Sanctuary
The True Story of an Irish Village, a Man Who Lost His Way, and the Rescue Donkeys That Led Him Home
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4.5 • 2 Ratings
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
For decades, his family rescued lost and forgotten donkeys in the Irish countryside.
He had no idea that one day, the donkeys would rescue him.
Patrick Barrett grew up on the back of a donkey. In the small village of Liscarroll, the young boy helped his family run a sanctuary for abandoned and abused donkeys. Struggling in school, Patrick only felt truly accepted in the presence of these funny, fuzzy, touching animals. It was like magic, how he and the donkeys understood each other. He became a true “donkey whisperer”—reading their body language, communicating with them in ways they could understand, and teaching himself how to “speak” in their distinctive calls.
But when Patrick was of age, he shipped out with the Irish Army and encountered unimaginable wartime horrors in Lebanon and Kosovo. In the aftermath, he returned home a broken man, sinking into the depths of PTSD and addictions. He believed nothing could save him. But he hadn’t counted on the donkeys.
Sanctuary is the remarkable true story of how faith turned one lost man’s life around with the help of the rescue animals who loved him. It’s an antidote to despair and a call to hope, revealing the beauty and wonder of Ireland as you’ve never seen it before.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Barrett debuts with an introspective account of how his return to his family's donkey sanctuary in Liscarroll, Ireland, helped him heal from PTSD and alcoholism. Barrett's father established the sanctuary for abused and neglected donkeys when Barrett was a small child, and it quickly became a family affair. Barrett writes of doing poorly in school and being beaten by his headmaster, traumas he found solace from when with the donkeys. Fueled by a cultural tolerance for alcohol consumption, Barrett had his first drink at age seven and came to depend on booze to numb his anxiety. In the late 1990s, a drunk driving accident led Barrett to enlist in the Irish Army at age 19 to avoid serving jail time, and when Barrett returned from five years of service in Lebanon and Kosovo, he suffered from PTSD and continued to drink excessively. He turned his life around after taking a job at the donkey sanctuary and becoming a born-again Christian. Though repetitive at times, Barrett's endearing narration, vulnerability, and candor showcase the power of persistent love—from animals and people—in the face of adversity. This is a touching story of faith and recovery.
