Funny Farm: My Unexpected Life with 600 Rescue Animals
-
- $14.99
-
- $14.99
Publisher Description
An inspiring and moving memoir of the author’s turbulent life with 600 rescue animals
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 fifteen-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.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
After losing her mother, graphic designer Laurie Zaleski pivoted her life, founding the Funny Farm animal rescue center near Atlantic City, New Jersey—a way to honor her mother’s kindness to abandoned animals. As she takes us on a tour of the farm, Zaleski surfaces stories from her childhood and charts the ups and downs in her own life, as well as the triumphs and tragedies of the rescued critters. Zaleski’s conversational writing keeps the story light-footed, even when it takes some dark turns through her abusive childhood. What truly stands out is the determined perseverance of all the Funny Farm’s residents. Narrator Erin Moon beautifully accents both the whimsical and the somber moments in this fascinating and charming tale. This is perfect for animal lovers and anyone who just needs a case of the warm fuzzies.
Customer Reviews
Trauma and Love for Animals
Having a rescue farm myself, I could relate to this memoir. This book is well written, matter of fact, and brings back the feel of living with trauma. This family turned trauma into a positive change and helped animals.