What an amazing story. I appreciated how this was written - the author’s childhood life mixed in with snippets about animals on the farm. Written well and filled with a sense of humor that made me literally LOL, I didn’t want to put this down.

I don't typically seek out memoirs, but Laurie Zaleski's Funny Farm was a pleasure. Sad, heartwarming, and ultimately uplifting, I was drawn to reading this to find out how one copes with rescuing so many animals! I was not disappointed. Zaleski tells her story with such a warm voice--I'm so glad I've learned more about her and the Farm she nurtured in honor of her mother. Highly recommended, especially if, like me, you're a fan of all those zoo and veterinary reality shows.

Special thanks to St. Martin's Press for inviting me to read this advance copy in exchange for a review.

This book alternates between Laurie’s and her siblings life growing up and stories about the animals at the farm.
It’s heart warming that her mother and then she rescued so many animals. At the same time it was a bit sad about their early life. I enjoyed the story and think that all animal lovers will too.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy

This was a lovely story that tracked the life of the author as well as the story of her Funny Farm.

I found myself invested in the author and her life; in all of the issues and troubles that came along with it. Anne McNulty (the author’s mother) was a wonderful woman that taught her children well. She taught them how to grow in compassion despite all the hardships they had and to be the best people that they could in the midst of whatever life threw at them.

The animal tales in funny farm were amazing and I really enjoyed hearing all the different personalities of the animals. Being a veterinary technician I did have some problems with how Laurie handled some of issues with the animals especially Yogi the bull and his horns. Dehorning calves is a painful situation, but it tends to make their quality of life better once they are adults. I’ve always thought that the quality life of the animal as well as the lives of those taking care of them are both very important. It is sometimes hard to balance that but I feel at times you have to think about those around the bull in the case of Yogi and his horns which are now causing so many health concerns.

I did really enjoy how Lori described megaoesophagus (very truthful in its horror) and how Chucky and later Tucker were treated and survived while having this genetic default. She made the family’s hardships into a great lesson both for her and for the Funny Farm.

The heartbreak in realistic tales of both Laurie’s family growing up and the animals in the Funny Farm were amazing and terrible at the same time. I felt very much invested in this novel and had a hard time putting it down once started. I definitely now want to take a trip to New Jersey and find the Funny Farm and experience it for myself.

As a huge supporter of rescue, I knew I had to read this book! And it was a total delight. Getting to hear Laurie’s story and how the Funny Farm came to be and meeting the animals was so much fun. Such a quick easy, and emotional read this was a book I’m glad I didn’t miss!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you NetGalley, Laurie Zaleski and St. Martin’s Press for this edition and hearing my honest review. Looking forward to reading more with you
#partner

Laurie’s mother Annie had it all planned out. She became a successful businesswoman, bought 15 acres of farm in New Jersey and she was going to have her life long dream of an animal rescue satisfied. However, two weeks before she moved she died.
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This was not Annie’s dream, but quickly she realized her dream would be making her mother’s dream come true. She had no skills for animal rescue, no resources and a bad marriage with three kids. She decided to be brave and flee her marriage, throw herself into the rescue life with three kids in tow and soon realized that rescuing animals also helps rescue yourself.
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This is a story of being brave, passionate, taking the leap and finding a home among other rescues. Anyone who’s ever rescued any animal at all knows the simple truth, you are rescuing each other.
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Thank you @StMartinsPress and @netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This took me way too long to finish, but at no fault of the author! I really enjoyed learning about the Funny Farm and the events in Zaleski's life that lead to her life in rescue. I wasn't familiar with this rescue before reading the book but now follow it on social media to see some of the animals whose stories are told in these pages. Zaleski does a good job of interspersing her own life story with stories of some of the rescued animals who came to live at the Farm. Having followed other rescues for some time, I know a bit about how hard this life is both financially and emotionally. I've volunteered at my local shelter and done some fostering, but I'm so glad there are people like Laurie Zaleski who go all in for the animals. Thank you for all that you do and for the education you provide so others can do their own part.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely loved this book! It was well written and kept me interested all the way until the end. I can’t wait for more by author!! Highly recommend.

I loved Funny Farm. It was heartwarming, affirming, and funny. Laurie's childhood was far from easy, but both she and her mother forged ahead through adversity to succeed. Laurie's heart is so full of love for others - especially unique, abandoned, needy animals.

I was immediately drawn to this book by the subtitle - My Unexpected Life with 600 Rescue Animals. I read How to be a Good Creature by Sy Montgomery last year and this memoir reminded me a lot of that book.

There were a lot of similarities. For example, each chapter in this book ends with “Animal Tails” which highlights one or two of the animals living at the Funny Farm. I loved that aspect. The book is a memoir of Laurie Zaleski’s life, and each animal has a special place in her heart.

Laurie’s childhood was not easy, so this memoir is definitely heavy, but the Animal Tails bring a levity that was entertaining and heartwarming.

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.

