Funny Farm: My Unexpected Life with 600 Rescue Animals
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- Create Date：2022-02-26 05:21:35
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Laurie Zaleski
- ISBN：B08R2KX6RD
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Summary
Laurie Zaleski never aspired to run an animal rescue; that was her mother Annie’s dream。 But from girlhood， Laurie was determined to make the dream come true。 Thirty years later as a successful businesswoman， she did it， buying a 15-acre farm deep in the Pinelands of South Jersey。 She was planning to relocate Annie and her caravan of ragtag rescues—horses and goats， dogs and cats， chickens and pigs—when Annie died， just two weeks before moving day。 In her heartbreak， Laurie resolved to make her mother's dream her own。 In 2001， she established the Funny Farm Animal Rescue outside Mays Landing， New Jersey。 Today， she carries on Annie’s mission to save abused and neglected animals。
Funny Farm is Laurie’s story: of promises kept， dreams fulfilled， and animals lost and found。 It’s the story of Annie McNulty， who fled a nightmarish marriage with few skills， no money and no resources， dragging three kids behind her， and accumulating hundreds of cast-off animals on the way。 And lastly， it's the story of the brave， incredible， and adorable animals that were rescued。
Funny Farm is Laurie’s story: of promises kept， dreams fulfilled， and animals lost and found。 It’s the story of Annie McNulty， who fled a nightmarish marriage with few skills， no money and no resources， dragging three kids behind her， and accumulating hundreds of cast-off animals on the way。 And lastly， it's the story of the brave， incredible， and adorable animals that were rescued。
Reviews
Joan Fafinski
，
ExcellantThis was a great book！ I couldn't put it down I laughed and cried。 God bless Laurie she's a strong lady thanks to her Mom ExcellantThis was a great book！ I couldn't put it down I laughed and cried。 God bless Laurie she's a strong lady thanks to her Mom 。。。more
Susan Johnston
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Princess Fuzzypants here: This is an interesting book in that there are two stories being told alternately。 We have the stories of the various residents of the Funny Farm over the years。 Like so many animal tales from rescuers， they are filled with pathos and laughter。 Each animal is so different from the other and some of the “hook ups” are downright wild。 The different species who find love and companionship with a creature of another species gives hope to the world。 If they can find common gr Princess Fuzzypants here: This is an interesting book in that there are two stories being told alternately。 We have the stories of the various residents of the Funny Farm over the years。 Like so many animal tales from rescuers， they are filled with pathos and laughter。 Each animal is so different from the other and some of the “hook ups” are downright wild。 The different species who find love and companionship with a creature of another species gives hope to the world。 If they can find common ground， why cannot we all。The other story is one of abuse， cruelty， and promise。 Laurie’s father was an evil man。 Until her mother escaped with the three children， going from middle class comfort to abject poverty in one fell swoop， every day held the threat of violence。 They thought they were escaping his brutal grasp but thanks the court systems， his money and power and his never ending need to make them suffer， he systematically tried to take away what little they had。 He never paid any support but thought nothing of killing their beloved pets。 It would not have been unusual if his children had not grown up warped and mean like him。Luckily， they had their mother， who， although she had many faults including her taste in men， also had an unquenchable spirit and incredible grit。 She passed that along to her children along with her love for animals。 It was to honour a promise Laurie made to Annie that Funny Farm came into being。 It was not an easy nor smooth transition and sadly， Annie would die before seeing it come to fruition。 But she knew it was coming soon。 And when it did， in spite of many a trial and tribulation， it is running now。 Laurie has saved hundreds of animals and given them the best life possible。High paw to Laurie and her family and volunteers。 Five purrs and two paws up for the book。 。。。more
Debbie
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This is one of those books that I’ve put off reviewing since I was afraid I couldn't convey just how meaningful the story was to me on various levels。 It’s divided into lighter chapters with farm-related experiences。 And stories of family life， which at times felt dark and emotional。 Put the chapters altogether and you have a book that will stay with you long after you've read the last page。The things that can be taken away from this unusual story are countless。 At times I wanted to cry for， and This is one of those books that I’ve put off reviewing since I was afraid I couldn't convey just how meaningful the story was to me on various levels。 It’s divided into lighter chapters with farm-related experiences。 And stories of family life， which at times felt dark and emotional。 Put the chapters altogether and you have a book that will stay with you long after you've read the last page。