Wild Within: How Rescuing Owls Inspired a Family

by Melissa Hart

Melissa Hart, a desperately lonely young divorcée and L.A. transplant, finds herself stranded in rainy Eugene, Oregon, working from home in the company of her two cats and two large mutts. At the local dog park, she meets a fellow dog owner named Jonathan: a tall, handsome man with a unibrow and hawk-like nose. When he invites her to accompany him on a drive to Portland to retrieve six hundred pounds of frozen rats and a fledgling barred owl, sparks fly!

Their courtship blossoms in a raptor rehabilitation center where wounded owls, eagles, falcons, and other iconic birds of prey take refuge and become ambassadors for their species. Initially, Melissa volunteers here in order to “sink her talons” into her new love interest, but soon she falls hopelessly in love with her fine feathered charges: Archimedes, a gorgeous snowy owl; Lorax, a fractious great horned owl; and Bodhi, a baby barred with a permanently injured wing. As “human imprints,” these birds see themselves and people as the same species yet retain a wildness that hoodwinks even the most experienced handlers. Overcoming her fears, Melissa bravely suffers some puncture wounds to get closer to these magnificent creatures.

Melissa and Jonathan start out convinced they don’t want children, but caring for birds who have fallen from their nests triggers a deep longing in Melissa to mother an orphaned child. Thus they embark on a heart-wrenching journey to adoption. Every page sparkles with vivid imagery and wit in this beautifully written memoir of parallel pursuits. Wildness Within is, above all, about the power of love—romantic, animal, and parental—to save lives and fulfill dreams.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Animals, Birds, Nature, Biography

336 pages, Hardcover

First published September 2, 2014

About the author

I'm an Oregon-based author, journalist, and instructor for the MFA in Creative Writing program at Southern New Hampshire University. My essays and articles have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, The Boston Globe, The Chicago Tribune, The Los Angeles Times, Real Simple, Orion, High Country News, The Rumpus, Brevity, Woman's Day, The Advocate, Parents, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Hemispheres, and numerous other publications.

I'm the author of The Media Adventurer's Handbook: Decoding Persuasion in Everyday News, Ads, and More (World Citizen Comics, 2023), Daisy Woodworm Changes the World (Jolly Fish, 2022), Better with Books: 500 Diverse Books to Ignite Empathy and Encourage Self-Acceptance in Tweens and Teens(Sasquatch, 2019), the award-winning middle-grade novel Avenging the Owl(Sky Pony, 2016), the memoir Wild Within: How Rescuing Owls Inspired a Family (Lyons, 2007), and the memoir Gringa: A Contradictory Girlhood(Seal, 2005).

I'm a contributing editor at The Writer Magazine, and I teach frequently at writing conferences, libraries, universities, and bookstores. I grew up near Los Angeles with my younger brother, who has Down syndrome. I live in Eugene with my husband and teen daughter, where I love to run and hike long-distance, cross country ski, kayak, cycle, cook, and roam the Pacific Northwest as an amateur naturalist.

Find me on Instagram and Twitter @WildMelissaHart.com, on TikTok @melissamhart , and at www.melissahart.com .

Reviews

[Orsolya · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am obsessed with owls. I adore all birds with every ounce of me but mostly owls. In fact, the best day of my life thus far was when I held an owl and I also sport an owl tattoo. Naturally, I am drawn to a memoir involving owls and raptors told through the eyes of Melissa Hart in, “Wild Within: How Rescuing Owls Inspired a Family”.

“Wild Within” follows the human interest story of Melissa Hart and her journey of meeting the man of her dreams (her now-husband) and their time collectively spent volunteering at a raptor rehab center surrounded by owls, eagles, osprey, etc. Hart expresses her simultaneous love growth towards both birds and her husband infusing “Wild Within” with lessons touching the heart.

