I enjoyed this memoir on audio. The author shares stories from her tough childhood. She also shares many stories about the animals on her farm. I really enjoyed the animal stories, even the sad ones. I would recommend this book to any animal lover!

In "Funny Farm," Laurie Zaleski takes readers on a humorous and heartwarming journey through life on a small farm in rural America. With her witty writing style and relatable anecdotes, Zaleski provides an entertaining and insightful look at the joys and challenges of living a simple life in the countryside.

Zaleski shares her experiences of running a small farm with numerous animals. From the antics of their mischievous goats and chickens to the trials and tribulations of living in between, Zaleski paints a vivid picture of the daily struggles and triumphs of farm life. Overall, "Funny Farm" is a delightful read that is sure to appeal to anyone who has ever loved animals.

Thanks you to Netgalley and St Martins Press for an advance copy of this book in return for my honest review.

The cover of this book drew me in, as I foster cats and kittens for a local animal rescue. And I got so much more out of this book than expected.

Laurie shares her life, from childhood to current day, with us, in her attempt to fulfil her mother's legacy. Escaping a violent marriage, her mom Annie raised her kids single-handedly in a new home that was a far cry from the one they had fled. Over her many years working for an animal control service, and struggling financially, she brought home many many animals that were unloved and unwanted, and loved them. Laurie promised her mom that when she had the money, she would buy a farm so that Annie could rescue all the animals she wanted.

Weaved between the story are snippets about some of the animals that have been rescued, giving us glimpses of their characters. The love of animals shines throughout the book, even when both Annie and then Laurie were struggling with their living situations, getting the Funny Farm up and running etc. But nowhere is there any pity for themselves, or thought to giving up.

An excellent book, one I'll read again for sure.

Thank you to the publisher for my copy - all opinions are my own.

This is a truly fantastic memoir to dive into - between the laughs and the stories of animals are very real truths and vulnerabilities of Laurie's life. The balance of the two make for sincerely compelling reading,

This is so much more than a story about a rescue animal farm.

That portion of the story was actually much smaller than I expected. The focus was really on a family that deals with an abusive father. The after effects of the divorce. The grief and how the family picks up and moves on.

It was a really good memoir but definitely different than what I expected or how the book is represented.

I wish that the rescue stories were the largest part of the story with maybe some peronal reflections of the author's childhood sprinkled throughout. I would have enjoyed it so much more.

But again, still a very good memoir if you have an interest in either subject matter.

Quick interesting read! If you have a love of animals she has some lovely stories of healing and hope. This intent extends to people as well. She has overcome a lot of obstacles in her life and is doing what she loves. Despite a childhood that many of us experienced to some degree in the 60's & 70's with resulting 'un & 'under' diagnosed PTSD, the author is happy & well adjusted in her adult life. It's probably a result of those incidents that lead her to help all animals & people with unconditional acceptance & her cup running over with volunteers for her endeavors. Lovely book. I was provided an advanced reader copy but was under no obligation to provide a review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my digital copy in exchange for an honest review. I requested this one because I love animals and I love reading stories about people that try to help as many as they can. I thought I was just getting a book about helping animals but it was also a memoir about the author's life growing up with an abusive father and leaving with her mother so they didn't have to live with him anymore. I can see some people didn't like this part but I also happen to like memoirs so basically I got two books in one :) The book alternates between the farm part and her life growing up and I have to say that the parts on her childhood were really kind of heartbreaking...in the end, it made everyone stronger and it is also what eventually led to her having this farm. All in all, I really liked this book and would recommend it to anyone who likes reading memoirs.

Working away at my ARC backlist- Up next we have “Funny Farm” by Laurie Zaleski, in which Zaleski recounts her childhood and how she came to own the most interesting farm in New Jersey. Inspired by her mother, Annie, Zaleski can see the value in saving animals that seem impossible and has learned over and over again that there’s always hope.

This was one of those reads that ends up being somewhat unexpected. Zaleski’s childhood is a little dark and depressing at times, but through it all, her mom is the bright spot. As we learn more and more about Zaleski, her mission with the animals just clicks and she becomes an inspiration.

In the end, this book was easily a 5 star read. It was serious and funny, memory and present day. All in all, a great memoir that makes me wish that New Jersey wasn’t quite such a trip away, because now I want to visit her farm!

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I laughed and cried at the stories in this book. It is nice to get the full story behind the Facebook page. I marvel at the strength and tenacity of both Laurie and her mother. A great reminder to make the very best of the time you have.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a copy of Laurie Zaleski’s memoir, Funny Farm.