The things that can be taken away from this unusual story are countless。 At times I wanted to cry for， and with， Laurie’s mother。 She basically went from riches to rags overnight when she bravely took her children away from an abusive lifestyle。 Yet， she chose to adopt a survivor’s attitude and constantly set that example for her children。Did she model everything correctly？ No。 Like all parents， she hit it out of the ballpark with some examples and struck out horribly with others。 Unfortunately， her strikeouts greatly affected her children。As I mentioned earlier， the author managed to weave stories about the animals expertly into her family story。 Some might find it disturbing to weave the chapters back and forth breaking the flow of the story。 But I think most will be happy for the balance of humor and the touching， many times emotional details of growing up in what most would label dire living conditions。Zalesky made my heart sing as she brought back the past for me。 Her mention of early television shows， brand names， stores， and much more was like watching a movie as it brought back memories。 I’m always amazed at debut authors with such talent for bringing stories to life。My ConcernsNoneFinal ThoughtsThis is the story of survivors。 A strong family living in a small house， with no running water or electricity manages to create some lasting memories。 Some， as you will see aren't good memories， but many are。 Paralleling this strong family we see animals that are doing the same。 Attempting to survive their unfortunate situations。I would compare this book in some ways to The Glass Castle， Educated， Unbroken and A Child Called It。 All of these people were survivors of their circumstances。 No， much more than survivors。 All were people who not only survived but became inspirational examples to others。My thanks to NetGalley for an early copy of this book and the ability to post a review without any stipulations。 。。。more
Sharon
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I absolutely loved this book， as I do have a soft spot in my heart for anyone who cares so much about animals。 I felt sadness but most of all the joy in Ms。 Zaleski's life。 I thought very highly of her mother who instilled strength in adverse times and empathy in adverse times。 I thoroughly enjoyed the memoir parts sprinkled with her encounters with the animals。 Thank you for letting us share your family and your Funny Farm。 Highly recommend。 I absolutely loved this book， as I do have a soft spot in my heart for anyone who cares so much about animals。 I felt sadness but most of all the joy in Ms。 Zaleski's life。 I thought very highly of her mother who instilled strength in adverse times and empathy in adverse times。 I thoroughly enjoyed the memoir parts sprinkled with her encounters with the animals。 Thank you for letting us share your family and your Funny Farm。 Highly recommend。 。。。more
Cindi
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Thank you to the author， publisher and Net Galley for providing a free e-ARC copy of this book in exchange for my review。This was an interesting memoir， but not what I expected when I requested the title。 I had expected more stories of the animals， with running an animal rescue。 This was more of the author's memories growing up with her mom， with a few animal stories added in。 With more details of the author and her mother， her growing up years， it was still an interesting memoir， but not the an Thank you to the author， publisher and Net Galley for providing a free e-ARC copy of this book in exchange for my review。This was an interesting memoir， but not what I expected when I requested the title。 I had expected more stories of the animals， with running an animal rescue。 This was more of the author's memories growing up with her mom， with a few animal stories added in。 With more details of the author and her mother， her growing up years， it was still an interesting memoir， but not the animal book I expected。Still， a good book and I would recommend it to those who enjoy memoirs。 。。。more
Debie Orrell
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This is a memoir book of short stories about a family who adopted and rescued 600 farm animals。 The short stories read as a novel and is very intriguing about the origins and lives of the different animals。 It was a light easy funny read。Thank you NetGalley and St Martins Press for this amusing read。 If you love animals， this is your light easy read。#Netgalley #StMartinsPress
Pamela Kramer
，
"Funny Farm: My Unexpected Life with 600 Rescue Animals" by Laurie Zaleski is not what I was expecting at all。 We know from the first page， the Prologue， that it's about how Zaleski rescues animals， but what is unexpected is that more than half the book is about her childhood， her parents' abusive relationship， and how her mother left and raised them in a tiny， dilapidated house where she also took in animals of every size， shape， and need。 This book is the best kind of nonfiction—it's nonfictio "Funny Farm: My Unexpected Life with 600 Rescue Animals" by Laurie Zaleski is not what I was expecting at all。 We know from the first page， the Prologue， that it's about how Zaleski rescues animals， but what is unexpected is that more than half the book is about her childhood， her parents' abusive relationship， and how her mother left and raised them in a tiny， dilapidated house where she also took in animals of every size， shape， and need。 