At least, that is what the book promises to be. What it is; isn’t necessarily the same thing. The problem with memoirs is that they are either horribly written and dummied down or overly produced. It’s rare to find that perfect sweet spot in the middle. Hart is a strong writer (reflective of her journalism background) but the issue is that she overwrites the memoir. Meaning, “Wild Within” reads too much like a fictional novel. There is an absence of understanding Hart’s psyche or feelings filtering the reader from her true depths.

Similarly, Hart’s writing is very heavy on the dialogue. It is absolutely impossible that Hart remembers many years’ worth of verbatim conversations. This adds to “Wild Within” feeling like a novel and also makes it feel inauthentic.

Another issue with “Wild Within” is that it is terribly slow and feels like nothing truly ‘happens’. Yes, Hart works with some birds (which isn’t actually that unique); but now what? There seems to be an attempt at a buildup but without any excitement or real lessons revealed.

On the positive side, Hart is accessible. She offers some humor and whit, which is relatable for the female readers and makes her “one of us” and vice versa. There is group inclusion. Hart also mixes “Wild Within” with some educational material regarding raptors which is perfect for those readers interested on the subject.

As “Wild Within” continues, it maintains its resemblance to a poorly constructed fictional narrative (Hart should just write fiction if that is what she is more comfortable with). The prose and plot are choppy bouncing back-and-forth between owl care and a marital attempt at adopting a child with no smooth seams or emotional impact. Plus, Hart continues to be unconvincing in her story. For example, Hart initially is set on adopting an Asian child and she happens to constantly run into random people who are adoptive parents and of Asian children, specifically. I don’t buy it.

The conclusion of “Wild Within” is completely anticlimactic and not worth the scanty buildup making for a very poor ending. At least, the epilogue attempts to infuse some emotion. Hart also lists some raptor centers and adoption sources for those readers seeking more information.

Overall, even as an owl and bird lover; “Wild Within” was not engaging, choppy, unbelievable, and read too much like a fictional narrative with extensive dialogue. Emotions were not aroused and Hart never truly reveals her inner self. The writing itself isn’t bad but would be better as a novel versus a memoir. There are far better similar memoirs available. “Wild Within” is simply an overly promoted book which fails to follow through on its claims.

[intoxicating_reads · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't even know where to start this review. I am not one to stop reading a book, even when I don't enjoy it, but I must admit that finishing this book was just short of torture. The author tells a story about her life after her divorce. She's one of those people who doesn't have a real identity, but instead identifies with what's going on around her. She meets her second husband who happens to be into rehabbing raptors, which at first she says she doesn't know anything about and wasn't interested in helping, but of course, she wants to gain brownie points with this guy she likes so she starts to volunteer at the same center. Then she states over and over how she doesn't want to handle the birds, but then she sees a trainer at an event and then of course she now wants to do it. She never wants children, but then spends a couple days with her husband's niece and nephew and bam! now she wants a child. but not just any child, it has to be JUST LIKE her niece, adopted from Korea, with same likes, etc. Every time she said time that she wanted a child just like her niece I wanted to scream, as if she could pick and choose a child and it's personality as you do with a car. When Korea was out for adoption, and China was in, all of a sudden she was adopting because of the politics of China and it's "one child rule." Then when China's out, and Vietnam is in, she's gun ho, but then reads a story about the politics of that country and she's like maybe we should adopt domestically. I'm not saying people can't change their opinions (or trying to diminish the tribulations adoption can present), but she just seems to be a band wagon person and I cannot see the appeal to this story at all given her personality. Not to mention she claims to be a vegetarian, yet eats fish (she may want to check the dictionary, as last I checked, vegetarians DO NOT eat fish, pescatarians do). And the couple times she completely turned me off with her inaccurate description of pit bulls as being vicious dogs. (also, even after they are married, she continues to distinguish between their pets as "her dogs" and "his dog", which seems a bit odd) All I can say is I am so glad I did not pay for this book.