This book had alternating chapters between stories about the rescue animals and Laurie's life. I found the chapters about her life to be heart wrenching at times, some parts almost brought me to tears. It really reminded me of two of my favorite memoirs (The Glass Castle and Educated). The chapters about the rescue animals were cute, and I'm definitely going to be looking up all of the rescue animals she mentioned on her Instagram and FB page. I think the alternating chapters could totally be written into two separate books, I was really intrigued and wanted more details about both!

This is the type of book you'll read in one sitting, I really enjoyed it! I would recommend this to animal lovers and fans of memoirs!

An impressive real-life story. This already has a lot of high ratings, and expect it will receive a lot more. People like a good animal story, this is certainly unique. Recommended to basically anyone. This should sell well.

Thanks very much for the free ARC for review!!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars

This is really two books in one, and one of the them was unexpected. Each chapter starts with the story of Laurie, her mother Anne, and her brother and sister, who leave an abusive husband/father and his financial support and start out with nothing and how Laurie built the farm into a rescue operation. The second half of each chapter tells heartwarming stories about of some of the hundreds of rescue animals the Zaleski family has rescued over the years.

A quick read that I thoroughly enjoyed. Anne seemed to be a one of a kind, special individual. I hope to make it down to South Jersey and visit Funny Farm on visiting days.

I highly recommend this book.

Author: Laurie Zaleski

Summary:
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.

Personal Review:
They had me with the cute photos on the front and the mention of a memoir. I loved that this story followed Annie's journey throughout her new adventures. Cliche... the phrase about who rescuing who...but this story played that out. I enjoyed the book and I love that is based on a real place that provides 24/7 support for the animals. All of my animal-loving friends should go get this book, please :).

More information here:
http://funnyfarmrescue.org/

Disclaimer: I was awarded this book from the publisher/Net Galley. Though I did not pay for the book, the opinions are strictly my own.

Happy Reading!

As a person who also does rescue though on a much smaller scale, this book was made for me.

Really heartwarming book. It's alwayscgrear to hear about the good people in life..

Highly recommend.

I can't begin to tell you how much I loved this book! This is a memoir of Laurie Zaleski and her 600 Rescue Animal Sanctuary called Funny Farm in New Jersey, and how it all came to be. She went through overwhelming odds with her family from a very young age. It started with just a few rescued animals at their meager home they began calling the funny farm and then became her mother's passion and life-long dream to own a big farm and run a big animal rescue sanctuary. Unfortunately, her mom developed cancer and while she fought hard, she lost her battle only two weeks before Laurie closed on the new farm that she had always dreamed of buying for her. Although Laurie Zaleski already owns and operates her own art firm in the city, she still decided to also continue on with the Funny Farm anyway in tribute to her mother's dream. It is a huge undertaking, her husband helps out along with her sister, brother, their spouses and their children. Since she made it become a tax-free charitable organization, they have many volunteers that also love to come out and help as well. Hundreds of people come out to see the animals. They donate money to help feed and care for them. The Funny Farm has become very popular.

I loved how each chapter of her book highlighted an animal story about a special animal or pair of bonded animals on her farm. It was very fun and heartwarming to read. Overall, this book was very well put together, it was packed with a full range of emotions, I just wanted to keep reading and not put it down. Her mom was a delightful, strong, hard-working person who gave her kids great, positive advice and upbringing against some pretty tough odds growing up and Laurie was a strong willed, good overall person because of her mother as well. What a great book, I highly recommend this one!

I would like to thank #Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for my eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I really don’t know where to start. This book touched my heart on so many levels. Being an animal lover with a son that works at a similar animal non-profit in California (STAT Save the Animals Today). This Tory takes you on a journey of a young girl, her mom and siblings. Through terror, heartbreak and love this story will fill your heart. I went to try to order it for the owner of the place my son works at but it will none available until 2022. So I will have to wait and send her it then. Must read

Funny Farm is by far one of the best books I've read this summer and this year, Zakeski switches off with her memoir and all of "children" on her rescue farm in New Jersey. Her childhood was unconventional. Her father was a true SOB and after reading what he did to some of their animals, i hope he is rotting in hell. Laurie has a heart of gold. Sharing the stars of her far with readers was the highlight of my day. Chucky, the pukey dog, Adele, the princess chicken, and all the other wonderful animals were wonderful. I immediately followed Funny Farms Rescue on social media. Read this book for important lessons and to also know there are still good people in the world.

The cute cover made me request this book. I am a sucker for animals so thought this would be a cute read. Boy was I wrong! Lots of trigger warnings for this book; abuse, assault, domestic violence, animal cruelty and more.

There are some really heartwarming stories about the animals and some super funny ones as well (the pigs in the back of the truck...omg so funny and I could totally imagine the horror of her boyfriend). I will admit I needed tissues a few times reading about the death of her special German Shepard dog and about some of the animals being killed by her father to get back at her mother (and the kids). Heartbreaking for sure.

And speaking of her father, what a nasty piece of work he was. I wish karma would have come for him much, much sooner than it did. Her mom sounded like she was an amazing lady (with poor choices in men) and I was really sad reading about her battle with cancer.

Thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this book.