The Cannibal Owl

by Aaron Gwyn

Drifting through the broken plains of 1820s Texas, Aaron Gwyn's latest venture into the American frontier tells a riveting coming-of-age story. Inspired by the real-life figure Levi English, a settler who ran away to live with the Comanche (Nermernuh) People as a young boy, The Cannibal Owl follows his journey of not quite belonging within a community that is nevertheless kinder to him than his own family. When Levi is eventually forced to confront growing tensions among the tribal leaders, he must make difficult choices about loyalty and self-preservation amidst deep grief and unrelenting violence. A novella of cinematic prose steeped in Native culture, Levi's story evokes reflections on the complexities of identity against a stunning Southern Plains landscape.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Westerns, Native American, Historical, Novella, Book Club

80 pages, Paperback

Published January 28, 2025

About the author

Aaron Gwyn was raised on a cattle ranch in rural Oklahoma. He is the author of a story collection, Dog on the Cross (finalist for the New York Public Library Young Lions Fiction Award), and two novels, The World Beneath (W.W. Norton), and Wynne’s War (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt). His short stories and creative nonfiction have appeared in Esquire, McSweeney’s, Glimmer Train, The Missouri Review, Gettysburg Review, and New Stories from the South. He lives in Charlotte, North Carolina where he is an associate professor of English at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte.

Reviews

[Dave Marsland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stupendous.

[Stephanie C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my, this is one beautifully devastating novella that combines innocence, love, and bloodthirsty vengeance comparable to the works of the anti-Western master Cormac McCarthy. Every single word is selected with care, the prose is perfect, and the story is chilling in its graphic legend.

In 1825, Levi, an orphaned boy at three years old, escapes from his severely abusive uncle and wanders out of pure loneliness and starvation into the camp of the Comanche Nemernuh (The People) tribe and earns his new name of Goes Softly as he is gradually accepted by a select few of their Indian nation. He is protected by and taught by the wise grandfather to make hunting bows and eventually becomes a strong warrior who can hunt down bison by himself.

Yet, Levi’s entire identity straddles between nations where he fits in everywhere and nowhere, and the only time he feels his true self is found in the Mupitsi.

As the legend goes, the Cannibal Owl, aka the Mupitsi, stalked the night, searching for bad children. Mother Owl carried a burden basket on her back, and in this basket was a long sharp spike. Disobedient, children, children, who made trouble for their parents, were taken by Mupitsi, thrown into the basket and impaled. The legend states that the Cannibal Owl will eat the young people who sleep when they should be working, and talk when they should be sleeping.

When Levi and the legend become one, the ensuing events are frightening, devastating, and yet eerily satisfying. I feasted on this novella much like the Cannibal Owl devours its prey, and I feel fully and completely satiated.

[Teresa]

Novellas can pack plenty in their pages, and this one does it in only sixty-six. It’s not the type of story I usually read—specifically, it’s historical fiction with (arguably) a slight magical-realism bent, set in the 19th-century American frontier (Texas)—but there were enough themes to make it a journey worth taking for me.

The rendering of the last chapter reminded me of the ending of a graphic novel I recently read, Audubon, on the Wings of the World. This work is also based on a real, albeit much less famous, person: Levi English.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

An orphaned boy is taken in by the Comanche in 1820s Texas in a brutal novella for fans of Cormac McCarthy.

[Cristian Del Castillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

In only 65 pages, Aaron Gwyn manages to deliver a painful yet beautiful coming of age story. One of the first books I’ve managed to finish in a single sitting.

[Kyle Seibel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprisingly relevant historical fiction novella that delivers the emotional catharsis of a much larger book. The prose is rock solid and the story world is rendered in deeply researched details without feeling like homework or showing off. For maximum impact, read this book in a single sitting. At just under 70 pages, it’s the best way to appreciate its haunting and beautiful final chapter.

[Shayla · Rating 1 out of 5]

Werid book I read because my roommate gave it to me. Crazy that he decided to embrace one side of his identity in the bloodiest way possible — no one jump me in the comments, I do understand the motivation behind it. Hmmmm I fear I’m not really a fan of novellas.

