What a charming book! When an owlet with nerve damage shows up at the Cal Tech laboratory where Stacey O’Brien works, a colleague encourages her to adopt it and care for it at home. With the understanding that raising an owl is a potential commitment of over a decade, O’Brien nevertheless agrees, and proceeds to document all aspects of Wesley’s (the owl) incredible, 19-year life with her.

As a reader, I greatly appreciated O’Brien’s background in biology. Without it, this would merely have been another story about a human and a pet. Instead, she is able to offer frank, scientific insight on Wesley’s behavior and intelligence. I definitely have a newfound admiration for owls.