[Rift Vegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book because Melissa lives in my town (Eugene, Oregon, USA) and I have visited the raptor center where she volunteered and I've met many of the birds she talks about! My pic of Lorax!! How cool is that?!

The writing was great and the story was a good one. It really left me with mixed feelings, tho. The reviewer who gave the book a one star review, down below? Yeah, I agree with everything she said! (well, except, I'm giving 4 stars because I enjoyed reading it!) At the beginning, when Melissa meets Jonathan... she is really really scared of raptors, and he's totally obsessed, and I just can't understand how they can get together and stay together. She tries to start a conversation about her work, and he's all "oh look, there's a red shouldered hawk." And yet, she volunteers at the raptor center to get to know him better... And the book is well over 1/2 done by the time she really loves her volunteer work. crazy.

The adoption stuff was interesting to me because I don't know a thing about it. And sorry, I don't like to do spoilers but...I was so very disappointed at the end. The book ends just as they adopt their daughter. And then it sounds like Melissa completely abandons her work at the raptor center. Yes, raising a kid is hard. But they don't even visit the raptor center for four-ish years?? It's just down the street, and it's kid friendly! And the book doesn't mention Jonathan's involvement after the adoption at all... is he still obsessed? Does he still volunteer? I can't imagine him changing so radically as to abandon the center like Melissa did... Did she resent him if he continued his volunteer work? So many questions!

Anyway, great book. Definitely got me thinking about many different things!

[Skye · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed Melissa Hart's memoir. She's a fine writer. I learned a great deal about raptors that I didn't know. I lived in Eugene for 20 years, and realized I've seen some of the birds she worked with.

Spoilers below




It was heart rending as they went through the adoption process, and the parallels she found between her work with raptors and adopting are interesting.

[Dani Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

The writing was not beautiful in a traditional way, but it was honest. I struggled with the opinions she expressed around international adoption and mental health. There was so much cultural naivete throughout the pages and the author's obsession with adopting an asian child felt very uncpmfortable at times. Though, I really appreciated the description of the adoption process and the issues with international adoptions. I also appreciated the author's honesty, as I could see myself not wanting to include quite so much of the more ignorant thoughts and ideas (about adoption and cultures other than her own) the author admits to throughout the book.

When it comes to the animals, though, THAT is where the book shines and why I gave it a 4 star review. As an animal lover and someone who works at a rehab, I couldn't get enough of the descriptions of the raptors. The training process sounds so grueling, but to see the author's journey from a total newbie to a trained professional who takes these "ambassadors" of their species to shopping plazas and educational institutions was so exciting!

We are just starting the process of training our ambassadors now and I was happy to have this book as a reminder to be patient and enthusiastic even when the going gets tough.

[Denise Chojnacki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Animals have amazing capabilities in many ways, but how they draw two people together in this memoir is quite amazing. What starts as a random and rather awkward run-in, becomes the start of a meet/cute like no other. Both the author and her husband seem like rather quirky individuals (but then aren't we all!). This story was interesting in the way that sometimes you think you know how you want your life to go, and in an instant, your mindset can change. As this telling went on, I kept thinking that it was dragging out but very intelligently I think that was all purposeful to help the reader understand just what the circumstances in the story really felt like. All in all, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it as a read.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is so much that nature has to teach us. Can she teach us forgiveness and empathy? I believe so and my thoughts were confirmed after reading about author Melissa Hart's discovery while taking care of injured birds at a wildlife rehabilitation center. Our survival is many layers deep than that of a bird, but the process is the same ... trust, hope and determination rebuilds brokenness. Hart takes you along on a journey of recovery and soul searching that leaves you wanting to run down to the local humane society and volunteer!

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully written memoir. I was captivated by her experiences at the raptor rehab center. It's always a bonus when you can read a book for enjoyment but come away learning something. I loved the author's writing style and will look for more from her.