Running from an abusive marriage, Laurie Zaleski’s mom fled from her husband, taking a small amount of belongings and her three young children. Money was tight, but they managed to find a rental property in a rural area. The house was small and run down, a place that had been used for squatters and teenagers, but with her determination and upbeat attitude, Zaleski’s mom turned the place into a home where she would raise her children. The property was big enough that they started to amass an assortment of rescue animals, including a beloved horse whose broken leg they healed.

They were not able to move far from Zaleski’s father, who despite continuing to terrorize Zaleski’s mother, was granted partial custody of his children. Zaleski witnessed acts of cruelty inflicted by her father, who was wealthy and prominent in their local community.

Healing and comfort was found in their animal community. Animals, who like Zaleski’s family, were learning to regain trust after trauma. In her adult years, Zaleski would be pulled in two directions; leaving the farm to pursue city life or continue her mother’s work. It isn’t a spoiler to share that she chose a life on the farm and not only took on her mother’s animals, but bought a bigger property. Her rescue is thriving with volunteers and a large social media presence. Her instagram page for the Funny Farm Animal Sanctuary is absolutely delightful, a must-follow for animal lovers.

Funny Farm is a tough read. The rampant abuse; spousal, child, and animal, is hard. Trigger warning is an apt caution. That said, the love and compassion overshadow the abuse, ultimately allowing those abused to triumph. I connected with Zaleski’s pull towards different paths in her adult life, but ultimately following in her mother’s footsteps. Zaleski’s caregiving during her mother’s cancer, took me back to 2008, when I was in a similar position. I may not have a whole farm of rescue animals (just two spoiled cats) or have survived an abusive childhood, but I could relate to much of this memoir.

Funny Farm is a great choice for animal lovers who can stomach the difficult parts. Either way, make sure to visit the Funny Farm social media pages for adorable animal antics. If you’re in New Jersey, you can even visit the rescue and meet Zaleski!

This engaging author tells her story with enthusiasm, robust anecdotes, and spares no reader of her wry asides, and frank observations. We hear of her life in the Pinelands of South Jersey, and as her life spills out on the pages, the animals her mother can't turn away become woven in each chapter. Her natal family goes through tough times, their animals go through tough times, but mostly they all just keep on rising above the latest challenge.

The author's self-reliance, her rough and tumble family, and her determined mother were inspiring to read about. Once that book closed, I was looking her up, wanting to see what's happening today at the Funny Farm, and there she was, big as life with animals everywhere! Very satisfying to see that the end I hoped for her came true. She's found that way to make everyday better. A great read, especially if resilience appeals and speaks to you, and if you love animals, you've got a big bonus coming!

A Sincere Thanks to Laurie Zaleski, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review.

Funny Farm is the memoir written by Laurie Zaleski and its the story of how she ended up with hundreds of rescued animals in her care.

Each chapter has a section about her/her life, and is concluded with a short story about how one of the animals she has got to her. I really loved getting to know both Laurie's story and those of the animals. This format made the book a quick read that was very enjoyable.

I definitely recommend this book, especially to animal lovers.

I was really interested in the subject matter, but I find that I am not really a reader of memoirs. I prefer fiction.

But I want to recommend it, because it was well written and such an unusual story and life.

I wouldn't read something like this again.

For somebody like me who loves animals, this is a great read. At times it was hard to read the heartbreaking stories of abused and abandoned animals.

I'll admit that I'm pretty trash about reading non-fiction novels. I'd love to change that, but I get distracted by yet another fantasy series every time I make that promise. Yet, there was something about Funny Farm that called to me. I'm confident it was the animal element, being a pet lover myself.

Funny Farm is a memoir and thus very much a true story. Laurie Zaleski shares her story about how she worked hard to bring her mother's dream to life, only for her mother to pass mere months away from that dream becoming a reality. It's so painfully relatable, especially as Zaleski decides to complete her mother's vision in her stead, and thus Funny Farm was born.

Funny Farm is both heartwarming and heartbreaking. It's a painfully relatable story, at least for me. I could very much see myself doing something like this in my mother's memory, so that hit hard, as did the love of animals, for obvious reasons.

I enjoyed Zaleski's writing as she regaled us with the story of Funny Farm. Though again, much of that story was bittersweet. I honestly don't have much more to say on the matter than that every animal lover should consider giving it a read.

Loved this book!! The stories inside will take you into the author’s world in real time. She is so open with the good and bad of her journey. Loved this whole book so much.

