Funny Farm
My Unexpected Life with 600 Rescue Animals
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4.4 • 30 Ratings
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
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 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. Although there are some sad parts (as life always is), there are lots of laughs.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
We love this touching memoir about hope, tenacity…and cute animals. 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. This is perfect for animal lovers and anyone who just needs a case of the warm fuzzies.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this heartwarming debut, Zaleski, founder of New Jersey's Funny Farm Rescue & Sanctuary, shares how she came to live with "hundreds of ducks and geese, dogs and cats, pigs and goats, alpacas and horses." After her mother left her sadistic father in the 1970s, with Zaleski and her siblings in tow, the transition (which included "hiding out in a motel") was rough, but the peace they found made up for the loss of their upper-middle-class lifestyle. Laurie's plucky mother, Annie, was a fierce animal lover and devoted her life to rescuing animals, even when money was tight. So it only seemed fitting, after her mother died in 2000, for Zaleski to fulfill Annie's dream of running her own animal rescue. Today, her farm accommodates more than 600 animals—ranging from skunks taken in from exotic animal breeders to retired racehorses—many of which she pays loving tributes to. As she dishes stories of her guests—including Angel, a cantankerous, disabled goose who "didn't live up to her name," and a sweet 1,200-pound mare—Zaleski masterfully illustrates how one person can rise above difficult circumstances to do substantial good. Lovers of the furry and feathery will revel in this feel-good story.
Customer Reviews
Absolutely incredible.
It is so hard to capture what this book is about - while it is certainly largely focused on Laurie’s incredible rescue work, it is also a gripping memoir about her family overcoming gut wrenching adversity. Laurie’s story of her mother and siblings survival is nothing short of incredible, as is their perseverance, generosity and accomplishments. I count Funny Farm among the greatest of this genre, up there with Educated and Glass Castle. What an incredible woman and what an incredible read!