[David Ozab · Rating 5 out of 5]

Note: I know the author personally and consider her a mentor, a colleague, and a friend. I also think she is a brilliant writer who combines a delightfully deprecating wit with an understanding of deep, lasting heartbreak. The former has no bearing on my review. The latter most certainly—and rightfully—does.

“If I wanted to hear the pitter-patter of little feet, I’d put shoes on my cat” —Wild Within, p 30.

That bumper sticker, which Melissa Hart bought on the Santa Monica Promenade and displayed proudly on the bumper of the Izuzu she drove up to Oregon, summarized who she thought she was.

It combined a sharped-tongued wit that matched her own writing, and her overwhelming desire to never have children. But life has a way of taking you along paths you never imagined, and the things you knew you didn’t want, or didn’t know enough about to know you didn’t want, end up being the very things you’re looking for.

A dog when you’re a cat person.

A husband when you’ve just gotten out of a horrible marriage.

A calling to help rehabilitate raptors, when you once had no idea what raptors were.

And the deep longing to to be a parent. A longing you so intense it would make your knees buckle.

That’s Melissa Hart’s story of moving to Oregon and falling in love three times—with a man, a child, and a baby barred owl.

Wild Within is a lyrical, funny, and poignant book. Through her writing, Hart lavishes the reader with the beauty of Oregon and the quirky personality of Eugene. She conveys the sweetness of first kisses and falling in love, the fear and awe that highly-evolved flying killing machines evoke in everyone who sees them, and the unlikely transformation of a willingly childless couple to a couple desperately wanting to adopt.

The book is somewhat split into two halves, thought these halves blend together through seamless narration that artfully foreshadows and looks back tying the two stories together. In the first half, we follow Hart as she walks the two dogs she inherited from her estranged first husband through a local dog park, meeting her soon to be second husband in the process. He’s a photographer, which is good—they’re both creative people, and he rehabilitates raptors which is …

“What’s a raptor?”—Wild Within, p 20.

For their first date, Melissa and Jonathan drive to Portland to pick up a crate of frozen rats. Sounds like a first date she’ll never forget. But it ends with a kiss and soon she’s cleaning up “mews” (raptor cages) filled with “mute” (poop).

The things we do for love. First it’s because she loves Jonathan, but after a while she falls for the owls too. Lorax, the serene great horned owl, Bodhi, the injured barred owl, and Archimedes, the handsome and mysterious snowy owl, one by one they win her over. After a few years she goes from clueless volunteer to owl trainer and rehabilitator.

In the second half, Hart’s desire to mother a “nestless fledgling” of her own leads her and her husband down the labyrinthine path of international adoption. The stresses of the journey test their patience and their marriage, but after many false starts and heartbreaks they find the right child and give her a “forever family.”

My meager words can’t begin to capture the joys, the sorrows, and the longing that fills the pages of this wonderful book. This trailer gives a taste of Hart’s quirky and lyrical voice, but nothing quite captures the varied gifts of this talented author besides reading her own words.