This book is absolute perfection. Its a beautiful tribute to her mother, Annie McNulty and a road map to the eventual opening of the Funny Farm, an incredible animal rescue on New Jersey with all of the bumps in the road along the way. I loved every moment of reading this, though some of it is difficult as it addresses the horrible, real and honest abuse and mental illness of a parent at a time when woman had zero power, money, authority to fight back and no help from anyone in law enforcement or authority. When Laurie’s mother couldn’t take one more moment of abuse she piled her kids into her car and hightailed it out of their otherwise seemingly idyllic life to start anew literally from the ground up. Along with saving herself and her children she started saving animals. This is a wonderful look back at what got Laurie to where she is now and the amazing work she and her family do on behalf of helpless animals in need and as a magnificent tribute to her mother. This book is a gift. I am so glad I read it. A visit is most certainly on my agenda.

Funny Farm // by Laurie Zaleski

Funny Farm did exactly what I want a memoir to do: it made me laugh and it made me cry. I always say there's no other genre that makes me cry as much as memoirs do. Zaleski poignantly recounted the tough parts of her life but always showed the positives as well. Her mother did a fantastic job of always looking at the bright side despite the trials and tribulations this family had to endure and it is obvious that she passed on to her daughter that same ability. Zaleski took the ramshackle beginnings of the original Funny Farm and turned it into the thriving rescue it is today. Throughout the whole book, you can feel the love she has for her mother, her siblings, and the many animals she has encountered in her life. At the end of every chapter, we also got a story about one or more of the animals that has passed through or currently resides at the Funny Farm. Often times, those stories bring a giggle after a serious chapter but instead of taking away from the gravity of the recounted situation, it just showcased the passion and compassion Zaleski has for the work she does.

Thank you for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Funny Farm is the best memoir I’ve read this year. Laurie Zaleski lived in a beautiful house and had a pretty bedroom and lots of toys until her parents split up. Her mother Annie moved them to a shack in the woods and struggled just to put food on the table. But then Annie brought home a dog–and then another. Eventually, chickens and horses joined the family. Pretty soon people were bringing them stray animals. And that was the early beginnings of the Funny Farm Animal Rescue. Zaleski tells a layered and fascinating story of how her mother had the courage to leave an abusive, but well-to-do and popular husband, and start life over with her children and many, many animals. The stories of the animals are interspersed throughout. Some chapters deal with Laurie’s family trials and her father’s vindictive revenge, while others tell beautiful stories of animals who became part of her family. But it is also a story of Zaleski’s life and how she succeeded in business, and then how she made The Funny Farm an official animal rescue.

This is everything you would want in a memoir–completely honest, fascinating, and heroic in more ways than one. It is easy to see in Zaleski’s life how she learned from the courage of her mother and was not afraid to take risks in business and in life. The love for the animals shines through on every page, and each animal rescue story touches the heart. The honesty is always there, whether Laurie is talking about her cruel father or her mother’s bad taste in men. There is humor, grief, love, and shock in these pages. I recommend everyone read the story of the Funny Farm. I guarantee an inspiring experience, and maybe a few tears. I received a free copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.

Thanks to St Martins Press and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book, which I totally loved.

As an animal (and animal-rescue) lover, what I expected from this book was a charming story of an accidental animal rescuer, but what I got was so much more! I had not come across the Funny Farm on social media, even though it’s not too far away from me, so all of these stories and characters, both human and animal, were new to me.

This book was a total delight and I absolutely could not put it down. Zaleski has had such an interesting, eventful life; her story would be incredible even if it did not end up at an animal rescue (talk about a cherry on top!) When she was young, her mother, (a real you-couldn’t-make-her-up character full of gumption and grit and pithy sayings), escaped with her three kids from her abusive, unhinged husband and with him, the swanky suburban middle-class lifestyle to which they’d become accustomed.

They end up in a falling-down farmhouse shack next to a spa full of sex-workers, and, despite setbacks and shocking acts of retribution from her father, there, they rescue the needy, both human and animal. They share what little they have and building a new life for themselves with kindness and hard work. Interspersed in the chapters of Zaleski’s colorful life story is the story of an animal who the farm has rescued, perfect for fans of unlikely animal friendships or anyone who is craving a heartwarming story.

Overall, this is a hugely inspriational story of resilience, determination, and wild success. Just a great read that I would recommend to every reader (and now I can’t wait to visit the Funny Farm in person!)

CW: I’ve got a big aversion to books with animal suffering, and this book has some, but it’s not cheap or done for shock, and the book is overall extremely uplifting and feel-good. If you’re like me, you’ll want to know before you start that some bad things happen to animals in this book, but for the most part, the stories have happy endings, and the point of the book, overall, of course, is caring for and loving those animals.