This book is the best kind of nonfiction—it's nonfiction that reads like a novel， and it's hard to put down。 We want to know more about Zaleski's family and how they will survive in the shack where they end up after leaving their very nice suburban home。 We also want to know how Zaleski ends up with a farm and over 600 animals。 Each chapter begins with a story from Zaleski's childhood。 These are told in chronological order， so we learn first about how abusive and violent her father was to her mother and to the children。 Scary violent。 We learn that her mother finally got the determination and strength to leave， but that without a college education， this pampered housewife was ill-prepared to support three children。 Yet that's just what her mother did， and the tale is astounding。 It's also heartbreaking as Zaleski details how their father still haunted them and committed heartbreaking acts of violence against them。 But we realize that those were the days when a wealthy man's word against that of his former wife， who worked hourly jobs to support herself， meant that he was never held to account for his actions。At the end of each chapter is a separate section titled "Animal Tails" in which we learn about the current Funny Farm and the ways many of the animals arrived there。 We learn about the "Chicken Man，" who would bring horribly unhealthy chickens to them which they eventually learned he had saved from a factory farm。 When a chicken would escape the slaughter line， he'd tuck it in his pocket or under his coat and sneak it out。 We meet the young man who "liberated" two calves who were lying， practically dead， in a trailer bound for slaughter。 No food， no water， just two calves suffering。 So he put them in his Toyota Camry and took them to Funny Farm。 Read the whole review at: PamelaKramer。com。 。。。more
Pam
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I received this book for free as an advanced readers copy and am voluntarily giving my honest review。 Back in the days of Laurie Zaleski's growing up， everyone thought her family was right up there in the charmed life style of upper middle class life。 The children; Cathy， Laurie， and Stephen; had what they needed and wanted。 They saw their mother， Anne， look up to her husband Richard with adoring love。 Until the day mom received a letter that blew apart the marriage and threatened her family。 As I received this book for free as an advanced readers copy and am voluntarily giving my honest review。 Back in the days of Laurie Zaleski's growing up， everyone thought her family was right up there in the charmed life style of upper middle class life。 The children; Cathy， Laurie， and Stephen; had what they needed and wanted。 They saw their mother， Anne， look up to her husband Richard with adoring love。 Until the day mom received a letter that blew apart the marriage and threatened her family。 As the story continues， you will find a woman who will fight a corrupt system and would rather show her children true compassion and strength even if it means living in poverty。 What Laurie learned from her mom will lead her to continue her mom's legacy to save every animal destined for death that she can。 Laurie can't do it on her own and her journey to bring the Funny Farm to life in spite of impossible odds will make you proud to know of her as a fellow human being。 I say this because this is the time for Laurie's story。 You will understand that the least of us can help， even the poorest children。 This is not some sob story （although there are times of sadness and frustration）。 Laurie and all who help her will bring some smiles and hope to us all。 There are special stories of animals who can teach us a lot。 Enjoy every bit of this book。 I recommend reading it and yes， I know some is tough to weather， but it's well worth it for what it will bring to you in the end。 。。。more
Thomas Kelley
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This book is not quite what I anticipated from the cover and title。 There is a fair amount of darkness in this book as other reviewers have noted it is not all happy go lucky type of story。 But do not let this stop you from reading this book it is a very good read。 The author and her family were the Jones everyone tried to live up to， they were the house that the neighborhood parties took place at。 But underneath this house was hiding some dark secrets which eventually causes the mother to grab This book is not quite what I anticipated from the cover and title。 There is a fair amount of darkness in this book as other reviewers have noted it is not all happy go lucky type of story。 But do not let this stop you from reading this book it is a very good read。 The author and her family were the Jones everyone tried to live up to， they were the house that the neighborhood parties took place at。 But underneath this house was hiding some dark secrets which eventually causes the mother to grab the author at the age of five and her brother and sister and make a run it for it。 What a drastic change this family faced but， in some ways， they turned out better for it and this would lead to the precursor of the Funny Farm where they initially took some dogs in for protection grew to a menagerie。 There are lighthearted and humorous parts of this book also like the story of the runaway Emu who people swearing they were not drinking when they reported the six-foot turkey or the sneaky skunk who would escape from his house and break to the Funny Farm souvenir shop and steal stuffed animals。 It was interesting to read about the friendships of animals with one another that you would think would never happen。 You will see how the author and her family took or taken animals who at one time had little to no hope and they thrived， they took animals who vets said they should put down and the animals proved the vets wrong。 The Funny farm has given visitors a place to come to， to forget about their troubles for a while。 。。。more
