More than 100 years after Veryl Goodnight's ancestors hand raised two baby bison to help save the species from extinction, Veryl & her husband Roger Brooks adopt Charlie, an orphaned bison calf. This is the story of Charlie & Roger and how their relationship led to Roger's subsequent advocacy on behalf of the Yellowstone Bison (thousands which are mercilessly slaughtered every winter).

This was an interesting book which spans generations of Goodnights & their reintroduction of bison to Texas, a brief history of Chief Quanah Parker, and today's plight of the Yellowstone Bison herd. My problem was the book jumped back & forth between chapters..its didn't read as one continuous time line.

I read this simply because it seemed like an interesting twist on the friendship theme. ( )

I picked up this book for a change of pace. I couldn't have been more pleased. Everyone will love this story, it is well written and moving. Do yourself a favor and read it, or give as a gift! ( )

This book relates the true story of husband and wife, Roger Brooks and Veryl Goodnight, who adopt an orphaned one-week-old buffalo, which they name Charlie. Initially, Charlie was to be with them only a short time, while Veryl used him as a model for a sculpture she was creating. Charlie develops a deep relationship with his human "parents," especially Roger. When Charlie finally is moved to a nearby buffalo ranch, he injures himself the first night, and Roger and Veryl take him to a Colorado veterinary school for treatment and then bring him back "home" to recuperate. Charlie's life is eventually shortened by another later injury. The author mixes in quite a bit of history regarding the slaughter and near-extinction of buffalo in the 19th century West, and ongoing problems with the state of Montana freely slaughtering buffalo which wander out of their protected home in Yellowstone National Park. For my taste, some of the historical sections could have been somewhat condensed, but all in all, this is a very warm book about an almost unheard-of relationship between man and buffalo. ( )