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

by Stacey O'Brien

3.98 · rating details · 2,485 ratings · 716 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 imme...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.

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Paperback, 240 pages

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

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Feb 17, 2009

Jeanette rated it

· review of another edition

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 ...more

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Jul 09, 2010

Chrissie rated it

· review of another edition

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 wh...more

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Dec 30, 2011

Lisa Vegan rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: those who like owls, biology, nature, science, biographies, heartwarming & funny stories

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

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

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Animal lovers

Recommended to Diane D. by: Lisa Vegan

Shelves: animal-related, nonfiction, library-books

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...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

· review of another edition

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 st...more

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Mar 27, 2010

Virginie marked it as to-read

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

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Oct 02, 2008

JC rated it

· review of another edition

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 al...more

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Nov 02, 2010

Christina Stind rated it

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 ...moreTo 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

· review of another edition

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 th...more

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Sep 28, 2008

Julie rated it

· review of another edition

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

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Dec 03, 2008

Ginny Messina rated it

· review of another edition

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 announc...more

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Dec 08, 2009

Neel rated it

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 27, 2011

Moira rated it

· review of another edition

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

· review of another edition

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 thro...more

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Nov 23, 2008

Marissa rated it

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Shelves: naturey-stuff

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

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Mar 27, 2009

Helen rated it

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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 consid...more

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Dec 15, 2008

Kathryn rated it

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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'...more

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Jan 02, 2012

Rebecca rated it

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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...more

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Nov 08, 2011

Corey rated it

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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

· review of another edition

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 p...more

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Jun 21, 2011

Orsolya rated it

· review of another edition

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 resear...more

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Jun 14, 2011

D Rhoades added it · review of another edition

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...moreI 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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Feb 27, 2011

Paul Pessolano rated it

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Stacey O'Brien was a biologist working at Caltech when she was approached about caring for a barn owl that had injured its wing and would probably never be able to live in the wild.

The owl, later named Wesley, was only about 4 or 5 days old. Stacy tells of her absolute devotion to Wesley and the incredible sacrifices she made for the owl. She also tells of the love and loyalty she received in return from Wesley.

I have to admit that after reading this book I cannot for t...more

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Sep 09, 2010

Jamie rated it

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Recommended to Jamie by: College Book of the Year nominee

I love animals very much, but I am not a huge fan of stories in which people fawn over their beloved pets and talk about how smart or silly or [insert adjective] they are. This book is an exception because it is 1) about an owl, 2) written by a biologist and 3) Wesley is never written about in the cooing, endearing, objectifying way people talk of their pets because Stacey respected the owl as an intelligent, communicative species, and never treated him as her pet. I found this book to be extrem...moreI love animals very much, but I am not a huge fan of stories in which people fawn over their beloved pets and talk about how smart or silly or [insert adjective] they are. This book is an exception because it is 1) about an owl, 2) written by a biologist and 3) Wesley is never written about in the cooing, endearing, objectifying way people talk of their pets because Stacey respected the owl as an intelligent, communicative species, and never treated him as her pet. I found this book to be extremely interesting, very touching, and often hilarious. It's appropriately named -- this is the tale of a cross-species love story that lasted the owl's entire 19 year life.

Most of us don't know much about owls except that they are nocturnal, their heads rotate, they have excellent hearing, and they cough up pellets that we dissect in middle school science classes. This book introduces us to detailed descriptions of owl physiology, their keen intelligence, their moral code (the Way of the Owl), and the many ways in which they communicate, all through one particular barn owl, adopted at 4 days old by a young researcher at CalTech. Wesley was also quite an unusual character -- he bonded with Stacey as his (lifelong) mate, loved taking baths and playing in water, and was a very sensitive and communicative creature.

I can't really sum up this book in a couple of paragraphs. It's about all the weird, funny, gross, delightful things that occur when raising a creature that is so different from other animals humans typically interact with. It's about biologists who dedicate their lives and their bodies to their love of the research they do. Some of it is kind of gross, like the guy who allowed tropical parasites to live in his body, cutting open his skin so the adult worms could get out when they were ready. (Oh yeah, this is not the best book to read while eating food.) It's about the inter-species connection between a human and an owl, based on love and trust and respect. It's about undertaking an extremely long commitment to another being, despite all the difficulties and inconveniences. It's also about the fascinating and quirky behavior this particular owl exhibits, perhaps because it wants to emulate its human companion.

If you think you might like this book, you definitely will. It's full of funny anecdotes you'll share with anyone who will listen, and it will make you wish you can bury your face in owl feathers and inhale. (less)

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Aug 26, 2009

Dlora rated it

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Shelves: nonfiction, biography

This is a great nonfiction story that engages you and teaches you at the same time. I'm still not entirely willing to concede that nonfiction can interest me as much as a carefully crafted piece of fiction, but this book comes close. The title of the book tells it all: Wesley the Owl: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl. Stacey O'Brien gives us a fascinating peek into the world of biologists and naturalists and barn owls. It almost makes you want to own an owl as a pet--if only it d...more

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Aug 19, 2009

Tamora Pierce rated it

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Shelves: adult, contemporary, nonfiction, ya-yr

This is the story of a girl and her owl. How could I resist? Stacy O'Brien was working in the Caltech biolabs when she was offered the chance to rear and report on a baby barn owl who had nerve damage in one wing and was not likely to survive in the wild. She hadn't done owls before, but she was more than willing to try, and took in the three-day-old owlet she named Wesley. She was in her early twenties.

The book is not only a series of funny anecdotes about life with an intellige...more

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May 28, 2009

Gayle rated it

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This is a fascinating story of a unique relationship between a barn owl and the young scientist/naturalist who adopted him, being unreleasable back to the wild. O'Brien added interesting research and facts to an intensively moving story, and i'm sure some parts took courage for her to write. I appreciated her giving readers a picture of life inside Cal-tech. It felt like we were hanging out with the geeks, too, shuffling past the tunnel troll mathematicians/physicists. This is about as close a p...more

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Feb 17, 2009

Laura rated it

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Shelves: animals

This was a recommendation from Mom, who always enjoys a good heartwarming animal story. It's the true story of the time the author adopted an orphaned owl, and holy CRAP is that owl ever adorable (all heartwarming animal stories worth their salt involve photos of the animal in question; this book is worth its salt). It's not the most well-written book I've ever read (although it's no DaVinci Code), but it's amazing in its details. O'Brien describes Wesley's (at first I typed "Westley"...more

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Jul 13, 2009

Lynn Wilson rated it

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Recommends it for: animal lovers, biologists and naturalists

What a wonderful surprise this book was. I picked it up because I saw the cover in the bookstore window (thank you Elliott Bay) and it turned out to be one of those "could not put it down" books. As the title states it really is a love story, a remarkable one, between the author and a barn owl that she rescued and raised. This is not a feat to be undertaken lightly. O'Brien is a biologist and was working in an owl research facility at the time. Her nineteen year life with Wesley i...more

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May 31, 2011

Barky rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: owls, birds, animal-behavior, animals, science, autobiography-memoir, audio-edition, favorites, funny, heartbreaking, human-animal-bond, pets, families, serious-illness, nonfiction, borrowed-from-the-library

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“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.” — 2 people liked it

“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.” — 2 people liked it

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title link	preview: Wesley the Owl: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5508149-wesley-the-owl?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255700890m/5508149.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5508149-wesley-the-owl?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Wesley the Owl: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl by Stacey O'Brien[/url]

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

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