Anyways…

1.5/5 reminds me of an English Cabeza de Vaca stars

[Destiny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Come to find out 66 pages is enough to show you everything you need to know about love && vengeance.
Deeply, deeply an imperative read//now more than ever?? But also, forever more & always has been...
A western / historical fiction / folklore / novella??
Interesting all around.

Worthy of getting your hands on.

[Nick Gregorio · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is excellent. Brutal and elegant. Bloody and beautiful. Gwyn does in 66 pages what other, lesser writers couldn’t do in hundreds and hundreds. Probably should be added to the syllabus of every writing workshop out there. Definitely should be sitting the on shelves in every bookstore, those little staff recommendation cards tacked underneath that tell people how great a book is in a 4th grader’s scrawl. Feel free to copycat this beaming review, booksellers. Tremendous.

[Alisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Cannibal Owl is 66 pages. In those pages, Aaron Gwyn tells the life story of Levi, a boy who runs away from an abusive home and makes a life among the Comanche for awhile.

Levi's story is one of loss after loss after loss. His mother died soon after he was born, and when his father dies, Levi is sent to live with an uncle. When he tires of the constant abuse, he runs away and falls in with native tribe. One of the tribal leaders, Two Wolf, places the boy under his protection, and Levi begins living with Two Wolf's wife Morning Star, and her father, Poe-paya.

Poe-paya is the closest thing to a father Levi will have. The old man teaches the boy about making bows. The scenes between these two characters are heartwarming, and for a bit the reader believes that all might be well. But Two Wolf is in conflict with Turns in Sunlight, another leader of the tribe. Poe-paya warns the boy about the coming battle between the two for supremacy. He gives the boy advice about what to do.

The book ends with Levi, an old man, on his deathbed. In a few sentences, we learn about his life as an adult. Though he'd been an important member of his community, those experiences merit little of the novel's space, a mirror of how Levi himself views his experiences. The time he spent with the tribe is detailed--it's important; everything else is insignificant.

**SPOILER ALERT**

The moment of Levi's death sweeps him back to his time with Poe-paya. The Comanches had a story about Mupitsi, the cannibal owl. It was said that she ate naughty children. In his last moment, Levi is snatched by Mupitsi, captured in her talons. He's been a naughty child, and I don't think we're supposed to believe this is a moment of redemption. Instead, it's a reflection of the guilt Levi has continued to feel throughout his life. He did not obey Poe-paya, thus he is punished by the cannibal owl.

The Cannibal Owl is a story that is overwhelmingly--what? sad? that's not exactly right. It's touching and its devastating, and so far ranks as the best book I've read in 2025.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good novella, one of the things I like most about the format is that because of its less common length it gives you the feeling that anything can happen. It does not have to be wrapped up so tightly light a short story, but it doesn’t have the length for multiple subplots and the resolution of a novel, so you just hold on and enjoy where it takes you. I have been enjoying this author’s Twitter/X feed for quite some time now and his Substack on Cormac McCarthy’s work especially Blood Meridian is outstanding. It is easy to draw parallels from this work about a coming of age tale set in the old west of Texas to Blood Meridian, but more so I was reminded of another author who was a master of the novella form, Jim Harrison. Not that this tale was written like a Jim Harrison novella but Gwyn does a great job of having these amazingly spare sentences that convey an enormous amount of truth and philosophy that reminds me of Harrison. Every couple of pages would just uncover these gems. Harrison was so great at that and it appears that Gwyn is too. It was a very similar experience to listening to a billy woods track, just an amazing song made up of these incredible insightful bars. It was a quick read but I have a feeling this story will stick with me for a long time.

[Paul Macomber · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can read this in one sitting and it draws you in quickly. It is the typical protag living with a native group that we've seen in movies such as Dances With Wolves or The Last Samurai. However, it is based around the true story of Levi English and the few years he spent with the Comanche. If this story had been in the hands of a less able writer, it would be a 3 out of 5.

