''Owls in the Family'' is a

novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...

by Farley Mowat, first published in 1961. Like many of Mowat's novels it focuses on the relationship between a child and their pets, in this case the pets being two horned owls. It draws on Mowat's own experiences as a child in rural Canada. Mutt, the dog from Mowat's other book, ''The Dog Who Wouldn't Be'' (1957) makes a brief appearance. The novel is considered a Canadian classic.

Plot summary

Billy is a boy who resides in

Saskatoon Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Hig ...

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada, western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on t ...

who brings home numerous animals and spends time with his two best friends, Bruce and Murray. Billy winds up finding two great horned owls, which join his larger pet collection. The first bird, Wol, is larger and lighter in colour with a bold personality and was found by Billy and his friends under a bush after a storm. Soon afterward, Billy finds Weeps, a smaller mottled brown owl in a barrel filled with oil. When Billy witnesses children throwing stones at Weeps, who is unable to fly, he trades his scout knife for him. Unlike Wol, Weeps has an anxious disposition and sits on the handlebars of Billy's bicycle due to his inability to fly. Billy has a number of adventures with Wol and Weeps, including tough times and happy moments. When Billy and his family move to

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

, he entrusts the owls to Bruce.

Characters

* Billy: A boy who adopts Wol and Weeps; the protagonist * Wol: An owl found under a bush after a chinook and best friend * Weeps: An owl being hit with rocks by older children in an oil barrel before being rescued by Billy * Bruce and Murray: Billy's friends * Mr. Miller: A teacher who wants to get pictures of owls in a tree * Ophelia: The former maid of Billy, finds Wol in Billy's room * Rex: Bruce's dog * Mutt: Billy's dog * Mother: Billy's mother * Dad: Billy's father

References

External links

Owls in the Family
on the Open Library 1961 Canadian novels Novels by Farley Mowat Novels set in Saskatchewan Children's novels about animals 1961 children's books {{Canada-novel-stub