose nerve-damaged wing would have doomed him in the wild, and named him Wesley. They were constant companions for the next 19 years, and just as Stacey saved Wesley's life, her devotion to him later saved hers when she became almost completely debilitated by a non-cancerous but inoperable brain tumor that left her in constant pain.

Because Stacey was trained as a biologist, there's a bit of general information here on owls,...more

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Jan 07, 2013 Meredith Watts rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a delightful book. It's written in a smart but accessible style, and would be great for teenage readers who are interested in animals. I fell in love with the plucky and indomitable Stacey and her unforgettably ornery, intuitive, and loving owl Wesley. Wesley came to live with 19-year-old Stacey as an unreleasable owl she took on as a tiny chick. At the time she was working at Caltech in Pasadena with scientists who study owls. Wesley lived for almost 19 years, an incredible age for a ba...more

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Nov 26, 2012 Caris rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

There’s always a part of me that feels kind of bad about disliking a memoir. When I’ve read the story of someone’s life, I’ve, in many ways, experienced their highs and lows. For me, it’s especially difficult to not be able to empathize with the painful parts. And that’s only complicated when I don’t necessarily dislike the book itself. I dislike Stacey O’Brien.

She has certainly done a great deal in her time spent on this planet. And her selflessness in dedicating herself to something as high ma...more There’s always a part of me that feels kind of bad about disliking a memoir. When I’ve read the story of someone’s life, I’ve, in many ways, experienced their highs and lows. For me, it’s especially difficult to not be able to empathize with the painful parts. And that’s only complicated when I don’t necessarily dislike the book itself. I dislike Stacey O’Brien.

She has certainly done a great deal in her time spent on this planet. And her selflessness in dedicating herself to something as high maintenance as an owl is certainly commendable (I get seriously nervous at the prospect of caring for plants). But there’s just so much about her that rubs me the wrong way.

Her most obvious offense is her writing, the dialogue in particular. These two passages are supposed to have come from the mouths of living, breathing humans:

“It’s a wildlife area with walking and biking trails. There was a long, protracted battle to save it from development. It’s become a crucial habitat for many endangered species of birds. Most of the other estuaries have been filled in and paved over” (p. 141).

“You have to meet my grandparents. My grandfather has been a drummer all his life. He played in big bands during the Depression when he was only thirteen years old. He made enough money to support two families, his own and my grandmother’s, saving both families from losing everything during the Depression- and he was just a kid himself. Then, in the ‘40s and ‘50s Grandpa played in big bands with legendary performers like Frankie Carle and Horace Heidt. He raised his sons to be drummers. So there are a lot of drummers in my family” (p. 160-161).

And yet she makes no reference to living in a futuristic setting populated by androids. Go figure.

Having to suffer through writing like that from the beginning gave me a headache. I think I may have actually gotten whiplash from shaking my head so much. But I guess that’s forgivable. I mean, most people can’t write worth a damn. But forcing myself to get past that, as difficult as it was, was wasted effort. Because I developed a bubbling hatred for her on page 88. Allow me to explain.

Ms. O’Brien has to feed her owl cut-up mouse bits. She gets these whole frozen mice from the University lab, which she defrosts in the microwave and cuts into pieces with a pair of scissors. When the frozen mouse funding dries up, she’s forced to buy live mice from a pet store and dispatch them on their own. Her initial method, before learning she can swing them by the tail and smash them on the floor, is holding them still and cutting their heads off with that same pair of scissors. Gruesome? Yes. A bit cruel? Perhaps. But it’s a necessary evil if the survival of the owl is paramount.

On one occasion, she has dinner guests over and opts to leave her sack o’ live mice in the bathtub for safekeeping. When she returns to off them, she discovers that two are missing. She searches the house through the night and into the morning, eventually discovering the precocious little beasts. Not knowing what they’ve been up to (they could now be covered in bacteria or have ingested some kind of poison), she isn’t willing to give them to her owl. So, instead, she decides to take them to a nearby stream and let them free in the bushes.

I may just be sensitive to this because I just finished reading T.C. Boyle’s When the Killing’s Done, which is about the ramifications of invasive species. But the funny part is that she recognizes this behavior as inappropriate in regard to other animals. When talking about a variety of deer being rehabilitated by a friend, she says “they can’t be released because they might interfere with the indigenous species here” (p. 168). It’s strange that she claims to care about animals in general, but has no qualms about setting loose what may be a breeding pair of non-native mice into the local environment. What’s more, she won’t feed those mice to her own barn owl for fear of their unsuitability as food, but she’s just fine with the resident population of wild barn owls (which she takes note of several times) making a snack of them.