[Linda Atwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who would have thought that learning to rescue and rehabilitate owls near Eugene, Oregon would turn into a love story? Well, it did. Melissa Hart did a beautiful job of sharing her story of finding Jonathan, a man who was into rescuing wounded owls in the Willamette Valley. Their first date was unusual to say the least, but it sure didn't seem to deter Melissa from wanting to learn more about this man and his unique interest in birds of prey. Soon she was as smitten with the raptors as she was with the young man and began volunteering herself. Melissa easily weaves the most personal tidbits of life (like Jonathan's vasectomy) into the pages of this story. Although these two were not sure if they wanted children, after working at the raptor center and nurturing so many birds, they decided to nurture a little human and adopted a little girl. Reading Wild Within, I learned more than I ever thought I wanted to know about feeding and taking care of wounded owls (and other birds of prey)—but I'm so glad I read this book. I admire both Melissa's and Jonathan's dedication to these wild birds as well as their new little family. Best wishes on continued success in both of the adventures.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars
They continue to amaze me. It’s their finesse and their subtle ways that attract my attention as they soar so freely without restraints and then they sit and just stare as if pondering life’s great mysteries, they are truly amazing creatures. Melissa has captured their essence in her biography to such an extent that her own story seems to take second stage to the life of these winged creatures. Such detail and accounting she puts forth into this novel, explaining the lives of these birds of prey, that I feel that I have a world of knowledge in my hands, just holding this book. Owls, hawks, falcons, harriers and eagles are all covered in detailed in this book as Melissa narrates her memoir, which is in essence falling in love. Melissa’s first love begins when she meets Jonathan in the dog park. Working at a raptor center, she’s fascinated by the work that he does. She follows every word he says, catching every breath he breathes, she just can’t get enough of him. Asking if she would like to volunteer with him, she hesitates, she’s fearful, not because of Jonathan, no….she’s afraid of birds. Slowly and patiently, Melissa decides she can do a few duties around the center as long as she doesn’t have any bird contact. I thought it was so interesting how she was so absorbed with Jonathan but still so fearful of the birds that he adored. How she longed to be a part of his life but this fear so often plagued her life. Jonathan and the other individuals encouraged Melissa, pushed her to become more involved, encouraged her to get more training but her fear kept her from stepping forward. It was the Juno, the great-horned owl that fascinated Melissa. It pushed her to take the steps to start overcoming her fear slowly, for this fear would take a long time to fully beat. These steps would lead her to her second love in her life, the birds. Like all relationships, Melissa holds nothing back as she talks about the choices the couple makes as they handle work, marriage and the thoughts of parenthood as they make their way through adulthood. Melissa finds another love in her life, something she thought she would not have the chance to experience, but sometimes life is not predictable, you just go with the flow.
I was given this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

[Meg - A Bookish Affair · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Wild Within" is a memoir about love, animals, and what it means to be a family. Sometimes family are the people that we choose and not the ones that we are born with. In this book, Melissa Hart talks about how she comes to love raptors. Raptors are not dinosaurs but birds like hawks and owls that hunt for their food. Melissa meets Jonathan who works at a raptor rescue organization and he teaches her about all of these amazing birds. While she is falling in love with the birds she also falls in love with Jonathan. I thoroughly enjoyed this memoir. I think it will appeal to people who love animals!

I have always been fascinated by owls. But the more that I learn about them and other birds the more that I began to love all the raptors. In this book, Melissa doesn't know anything about raptors before she meets Jonathan. I really liked how she was able to show how she developed a passion for loving these animals. I was very interested in the parts where Melissa talks about her work with the raptors at the raptor rescue organization. She shows how much work and dedication goes into rehabilitating each of these amazing creatures. If you have ever been interested in working with any of these animals, this book would give you a first hand look at what it is like to work with these birds.

I also really like the family aspect of this book. When Melissa and Jonathan first get together and get married, they know that they have a passion for rescuing raptors however they don't think that they want to have any children of their own. That changes when they realize how amazing it can be to rescue someone who really needs you. So they decide to adopt a child. Part of the book is dedicated to talking about everything that they go through in order to adopt. They look at international adoption, which doesn't work out for several reasons. They also look at domestic adoption but even that road is quite hard. As somebody who is interested in the topic of adoption, I found it very interesting to read about their point of view.

Overall, I found this book to be very well written and very interesting. I know this is going to be a book that I want to reread in the future when I'm looking for a book that both teaches you something as well as is very uplifting!

[Marlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this memoir, we follow Melissa Hart; recent divorcee living in Oregan. While at a dog park, she meets Jonathan; tall, handsome and lover of raptors. He educates Melissa on these amazing creatures and even gets her involved with volunteering at the raptor rehabilitation center that he works at. At first, her decision to volunteer was solely with the hopes of getting to know Jonathan more, but as she gets more involved with these amazing owls, falcons, eagles and other “raptors,” she realizes that her desire to learn more about Jonathan has piqued her new interest in these animals.

