Wesley the Owl: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl Review
Stacey O'Brein's book, "Wesley the Owl" is a higly entertaining and heartwarming read. As an animal lover, I found it especially interesting because though we've all seen owls, it's a sure bet neither you, or anyone you know, has ever had a relationship with one. Owls are lone noturnal creatures who've earned their mystic like place in the animal kingdom by being largely invisible. Owls are ancient and endearing looking creatures. The barn owl is, undoubtedly, the cutest of the species. If all owls are, say, the Beatles - then the barn owl is Paul...Get it? I imagine I'll never even get within touching distance of an owl so if not for this book I would never guess it was possilbe to actually have a relationship with one.
After reading "Wesley" I know, more so, how remarkable the whole affair of bonding with and caring for a wild owl from infancy to advanced age really is - and the magnitude of it would be hard to understate. The sheer committment is bordering on lunacy as owl behavior is quite unlike any other animal as it is so deeply sensitive it truly bonds to only one other owl (person in this case) for it's entire life. An owl cannot simply be cared for by one person one day and another on other days. Owls bond so deeply with one person, or owl if in the wild, that if something happens whereby that bond is broken the owl will many times will itself to die. Talk about loyalty, owls are of the chart! One of the most interesting things that Stacey reveals is how owls are deep thinking and highly emotional creatures. Owls have an array of feelings one of which is the ability to experience profound embarassment. Couple that with a memory that always remembers (I mean always) and you begin to see what a special relationship is required to achieve a life-long bond with an owl.
I'm thankful that Ms. O'Brien was up to this immensely "all-consuming" job of becoming Wesley's mom. By reading her loving anecdotes describing Wesley's behavior I relished each page's revelation of their interactions and Stacey's juggling of her outside life with the responsibliltiy of raising Wesley. I believe she documented a volume of information for science, but gave the reader pure joy.
As Wesley approached his twilight, Stacey, too, faced a grave change in her own well-being and health. It gets crystal clear that their lives being joined on that Valentines Day in 1985 was a destiny of sorts. When Stacey was at her darkest it was Wesley's need for her that kept her from a total descent into a place of no hope. Not only did Wesley rally Stacey's strength, but he imprinted the Way of the Owl as another remarkable example of God's grace - making their relationship a sort of mutual destiny of growth. This, along with Wesley surprising Stacey by giving her a winged wrap around "owl hug" was the tipping point where my heart was simply overwhelmed with the depth of what, was for the most part previously, just a fun read. Now I got it...The profoundness of Stacey and Wesley's bond and how all God's creatures can work for the greater good for both man and nature. Wow, sounds heavy, but don't worry it's an overwhelmingly lighthearted book you'll quickly devour, but wish it could have lasted longer. Highly recommended!
Wesley the Owl: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl Overview
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.
Available at Amazon Check Price Now!
Related Products
- A Hummingbird in My House: The Story of Squeak
- That Quail, Robert
- The Daily Coyote: A Story of Love, Survival, and Trust in the Wilds of Wyoming
- Mini Barn Owl
- Alex & Me: How a Scientist and a Parrot Discovered a Hidden World of Animal Intelligence--and Formed a Deep Bond in the Process
Customer Reviews
This is a great read! - L. Doty - CORDOVA, TN, US
This book is great! It is an easy entertaining book that will be enjoyed by any animal lover as well as those who believe in God. I highly recommend it.
Interesting and heartwarming - Elisabeth Mager -
Loved this book. Amazing to learn about this barn owl that became such a huge part of the author's life. Highly recommended for any animal lovers!
Wesley taught us "the Way of the Owl" - Laura Mae - Chesapeake, VA, USA
Tender. Real. Factual. Funny. I bought book and audio book & also gave as gifts. This is among my favorite animal stories!
*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Aug 24, 2010 14:41:04
No comments:
Post a Comment