sm ith , ▁the ▁e ighth ▁of ▁her ▁ 2 2 ▁nov els . ▁It ▁was ▁first ▁published ▁in ▁the ▁US ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 2 ▁by ▁Har per ▁& ▁Row ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁UK ▁by ▁Hein emann ▁the ▁following ▁year . ▁It ▁expl ores , ▁in ▁the ▁phrase ▁of ▁critic ▁Brig id ▁Bro phy , ▁" the ▁psych ology ▁of ▁the ▁self - selected ▁victim ". ▁ ▁Com position ▁ ▁High sm ith ▁wrote ▁The ▁Cry ▁of ▁the ▁O w l ▁between ▁April ▁ 1 9 6 1 ▁and ▁February ▁ 1 9 6 2 . ▁She ▁considered ▁it ▁to ▁be ▁one ▁of ▁her ▁we aker ▁efforts , ▁calling ▁its ▁principal ▁character ▁" r ather ▁square ▁... ▁a ▁pol ite ▁sitting ▁du ck ▁for ▁more ▁evil ▁characters , ▁and ▁a ▁pass ive ▁bore ". ▁ ▁High sm ith ▁drew ▁on ▁her ▁own ▁experience ▁as ▁a ▁st alk er ; ▁years ▁before , ▁when ▁employed ▁by ▁a ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁store , ▁she ▁became ▁obs essed ▁with ▁a ▁woman ▁she ▁had ▁waited ▁on . ▁She ▁adapted ▁these ▁events ▁for ▁her ▁novel ▁The ▁Price ▁of ▁Salt ▁( 1 9 5 2 ). ▁▁ ▁The ▁setting ▁for ▁this ▁book ▁is ▁much ▁like ▁the ▁area ▁where ▁High sm ith ▁was ▁currently ▁living ▁in ▁New ▁Hope , ▁Pennsylvania . ▁ ▁The ▁title ▁refers ▁to ▁Jen ny ' s ▁belief ▁that ▁for eb oding ▁inc idents ▁preced e ▁events ▁in ▁her ▁life , ▁which ▁are ▁determined ▁by ▁fate . ▁She ▁cons iders ▁the ▁ow l ▁a ▁har