And, lastly, she spends a few pages anthropomorphizing the owl’s various hoots and feather rufflings. I’ll leave it to you to assume how annoying that was.(less)

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Aug 30, 2012 Pam Carrie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Being an animal lover who feels a connection when looking into the eyes of an animal such as an owl, I found this non-fiction book by Stacey O'Brien to be fascinating. Due to the baby Barn Owl's injured wing, a Cal Tech science professor asked Stacey care for the owl from infancy through adulthood, realizing that the bird was unlikely to form an attachment to more than one person. The Cal Tech professor warned her not to take this task lightly. Indeed, Wesley the Owl and Stacey did form a very s...more

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Nov 08, 2011 Corey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: memoir

I know that a lot of people form emotional bonds with their pets but, despite being a biologist, I am not one of those people and I lack patience for cutesy stories of pet antics. Therefore, I didn’t think that I would like this story of a woman and her pet, rescued owl that she raised for 19 years. Surprisingly, I really did like this book for a number of reasons. The author/narrator’s tone was down to earth, funny, and really likeable. I learned a lot about barn owl behavior and biology which...more

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Jul 31, 2011 Brad VanAuken rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: animals-wildlife

If you love animals and if you love observing animal behavior, you will find this book delightful. It is about a biologist who raised a barn owl (Wesley) from infancy and their unique touching relationship. For those who think that animals are not smart, do not have feelings and are not sensitive, I say read this book. It also gives one pause about one's diet. Some people say, "I don't eat meat, just fish and poultry." After reading this book, you may be less inclined to eat fish and poultry. Th...more

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Jun 21, 2011 Orsolya rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: wishlist, animals

You know the stigma of a cat lady? Consider me an Owl Lady. I tried to count all of my owl belongings in my apartment but lost count at 72. In fact, I honestly just really like birds: hummingbirds, ravens, toucans... Okay, I digress. Anyway, you can't blame me for being attracted to fellow Southern California native Stacey O'Brien's account of her chunk of life with a beautiful barn owl. Can you say, "Jealous"?!

O' Brien was working at CalTech (Pasadena, CA) with the research center aviary on th...more

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Jun 14, 2011 D Rhoades added it

I had read reviews of this book somewhere--a magazine probably. Mom and I were killing time before a movie yesterday and she wanted to buy an autobiography. We rested at the bookstore and then went to look for that book and I saw, on a table, "Wesley the Owl". We bought it and I'm glad because Mom will get to read it (I finished it last night) and hopefully my brothers and ??? And I'm glad we bought it at the regular price (its a paperback) because the author could really use the money I believe...more I had read reviews of this book somewhere--a magazine probably. Mom and I were killing time before a movie yesterday and she wanted to buy an autobiography. We rested at the bookstore and then went to look for that book and I saw, on a table, "Wesley the Owl". We bought it and I'm glad because Mom will get to read it (I finished it last night) and hopefully my brothers and ??? And I'm glad we bought it at the regular price (its a paperback) because the author could really use the money I believe.

The book is about a young woman who is working at Caltech and has been raised with a love of nature and music--both subjects at which she is quite accomplished. She works at Caltech with animals--first with primates and then with owls. One of the professors there, that she respects very much, tells her that they've been given a baby owl, that zoos and such are overloaded with damaged baby birds such as this, and recommends that she take it home and raise it and by doing so, learn more about barn owls than was currently known. He's like 4 or 5 days old when she gets him and she has pictures throughout the book so that you can see what he looks like at various ages throughout his life. The amazing thing is how un-owl-like he looks as a baby. :)

The book offers several interesting tracks:
1. owls and fascinating facts about them, debunking myths about birds and other facts about birds and wildlife
2. the owl and the different stages of his life - some of them with literally "laugh out loud" moments as he tries to fly and other events in his life
3. the relationship between Stacey and the owl she names Wesley (yes, my older brother is named Wesley but let's not suggest he's "wise an owl"--he might get an owl-sized head LOL So sorry--I couldn't help myself). This relationship is all-consuming. She does have a job and her career changes are interesting as well as other facets of her life like dating, her friends, family and other events. But taking care of an owl--which mates for life and by the nature of their relationship, he mates with her. So she has to be very careful in handling him and the book goes into much detail about this. I now wonder if that professor knew what he was doing to her, personally (both good and bad) by giving her this owl baby. Things that make me go hmmm.... But she's in love with owl and makes huge sacrifices on his behalf. Only one sacrifice is keeping him supplied with mice (graphic details) which is the only diet that they are designed to eat. The inputs and outputs, shall we say, make for interesting, entertaining and occasionally gross reading. :)

Other than some details about the owl trying to mate with Stacey (handled very tactfully) and some possible gross-out areas, I think this book would be appropriate family reading for all. Stacey has an interesting life story and tells it well and humorously and lovingly. I highly recommend this book.
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“Wesley went everywhere with me from then on. I even wrapped him in baby blankets and held him in my arms while grocery shopping, to keep him warm during the first cold winter. Occasionally someone would ask to see "the baby," and when I opened the blanket, would leap back shrieking, "What is that?! A dinosaur?" Apparently, the world is full of educated adults with mortgages and stock portfolios who think people are walking around grocery stores with dinosaurs in their arms.” — 7 people liked it

“Wesley taught me the Way of the Owl. In the human world your value as a person is often intrinsically linked to your wealth or most recent accomplishment. But all the accoutrements of the world were stripped away from me when I got sick. Welsey made me realize that if all I had to give was love, that was enough. I didn't need money, status, accomplishment, glamour or many of the empty things we so value.” — 5 people liked it

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