Content with their new-found relationship, Melissa is happy with not having children of her own. However, the time and love that she shares with these wounded animals has brought out a feeling that she never knew existed. Her desire to start a family and explore adoption was born out of her love for these creatures. And she realizes that the definition of family is not in matching DNA, but where your heart and love lies.

I have always been a lover of animals, so this book was one I knew would interest me. However, it was more than just the aspect of animals. The love that is shown not only to the animals, but between Melissa and Jonathan is beautiful. And, as a parent to an adopted child, their story of adoption sealed my love for this book. I absolutely recommend this book to others. It not only appeals to animal lovers, but lovers of love in general.

[Janet Buttenwieser · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Wild Within” is Melissa Hart’s compelling, artfully crafted memoir about adoption, owl training, and the surprising paths we sometimes take in life. Newly divorced and unhappy in her Eugene, Oregon home, Melissa’s life takes a left turn when she meets Jonathan one day at the dog park. They begin a relationship. Like Jonathan, Melissa begins volunteering at the local raptor center. As their relationship deepens and she spends more time caring for raptor center’s injured birds, she experiences an internal seismic shift of her feelings about whether or not she wants to be a parent.

As an adoptive mother myself, I picked up the book eager to learn about Melissa and Jonathan’s path to parenthood. I was delighted to find myself devouring the book, not just for the adoption story, but for the story of the raptors. Maybe, like Melissa, you begin the story with so little bird knowledge you have to ask “what’s a raptor?” Worry not. You will learn along with Melissa. The birds are characters in the book that the reader comes to care about. Hart weaves together the different threads of the book beautifully, constructing a story that is funny, suspenseful, and full of hope. Wild Within is ultimately a story about love – romantic love, love of animals, and, finally, hard-fought, well-deserved maternal love. I highly recommend it.

[Kristin (Kritters Ramblings) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Melissa Hart is an interesting lady with an interesting hobby - as a raptor handler she fell in love with handling birds who have come to be rescued through horrific circumstances, but it is her and other volunteers job to nurse them back to hopefully be released or as Plan B to become a advocate for their species. She is drawn to volunteer through a guy, but stays due to her own personal convictions.

My favorite part of the book was the ability to watch her transformation as a volunteer at the rescue center and how it paralleled with her and her husband's long story to adopting a child. There were many moments when I had to remind myself that this wasn't fiction and that she really lived through these ups and downs and that she is one of many on the road to adopting a child. The one part that kept me from completely falling in love with the book was all of the owl/bird/raptor terms, as a complete bird novice I enjoyed those parts, but would have loved a little definition and maybe just to give a few moments at the beginning to provide some basic bird terms.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first saw this title by my sister Oregon author, I thought, owls, meh. But I judged too quickly. This memoir is a wonderful book. It follows Hart through a journey which begins when a man she meets at a dog park near her home in Eugene invites her to come with him to Portland to pick up 600 pounds of frozen rats and a barred owl to take to the Cascades Raptor Center where he volunteers. Dead rats? An owl with its sharp beak and talons? But she likes him, so she goes and soon enters the world of raptors. As she overcomes her fears and grows to love the owls, eagles, hawks and other birds of prey, she and Jonathan get married and enter another, even scarier world, the world of adopting a baby. It’s a beautifully written book, full of suspense and ups and downs, as well as lots of information about both raptors and adoption. Full disclosure: I know and like Melissa Hart, but I would love this book even if we had never met. Hart is also the author of Gringa: A Contradictory Girlhood.