Robyn Heil
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I absolutely loved this book！ I am not much of a nonfiction reader， but I fell in love with the cover and found Laurie’s stories enchanting and heartfelt。 She had me laughing and she had me crying。 The message I take from this book is hope， that the world can be a better place if only we think of others， whether human or animals， before ourselves。 Anyone who loves a touching animal story will devour this book。Robyn Heil， Buyer for Brodart Co。
Bev
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I enjoyed this story very much。 It shows with a lot of hard work and some faith things are possible。 I am so glad that promises were kept even to a person who was no longer here。 There is a lot of emotions going in this story。 A very good book for anyone to enjoy。 I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book。
Kay Brooks
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Laurie Zaleski’s Amazing LifeAn inspiring memoir of a life and a dream come true。 Laurie was born into wealth， thrust into poverty， and in the end succeeded beyond her wildest dreams。 Her mother， Annie McNulty， taught her to love life， love animals， and make the best of whatever situation she found herself in from day to day。 After leaving her philandering and abusive husband， Annie made a new home for them in a ramshackle house set back from the highway。 Almost from the beginning stray animals Laurie Zaleski’s Amazing LifeAn inspiring memoir of a life and a dream come true。 Laurie was born into wealth， thrust into poverty， and in the end succeeded beyond her wildest dreams。 Her mother， Annie McNulty， taught her to love life， love animals， and make the best of whatever situation she found herself in from day to day。 After leaving her philandering and abusive husband， Annie made a new home for them in a ramshackle house set back from the highway。 Almost from the beginning stray animals seemed to find them， and they were always welcomed and cared for。 Soon known as the Funny Farm， people from all over the area would bring stray， unwanted， or wounded animals to them asking for help。 Laurie and her siblings worked hard to earn the education they wanted， and siblings moved away to their own successful lives， while Laurie and her mom continued to take in any kind of animal in need。This heartwarming and memorable story follows a timeline， telling the stories of animals rescued， interspersed with family stories and friends being happily welcomed into their humble home。 There were sad times， too， whenever an animal they cared for met an untimely death。 Funny Farm is a story you won’t want to miss， there is so much love in this book that needs to be shared。 I received an advance copy of Funny Farm from NetGalley， this is my honest review。 。。。more
Nancy
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A Crazy， Loving Life with Rescue AnimalsLaurie Zaleski grew up on a rescue farm。 Not the fancy kind where donors pay to keep a variety of animals that are not wanted by their owners， or headed for the slaughterhouse。 Her mother， Annie， escaped a brutal marriage with her three children and set up housekeeping in a one bedroom house with animals everywhere。 Annie couldn’t bear to see animals mistreated or euthanized。 Laurie wasn’t ambitious for that kind of life， but she loved her mother。 When she A Crazy， Loving Life with Rescue AnimalsLaurie Zaleski grew up on a rescue farm。 Not the fancy kind where donors pay to keep a variety of animals that are not wanted by their owners， or headed for the slaughterhouse。 Her mother， Annie， escaped a brutal marriage with her three children and set up housekeeping in a one bedroom house with animals everywhere。 Annie couldn’t bear to see animals mistreated or euthanized。 Laurie wasn’t ambitious for that kind of life， but she loved her mother。 When she could afford it， she purchased a small farm and planned to move her mother to it。 Unfortunately， her mother died just before the move and Laurie found herself in the rescue business。 Now she has six-hundred animals and a wonderful group of volunteers to help。 If you love animals， this is a must read book。 Laurie tells the story of her family and their struggles interspersed with tales of the animals。 The family’s story is sometimes a little dark， but the animal stories are wonderful。 The whole book is a heartwarming tribute to Annie and to Laurie’s desire to keep on with her mother’ dream。 I received this book from St。 Martin’s Press for this review。 。。。more
Elizabeth Schneider
