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.

An engaging and inspirational memoir of raising and living with an abandoned barn owl that became a New York Times bestseller.

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.

Reviews
I LOVE Wesley the Owl! Stacey O'Brien has captured the essence of the soul of an unforgettable owl. This book is destined to become a classic, and will deepen importantly the way we understand birds. * Sy Montgomery, author of The Good Good Pig. *
Perfect * The Lady *
Wesley the Owl is beautiful, funny, transcendental, fascinating and powerful. I LOVED THIS BOOK! * Lynee Cox, author of Swimming to Antartica. *
This fun book reminded me of Marley & Me but with wings. Warm, weird, and wonderful, Wesley the Owl is proof that man's best friend sometimes has feathers. * Mark Obmasick, author or The Big Year *
...stunning, unforgettable. Read this book and you will never see owls, or humans, in the same light again. * Kenn Kauffman, author or Kingbird Highway. *
A heartfelt journey of life and love with one of nature's wild creatures, Wesley the Owl is a must read story of faith, compassion and selfless devotion. * Jay Kopelman, author of From Baghdad with Love. *
Funny, frequently moving and with incredibly insight ... Wesley is ultimately a tale of true friendship, which reveals a woman as remarkable as her barn owl. * Your Choice *



Book Information
ISBN 9781849010580
Author Stacey O'Brien
Format Paperback
Page Count 240
Imprint Constable
Publisher Little, Brown Book Group
Weight(grams) 195g
Dimensions(mm) 196mm * 128mm * 16mm