This work investigates the unconventional experience of raising a wild tawny owl within a domestic household setting. The author, William Service, provides a personal account of the challenges and behavioral observations encountered while integrating a predatory bird into his family life. The narrative framework relies on anecdotal evidence and direct observation to document the owl's development and its interactions with humans and other pets.

Readers frequently note the lighthearted and observational tone of the prose, which focuses on the domestic comedy of the situation. Experts categorize this as a niche memoir that captures a specific mid-twentieth-century British approach to wildlife interaction.