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I wasn’t sure what type of book to expect， but I thoroughly enjoyed every minute age of it！ I was so excited to learn that this was an autobiography and that this farm existed not too far from me！ A great book， especially for animal lovers who sometimes feel burnt out！
Annie McDonnell
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Loved！ Loved this place and all that went on！ I adore animals， so this was so much fun to read。Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reading copy。
Lyndi
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This is a memoir of Laurie， the woman who started and runs the Funny Farm animal rescue。 At times heartbreaking， others hilarious， it tells her story starting with her mother and siblings escaping an abusive father， to her childhood growing up in poverty， to finally realizing her mother's dream of an animal rescue after her death。 The story of her life is interspersed with stories of some of the animals on the farm。 This book was so much more than I expected。 So inspiring and emotional。 I loved This is a memoir of Laurie， the woman who started and runs the Funny Farm animal rescue。 At times heartbreaking， others hilarious， it tells her story starting with her mother and siblings escaping an abusive father， to her childhood growing up in poverty， to finally realizing her mother's dream of an animal rescue after her death。 The story of her life is interspersed with stories of some of the animals on the farm。 This book was so much more than I expected。 So inspiring and emotional。 I loved it！I received a complimentary advance reader copy of this book。 The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily。 。。。more
Susan
，
From a comfortable life with her parents and her brother and sister， Laurie Zaleski led a life that looked good from the outside。 From the inside is was a horrible， dangerous prison。 Her father was an alcoholic and an abuser。 Her mother stuck it out as long as she could until there was no choice but to run， to escape to an uncertain situation but one that was safe。 Her plan had been to save enough money but instead she had to leave with nothing but her children。 Her strength， grit and determinat From a comfortable life with her parents and her brother and sister， Laurie Zaleski led a life that looked good from the outside。 From the inside is was a horrible， dangerous prison。 Her father was an alcoholic and an abuser。 Her mother stuck it out as long as she could until there was no choice but to run， to escape to an uncertain situation but one that was safe。 Her plan had been to save enough money but instead she had to leave with nothing but her children。 Her strength， grit and determination is an amazing story right there but there is so much more to her story。 Laurie tells the story beautifully。 The sanctuary her mother， Anne， created for her family was a broken down cabin without running water and electricity but it also had some land。 As a rental it was just about one step up from a tent but Anne made it work。 She not only rescued herself and her children， she rescued animals， of all kinds。 Cats， dogs， cows， horses， goats，。。。if it was an animal in need Anne was there to help。 Everyone， two legs or four， deserved a chance。Laurie found her way and it included joining in her mother's animal rescue work。 Her mother's dream is now Funny Farm Rescue located in Mays Landing， New Jersey。 Her story is so uplifting and her mother was such a special person， I was engaged from page one， from the low points to the high points， all of the hope and love comes through。 This is a must read。My thanks to the publisher St。 Martin's Press and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Jenn Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Schu
，
I chose to read Funny Farm: My Unexpected Life with 600 Rescue Animals because I do love animals so very much。 What I hoped to take away from the book was to learn about how Laurie Zaleski set up her farm and a bit about the animals that she has dedicated her life to rescuing。 I was not disappointed in this regard， any reader will learn about the origins of Funny Farm， the struggles of operating the animal rescue， and a few stories about the animals at the farm。 What I was not expecting was to r I chose to read Funny Farm: My Unexpected Life with 600 Rescue Animals because I do love animals so very much。 What I hoped to take away from the book was to learn about how Laurie Zaleski set up her farm and a bit about the animals that she has dedicated her life to rescuing。 I was not disappointed in this regard， any reader will learn about the origins of Funny Farm， the struggles of operating the animal rescue， and a few stories about the animals at the farm。 What I was not expecting was to read about the harsh experiences of Laurie's childhood but it really was an important element to the book。 Laurie's family， her mother and siblings， were all survivors， much like the animals they saved。 One does not miss the impact of this in her memoir。 I experienced a range of emotions while reading from laughing to crying to cringing to anger。 Would love to visit her animal rescue at some point but am content with following Funny Farm on social media （You Tube， FaceBook， IG） for the time being。I received this book from Net Galley in exchange for a review， thanks NG。🐶🐶🐶🐶 。。。more
Joan
，
