A Buffalo in the House: The Extraordinary Story of Charlie and His Family

A buffalo in the house? Yes, a buffalo. More than a hundred years after her pioneer ancestors hand-raised two baby buffalo to help rescue the species from the brink of extinction, Veryl Goodnight and her husband, Roger Brooks, commit themselves to saving just one. When they welcome an orphaned baby buffalo into their Santa Fe home, they expect him to stay just until he’s old enough to rejoin a herd.

But Charlie becomes a big part of their family life–about two pounds bigger every day.

Surrounded by people and dogs, Charlie has no idea he’s a buffalo–and Roger has no idea how strong the bond between a middle-aged man and a buffalo can be. When Charlie’s eventual introduction to a herd results in a terrible accident, Charlie’s courage and Roger and Veryl’s devotion are pushed to their limits.

Contrasting the nineteenth-century killing of tens of millions of buffalo against our own environmental consciousness, this book asks the question: How far are you willing to go for an animal you love? A love story, a comedy, and a history of the American West, A Buffalo in the House packs a major emotional wallop and will be hard to forget.

“More than a touching man-beast buddy tale . . . Rosen lovingly chronicles the history of an embattled species and its importance in the American West.”
–Entertainment Weekly

“Riveting . . . From the story of one stray baby bison named Charlie . . . and the family that took him in, Rosen has drawn a sweeping history of the American frontier. . . . I can’t remember when I’ve been instructed so gracefully, or entertained to such deep purpose.”
–Jane Kramer, The New Yorker

“Powerful . . . [Charlie is] one of the most memorable characters in recent nature writing.”
–Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Moving proof of the restorative powers of man’s relationship with nature.”
–People

“If you’re mad for Marley, elated over Elsa the lion, [or] rowdy for Rascal . . . stampede out and get A Buffalo in the House.”
–Huron Daily Tribune