Product Description

On Valentine’s Day 1985, biologist Stacey O’Brien 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 had no hope of surviving on his own in the wild. O’Brien, then 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 is the funny, poignant story of their dramatic two decades together. As Wesley grew, O’Brien snapped photos of him at every stage, recording his life from a helpless ball of fuzz to a playful, clumsy adolescent to a gorgeous, gold-and-white, adult owl with a heart-shaped face and an outsize personality that belied his 18-inch stature. 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. Wesley is a thoroughly engaging, heart-warming, often funny story of a complex, emotional, non-human being capable of reason, play, and, most important, love and loyalty.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3698 in Books
• Published on: 2009-07-16
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

Review
Few could be unmoved by this delightful story. --Good Book Guide

From the Back Cover
Sometimes an owl is a womanÂ’s best friendÂ… When biologist Stacey OÂ’Brien met a four-day-old baby barn owl, little did she know that this fateful encounter would turn into an astonishing 19-year saga. With nerve damage in one wing, the owlet had no hope of surviving on his own in the wild. OÂ’Brien was immediately smitten, promising to care for the helpless owlet and give him a permanent home. With both a tender heart and a scientistÂ’s eye, OÂ’Brien records his life from a helpless ball of fuzz to a playful, clumsy adolescent to a gorgeous, gold-and-white, adult owl with a heart-shaped face. Their bond deepens as she discovers WesleyÂ’s outsize personality, subtle emotions and playful nature. When OÂ’Brien develops her own life-threatening illness, the biologist is rescued from death by the insistent love and courage of this wild animal. Wesley the Owl is a thoroughly engaging, heart-warming, 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. Paperback original Memoir £7.99

About the Author
Stacey O'Brien is trained as a biologist specializing in wild-animal behaviour. She graduated from Occidental College with a BS in biology and continued her education at Caltech. Stacey now works as a wildlife rescuer and rehabilitation expert with a variety of local animals, including the endangered brown pelican, owls, seabirds, possums, and songbirds. She lives in Southern California.

Customer Reviews

Wesley - an extraordinary owl, an extraordinary book
You will never read another book like this one. Nineteen years of intimate friendship between a barn owl with a complex, intelligent character, and an observant, witty young woman with a gift for narrative. Wesley was never tamed, he was a wild animal to the end, but few domestic animals form such a bond with a human being. Funny, sometimes scary, occasionally sad, and with surprises and insights into animal and human behavior on almost every page, Wesley is a gem of a book.

owlsome!
this book is terrific. i bought it as a gift for an owl lover and ended up reading it in three days. i don't consider this animal writing literature but it was fascinating. you discover a whole new world, a very interesting one. i think that animals can give so much to humans, but we there's so much we don't know or don't care enough to know about them. so here's a good chance to learn something.

LUVVY OWLS
IF YOU HAVE AN OPEN MIND AND A SOFT HEART THIS IS A REALLY REWARDING READ