Zaleski's memoir is wonderful。 It is well written， engaging， entertaining and informative。 She tells us how her parents separated。 Her mother took five year old Laurie and siblings to a run down rental house with some land。 Annie Zaleski's dream was to run an animal rescue。 Even while working hard to feed her children， Annie would take in stray animals。 Most of the animals were misfits so she called her collection a “funny farm。” It was a dream finally fulfilled by Annie's daughter。 The Funny Fa Zaleski's memoir is wonderful。 It is well written， engaging， entertaining and informative。 She tells us how her parents separated。 Her mother took five year old Laurie and siblings to a run down rental house with some land。 Annie Zaleski's dream was to run an animal rescue。 Even while working hard to feed her children， Annie would take in stray animals。 Most of the animals were misfits so she called her collection a “funny farm。” It was a dream finally fulfilled by Annie's daughter。 The Funny Farm Animal Rescue & Sanctuary became a reality in South Jersey， unfortunately， two weeks after Annie's death。Zaleski includes an informative section about an interesting animal at the end of each chapter in this memoir。 These animal vignettes are heartwarming。 I learned about unusual animal behavior， puppy mills， odd diseases and treatments， and more。 There were times I laughed and times I wanted to cry。 The stories are a touching witness to the value of rescuing animals cast off by others。I am impressed with how Zaleski overcame childhood poverty to establishing a successful photography and graphic arts company。 She was also determined to fulfill her mother's animal rescue dream， juggling a career and requests to take in just one more animal。 The total now is 600 rescued animals and counting。 This memoir is well written and captivating。 It shows the heart of one who truly loves animals。 It also praises the many volunteers without whom the farm would never continue and reminds us of the transforming experiences urban children have when they hug a four legged rescued outcast。I highly recommend this memoir。 It is an inspiring story of the will to overcome difficulties with a determination to help others。I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher。 My comments are an independent and honest review。 。。。more
debbicat *made of stardust*
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Full review to follow。
Jules
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Funny Farm by Laurie Zaleski is a heart-wrenching and heart-warming memoir。 Whether you love memoirs or just love animals， this book is a compelling read。 Ms。 Zaleski tells her family’s story by alternating between the story of their lives and those of the animals they ultimately rescue。 Funny Farm was a cute family name for the crazy household that was filled with all sorts of castoffs and misfits。 Funny Farm eventually becomes the name of the farm that Ms。 Zaleski buys for her mother so that s Funny Farm by Laurie Zaleski is a heart-wrenching and heart-warming memoir。 Whether you love memoirs or just love animals， this book is a compelling read。 Ms。 Zaleski tells her family’s story by alternating between the story of their lives and those of the animals they ultimately rescue。 Funny Farm was a cute family name for the crazy household that was filled with all sorts of castoffs and misfits。 Funny Farm eventually becomes the name of the farm that Ms。 Zaleski buys for her mother so that she can properly house all the rescue animals she takes in。 Ultimately， Laurie becomes the keeper of the farm and the animals。My heart was broken while reading Laurie’s story。 Her difficult childhood， was filled with love from her mother and siblings as well as hardship and hunger。 Her mother’s fantastic outlook and attitude clearly carry the family through a lot of rough times。 Her compassion isn’t reserved just for her children。 She took in animals and people who needed help in their escape from neglect or abuse。 To read of Laurie’s ultimate success， both professionally and personally， was sweet and satisfying。 The stories of the animals to whom she give refuge are equally compelling。 Funny Farm is a real farm that is operated as a nonprofit; you can check out their good works， get involved or donate by visiting their website: https://funnyfarmrescue。org/ I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review。 For more reading recommendations， visit Book Junkie Reviews at www。abookjunkiereviews。wordpress。com#FunnyFarm #NetGalley 。。。more
Lindsey Eick
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I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway， and I am so happy that I did。 I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the life of Laurie Zaleski and learning about Funny Farm Animal Rescue。 I thought this book would be mostly about the rescue animals， but I loved that it was evenly about Laurie’s life interspersed with information about some of the infamous members of Funny Farm。 Though some parts of this book were sad， it was a mostly uplifting memoir。 Loved how not only Laurie overcame hardships but so di I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway， and I am so happy that I did。 I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the life of Laurie Zaleski and learning about Funny Farm Animal Rescue。 I thought this book would be mostly about the rescue animals， but I loved that it was evenly about Laurie’s life interspersed with information about some of the infamous members of Funny Farm。 Though some parts of this book were sad， it was a mostly uplifting memoir。 Loved how not only Laurie overcame hardships but so did the animals she grew to love。 Thanks to @StMartinsPress @FunnyFarmRescue #FunnyFarm 。。。more