[karmaforlifechick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of Wild Within by Melissa Hart in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a memoir about a couple meeting at a dog park and feeling a connection. Melissa Hart (on the path of a divorce) whose is lonely and Jonathon (a volunteer at an animal rescue mission) meet at a dog park and establish a friendship. Things progress during a drive to pick up rats and bring them to Oregon and their relationship blossoms. As a result of an illness and procedure Jonathan and Melissa who are convinced neither of them want children, are happy to continue their passion for rescuing and saving owls. But as time moves on this same passion for loving, rescuing and nurturing evokes a longing for a child and they embark on the emotional process of adoption. This book was filled with some very interesting facts and was very emotional with a lot of self searching for the couple to find what would bring them ultimate joy. Enjoyable for any animal and nature lover.

[Kathleen Cremonesi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am passionate about animals and gravitate toward autobiographical stories written by women, so I was immediately interested in this book when I heard about it. Neither the story nor the writing let me down. Melissa Hart's ability to present her experiences in a wise and vibrant voice laced with humor kept my interest piqued and the pages turning. I expected to love her experiences with these rescued raptors. What I didn't expect was to be drawn so emotionally into her quest for a family. As a woman who has chosen not to have children, by birth or adoption, I was pleasantly surprised by the emotions I found myself sharing with this writer. I willingly and anxiously followed along with her and her new love, Jonathan, as they discovered that their expectations for themselves contradicted the path their hearts demanded they travel. The stories of new love, rescuing birds, and building a family are woven together seamlessly, and I look forward to reading more of this author's work.

[Steven Modee · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Wild Within: How Rescuing Owls Inspired a Family" by Melissa Hart is a memoir beginning with the love between two people who meet at the local dog park and develop their relationship at the Cascade Raptor Center near Eugene while Melissa tests her resolve while trying to bond with a snowy owl. Meanwhile, another thread running through the story is the struggle to grow a family through adoption. It's hard for me to review this book objectively because a lot of what I enjoyed about it was reading about Where it takes place, in Eugene, where I live. So take my rating lightly. I wanted to give it four stars, but finally settled on only three. I don't know which one is right. My major criticism would be that just like a preteen boy, I did get a little tired of all the kissing in the book. It was all affectionate, but just too much, used as sort of a trite transition or sometimes as a clincher to end a scene. Overall, it was an enjoyable read.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being an avid owl lover, I couldn't wait to fall into this book. First off, the cover is breathtaking. How could you not judge this book by it's cover?

This is the story of Melissa Hart, a newly divorced woman who had never handled a bird in her life. She meets her future husband at a dog park and the two devote long hours to a raptor center. The author incorporates the stories of a few of her favorite birds there and how they helped her get through the adoption process. The two had decided they wanted to adopt because they felt they needed to help a human as they help birds.

This book was very touching at all the right times. There were times I kept waiting for something else to happen - it's almost like you wait half the book before the two find a stroke of luck. But in the end I really enjoyed this book. You will learn facts about birds and also learn the struggles of adoption.

[Kristy McCaffrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Melissa Hart shares her journey of trying to adopt a child with her husband, first internationally then domestically, while also detailing her years of work as a volunteer at a raptor rehabilitation center. At first she cleans mews and brings food to the birds, but slowly she gains the confidence to train several different owls for the glove. This takes dedication and patience, and little does she know this is the perfect training for caring for a child who might have a history of trauma as well. If you've ever been fascinated by birds of prey, especially owls, then this book is a gem not to be missed. And any parent, whether biological or not, will relate to the wild longings that Melissa has for parenthood. I was captivated by her journey, and highly recommend this book.

[Robin Mandell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reding this. Well-written with lots of sensory detail. The information about birds of prey was new-to-me and fascinating. I felt a little uncomfortable with some of the things the author said about her adoption process. She repeatedly told people (at least, this is how she writes about it after the fact) that they wanted a daughter like their niece who was adopted from Korea. No child is like any other child. props to her for reporting thoughts and feelings honestly even when they're not exactly accurate or fair and for ultimately showing a fine understanding of the political and social stuff that comes up when adopting or fostering a child. The author and her husband also sound like they'll be the coolest parents ever!

