Who Could Resist Wesley the Owl

Wesley the Owl

By Stacey O’Brien

Spoiler alert – before you start this novel make room in your heart for an adorable little barn owl named Wesley.  You won’t be able to resist this smart, fluffy bundle of energy.  On Valentine’s Day biologist Stacey O’Brien adopted a baby barn owl with an injured wing who couldn’t survive in the wild.  Talk about a life changing decision!  For almost twenty years Wesley and Stacey shared a life.  As she says, “he was my teacher, my companion, my child, my playmate, my reminder of God.”

What a treat that the author decided to share this love story with us.  Life with a wild barn owl is not for everyone.  I stand in deep admiration of the author’s infinite level of patience.  Her devotion certainly pays off in a deeply empathetic, emotional communion with this beautiful creature.

A wonderful gift in this book is the large number of photos of Wesley in his everyday glory.  The photos alone will melt your heart.  But then to read the stories behind this cutie, you’ll be delighted.  As the author says, “he joyfully poured out his love in loud exclamations and had boisterous opinions about everything.  He kept a running commentary on all that happened in our lives, in his owl language . . . we were happy together.”

But don’t get the idea that raising an owl, and living with one is an endeavor for those faint of heart.  The description of daily life and required routines make me realize that the model owl adoptive parent is a trained biologist specializing in wild animal behavior, working at Caltech (California Institute of Technology) where scientists from all over the world were on the barn owl research team.

Wesley’s story is so humorous, I often found myself laughing out loud.  The author really captures the humor in everyday activities.  I had so much fun reading the story and looking at the many photos that I was surprised to find how much I’d learned about barn owls, and also about animal behavior in general.  Some of these lessons are couched in the theme throughout that is “the Way of the Owl”.  I’m excited that I’ve learned so much in such an enjoyable way.  It’s amazing how well Wesley communicated with his beloved human family.  The author notes that “we are on the cusp of a new understanding of animal communication.”  Thank you Wesley, for teaching me too.

For anyone who believes in the emotions, and soul, and intelligence of animals – you will be captivated by the exploits of Wesley the Owl.

Thereby hangs a tale . . . .            

The Girl on the Train Takes You For a Ride

The Girl On The Train

By Paula Hawkins

As the girl rides the daily commuter train to London, she stares out her window at rows of houses lining the tracks.  She grabs little glimpses into other people’s lives.  The girl is Rachel.  Sometimes she takes what she sees at face value, and sometimes she makes up her own fantasies and stories about what she sees.   But then, on a day that seems so much like every other day, she suddenly glimpses something shocking out the window.  Now everything has changed.  Whether it’s Rachel’s curiosity or her heroics, something compels her to get off that train and climb aboard a very dangerous ride.  Rachel is carrying her own grim baggage, wrestling with her own personal problems as the book proceeds with her involvement in a dark, mystery along the train tracks.

The author has written this book with Rachel as the primary narrator, but interspersed are chapters written with different narrating characters.  As events transpire you’ll read from these different perspectives, and you’re subject to the different character’s motivations, personalities, manipulations and weaknesses.  Some of these characters drove me wild with frustration, others touched my heart, and others intrigued me.  With this powerfully descriptive writing, they each elicited a strong response in me.  It’s up to the reader to decide who is really what they seem, and who is not, and whether you’re seeing the events described accurately?  As a reader, who can you trust?

Paula Hawkins has written a slow-building suspense mystery.  It’s like a train that starts with a jolt, slowly builds up speed, and then in the end is propelled forward to its ultimate destination.  In this case, the rider/reader will find the novel’s final ending an unannounced surprise.  The author said in an interview, “I know people like to read about serial killers and spies, but most of us will never encounter these things.  Sadly, most of the threats we encounter are at home.”  This mystery features themes of domestic violence and alcohol and drug abuse.  It asks the slippery question of whether people can ever truly know their spouses or themselves.  The author describes what makes a psychological mystery more complex than the average thriller, “the atmosphere of menace that infects the everyday.”

Thereby hangs a tale . . . .

An Object of Beauty is a Joy to Read

An Object of Beauty

By Steve Martin

This smart novel is a look at the art world during the 1990’s and into the beginning of this century.  It’s a study of art collecting of that time, as well as a study of the personalities running that art world.  The narrator is a friend and admirer of the protagonist, Lacey Yeager.  She is an ambitious young woman unleashed upon the glamorous art world at the age of twenty-three with big dreams, and lots of energy.

She feels fortunate to land a behind-the-scenes job at Sotheby’s where she learns a lot.  She finds out that the employees don’t make much money, and she struggles.  She observes behind the scenes, and uses her growing knowledge to climb a social and career ladder within the art world.  Following her life choices, as described by the narrator, is intriguing.  Some choices are surprisingly ruthless and others are stunning.  Her adventures, investments, and self-made allure clearly make her an object of beauty for many who are smitten with her notorious charms.

The author’s writing is clever, at times elegant, and full of wit.  His novel is rich with descriptions that make you feel you know the people and the world they inhabit.  Both Lacey Yeager, and her narrator are unforgettable characters.  The action in the book often turns on the author’s well-chosen twist of a word or phrase.  Sprinkled throughout the book you’re treated to twenty-two color art reproductions of the art of the time that the characters refer to at auction or at sale.  As you read on you realize how very knowledgeable Steve Martin, a long time collector, is about the art world.

You’re pulled into the “market” yourself to think about - what is truly art and creativity?  What would you chase after to buy?  The 1990’s was an interesting time in the world of art.  Descriptions of the art objects were often in depth and contained interesting information about the artists and the pieces.  And then sometimes the characters reveal a very human, emotional connection to a piece that resounds as true – “I like it when the moonlight is reflected on the water.”

You’ll be fascinated by the intimate, insightful descriptions of the art, and the people handling it, and the buyers chasing it.  You’ll be surprised to find where Lacey’s career choices lead her, and her friend the narrator.  And in the end you’ll realize John Keats was right about a true thing of beauty -

“A thing of beauty is a joy for ever:
Its loveliness increases; it will never
Pass into nothingness; but still will keep
A bower quiet for us, and a sleep
Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing.”              John Keats

Thereby hangs a tale . . . .