Stacy McRae
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This is a fantastic book！ I couldn't put it down。 I loved the interweaving of the author's life in between stories of rescued animals。 It is real， interesting， and moving。 I'm so glad I read it。 This is a fantastic book！ I couldn't put it down。 I loved the interweaving of the author's life in between stories of rescued animals。 It is real， interesting， and moving。 I'm so glad I read it。 。。。more
Sue Em
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What a marvelous book full of beleaguered animals， their rescues and the light they brought to the world。 Coupled with those stories is one of resilience， hard times and can do spirit。 Escaping a brutal domestic situation， Laurie Zaleski's mother， Annie， gathered up her three small children and fled to a ramshackle house without running water or electricity in the woods of New Jersey。 As they made it a home， the animals kept arriving and arriving bringing their own lessons in love。 Highly recomm What a marvelous book full of beleaguered animals， their rescues and the light they brought to the world。 Coupled with those stories is one of resilience， hard times and can do spirit。 Escaping a brutal domestic situation， Laurie Zaleski's mother， Annie， gathered up her three small children and fled to a ramshackle house without running water or electricity in the woods of New Jersey。 As they made it a home， the animals kept arriving and arriving bringing their own lessons in love。 Highly recommended。 Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for honest review。 。。。more
vicki honeyman
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A delightful read and discovery of one amazing human being who is exceptionally kind and good to rescue animals。。。。600 of them！ Laurie's childhood story is heartbreaking but gave her the backbone to make her animal sanctuary a life-changer for every animal imaginable。 The world and animal kingdom need more people like her。 Enjoy this heart-lifting read。 A delightful read and discovery of one amazing human being who is exceptionally kind and good to rescue animals。。。。600 of them！ Laurie's childhood story is heartbreaking but gave her the backbone to make her animal sanctuary a life-changer for every animal imaginable。 The world and animal kingdom need more people like her。 Enjoy this heart-lifting read。 。。。more
Catherine Rabon
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I won this book in a giveaway in exchange for an early review。 Very happy to have had the opportunity to read this and provide early feedback。Overall I thought this book was a solid， enjoyable read， but nothing special。 I appreciated how easy it was to get through; I read the entire thing in less than a day。 Though the book does tackle some difficult concepts of relationship abuse， child abuse， cancer， and death， the interspersed stories of the animals living on the Funny Farm kept the lighthear I won this book in a giveaway in exchange for an early review。 Very happy to have had the opportunity to read this and provide early feedback。Overall I thought this book was a solid， enjoyable read， but nothing special。 I appreciated how easy it was to get through; I read the entire thing in less than a day。 Though the book does tackle some difficult concepts of relationship abuse， child abuse， cancer， and death， the interspersed stories of the animals living on the Funny Farm kept the lighthearted feeling present throughout the book。 That being said， I did find it hard to empathize with Laurie and her mother’s struggles because the lightheartedness seemed to overshadow all other emotions mentioned in the book。 I think this may be a little intentional as Laurie‘s mother always kept a positive attitude no matter what was thrown her way。 I also can’t help but wonder if keeping the book lighthearted makes it a better advertisement for supporting the Funny Farm and animal welfare overall。 I would recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in animal welfare， fostering animals， or shelter work。 As a volunteer myself I found Laurie‘s experiences to be pretty true to my own and definitely experienced some nostalgia while reading。 。。。more
Dawn
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Received my ARC and I'm excited to read it！ Received my ARC and I'm excited to read it！ 。。。more
Francisca Carvalheira
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I normally don't like memoirs but this book is an incredibly astonishing great one。 I heard it as an audiobook and it is fantastic。 I could spoil the story for you but if you like animals， I'm sure you'll love reading/hearing it。 I normally don't like memoirs but this book is an incredibly astonishing great one。 I heard it as an audiobook and it is fantastic。 I could spoil the story for you but if you like animals， I'm sure you'll love reading/hearing it。 。。。more
Meghan
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