[Crystal Robertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being the avid animal lover that I am is what attracted me to this book by Melissa Hart. One of the first things that caught my attention as I was scrolling through the contents was chapter 22 entitled Prostitutes and Bird Trainers which made me chuckle. It felt very easy to read, but also spiritual and insightful at the same time. It is beautifully detailed which made it easy to get into the storyline and characters, but not in a way as to bore you. From the foreword, the passion for these animals ooze from the page of this memoir, eloquently drawing you into the raptor world. Jonathan and Melissa's story shows that sometimes you find peace in delightfully unexpected places.

Thank you to the author and Goodreads Firstreads for the advance reading copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learned some stuff about owls... I think I would have enjoyed this more had it just been about the raptors. All the stuff about the adoption process made the author seem a bit whiney; it bugged me that she would say 'we are willing to take a kid with a disability- but not that one, or that one, or that one... oh why oh why can't we find exactly the kid we're looking for?'. I also found myself hoping that they would get a shy kid who loves pink and playing princess and hates getting dirty- although maybe they would give her back because she's not the clone of the kid they like. She seems like someone who leans toward giving up kinda easily.

[Conor Sales · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a former wildlife rehab volunteer, I read this book with fond memories of the joys and pains of that work. Melissa Hart has captured well the emotional roller coaster that caring for hurt and broken animals entails. Her descriptions are vivid and compelling - although I bought the book for the experience of working with raptors, I found that the adoption story was a wonderful addition and allows the book to become something greater than the sum of the two stories; a tale of longing and loss, and eventual redemption and salvation.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this memoir by Melissa about the changes in her life. Recently divorced, she met a man at a dog park, and she wanted to get to know him better. In order to do that, she volunteered at a raptors center where she felt intimidated and hesitant. She gained some confidence which opened her mind to thinking about other life changes to take. Initially, not wanting to have a child, caring for the injured wild birds woke up her desire to care for someone. You'll enjoy reading about her work with the wild birds and her journey in starting a family.

[Curt · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book, I really did. I have never read a memoir where I felt so apathetic about the author. She seems self centered and selfish most of the time, I may be wrong and I hope I am. I felt if I worked with her I would go out of my way to avoid talking to her. Listening to her oscillate from one viewpoint to another was like watching a weather vane in a wind storm. I finished Bill Heaven's It's Only Slow Food... at the same time and I found my self wishing I could meet him if only for an afternoon. That being said I wish the author and her family the best of luck.

[Ana Spagna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wild Within is a love story in all the very best ways: romantic love, love for a child, love for a new place, and finally love for birds, individual actual raptors, and the fact that all those types of love intersect in this strikingly original memoir is what makes the book worth reading. Of course some readers will crave more of one sub-plot or the other: More romance! More adoption! More owls! But the best stories, like the best lives, aren’t about Just One Thing. Life is as messy, and funny, as a first date shared with frozen dead rats.

[Heather Durham · Rating 5 out of 5]

You don’t have to have any interest in raptors, nor in adoption, to love this memoir. For that matter, you don’t have to have any interest in memoirs to love this memoir. Fast-paced, full of humor and lively dialog, this book is more like watching a romantic comedy than reading a brooding self-absorbed memoir. You’ll cheer on Hart as she overcomes fears of talons and motherhood and enjoy journeying along with her from novice to knowledgeable in both arenas. Because after all, as Brian Doyle says in the foreword, “I suppose what Melissa’s book is about really is awe and love.”

[Karen & Gerard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wild Within by Melissa Hart is a non-fiction story. One day, Melissa takes her dogs to a dog park and makes friends with a guy named Jonathan. He works at a raptor rehab center and invites her to join him. I loved this book because Melissa tells the story so well and I learned a lot about owls and raptors that I didn’t know before. This book kept me interested and entertained. Put it on your TBR list—you will be glad you did! The ending is just fantastic! (Gerard's review,5++ stars)