However, the prose is magic. It is musical. I almost wish there was a Sam Elliot type reading this out loud. It's like Faulkner meets Cormac meets Melville. It is so damn good and I cannot wait to read more from Aaron Gwyn.

[Derrick Jeter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gwyn’s novella about a young orphan boy in the forests of Arkansas by the name of Levi, who is taken in by his aunt and uncle in Texas but runs away from his uncle’s abuse and finds himself with a tribe of Comanches reads like a mini version of Philipp Meyer’s The Son—whom Gwyn has praised as a favorite modern writer. Because of the similarities in plot and even the names of the two protagonists, I found it difficult to separate the narrative of Levi from the narrative of Eli. Meyer’s better written and longer story kept crowding out Gwyn’s well-written but shorter story.

[Julien L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful, sparse yet descriptive, chock-full of conflict, based in history but getting at something internal wtihin man i.e. the struggle to find one's self, one's place in the larger schematic of the world, drifting from party-to-party, but also an exploration of America's frontier days, and the bloody realities of encroaching civilization.

[Duane Gosser · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this one randomly in the new book section at Paris Bourbon County library. Name caught my eye and I am willing to take more risks on novellas as a rule. So glad I did. The early American west setting was unusual, and the characters were wonderful. Lots going on in a very few words. I would highly recommend.

[Benjamin Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Cannibal Owl is a western with depth. The story is exciting and the prose is well-crafted. The novella is full of compelling and fascinating characters, and it treats native culture with respect and honesty. This is a book that is both lush and stark, as fine a frontier story as I have read in a long time.

[Alexander Pyles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book that follows in the footsteps of the many writers of the American Frontier, although Cormac McCarthy, of course, comes to mind first.

For all of the brutality and sorrow enfolded in this story, I find the tender part of this, for Levi, to soften the narrative just enough. The story crushes/moves you by the end when you don't believe it could squeeze you any further.

[Marvin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novella, a sometimes gentle, sometimes violent story of an orphaned white boy among and against the Comanche on the Texas frontier in the 1820s, can be easily read in one sitting (even by a slow reader like me). It's small but packs a mighty punch, much like its endearing character, whom the author writes about with great affection and empathy.

[J Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic novella based on the story of Levi English, a young settler boy who ran away to live with the Comanche on the American frontier. This is a moving story of family and growth told with incredibly visual writing. Gwyn packs a ton of story into relatively few pages.

[Buck · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t always like making comparisons, it can be a bit reductive and doesn’t properly convey the originality of a work, but with that said, I mean this comparison as the highest compliment: The Cannibal Owl is like Blood Meridian by way of Train Dreams.

I adored it.

[Meg Jimenez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I bought it for my brother, because the description reminded me of the kind of books he read when we were much younger. I ended up reading it myself and I flew through the pages. Now my husband is reading it. I plan to investigate this author’s other works.

[Anita · Rating 2 out of 5]

Personally didn't care for it. A little sad. It feels like a waste. A good reminder that vengence is not always the best way. Also I'm kind of depressed now. I read this book for the prompt read a book published in 2025 (52 books 2025)

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is definitely some of the best 21st century writing I’ve read — I really enjoyed his concise but meaningful style. That being said, I wish he had expanded some portions of the story more so I could understand it more. I still had a lot of questions at the end.

[Francesca Morrissey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written, this coming of age, revenge story is a quick and easy read that stays with you long after you’ve put the book down. This is my first time reading Gwyn and I’ve added 2 of his other works to my want to read list based on my experience with Cannibal Owl.

[Reba Richie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entering my novella era.

[Charles White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Proof that the novella is such a perfect form when handled by a master craftsman.

[Miles Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the strangest but most interesting short Westerns Ive ever read. Gwyn's prose is magnificent and he does in 66 pages of text what it takes some masters 400.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Based on a true story, this is a story of courage and determination. It has some gruesome sections, so beware. Writwas beautiful.

[Janie Prim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to read more by Mr. Gwyn!!

[MB Hodgkiss · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brutal and beautiful novella.