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.

In the small Irish village of Liscarroll, Patrick Barrett helped his family run a sanctuary for abandoned and abused donkeys. He did poorly in school and his headmaster beat him. Patrick only felt truly accepted in the presence of the donkeys and he could read their body language and communicate in ways they could understand.

Falling prey to the cultural norms of life in an Irish village, Barrett had his first drink at age seven and came to depend on alcohol to numb his anxiety. At age 19, he was involved in a drunk driving accident and enlisted in the Irish Army to avoid serving jail time. For five years, he experienced wartime horrors in Lebanon and Kosovo and returned home a broken man with PTSD. He used alcohol to medicate his pain. He turned his life around when he became a Christian while working at the donkey sanctuary.

Sanctuary is a sweet story about the love between a man and his donkeys and the intersection between faith and healing. I didn't know people abused donkeys in Ireland and in other places around the world; some details were hard for me to read. I'm so glad Patrick’s family created a sanctuary to protect and heal them—their love for the animals shined through and pulled on my heartstrings. The Irish lilt of the audio version's narrator was charming. I’ve written many pieces about people’s struggles with addiction and how God rescued them. In this instance, donkeys saved the author. God is so creative!

Although the book was written for an adult audience, it is appropriate for older teens and young adults. My only constructive criticism is that the same stories/anecdotes were used more than once. Also, on audio, the bouncing back and forth between narratives didn’t always work. Don’t let those comments stop you from reading it, though, just keeping it real. Sanctuary will make you smile. 4 stars.

Published Date: March 2022
Genre: Memoir
Read-alikes: Joey: How a Blind Rescue Horse Helped Others Learn to See by Jennifer Marshall Bleakly; Rescuing Riley, Saving Myself: A Man and His Dog’s Struggle to Find Salvation by Zak Anderegg; Pound for Pound: A Story of One Woman’s Recovery and the Shelter Dogs Who Loved Her Back to Life by Shannon Kopp.

I was looking forward to reading this book and adding it to my library. After all, it was about rescued donkeys and Ireland. I had already ordered three copies of it for the bookstore where I work. The stories about the donkeys are touching and wonderful. The descriptions of Ireland are enchanting. However, the author's descent into alcoholism consumes most of the book. We struggle with him as he lives with it and then as he tries to leave it behind. The book is written in a simplistic style, which I could not appreciate. I thank the author for telling his story and also the story of the rescued donkeys which continues to this day.
I thank NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book from Tyndale publishers.

The true story of a man and a donkey
Patrick Barrett and Susy Flory write about Patrick's life in the book "Sanctuary: The True Story of an Irish Village, a Man Who Lost His Way, and the Rescue Donkeys That Led Him Home", published by Tyndale House Publishers (Tyndale Momentum. The statement "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" on the back cover of the book shows the goal which is to show how faith got Patrick out form "being lost.". The rescue animals, mainly donkeys, with which he grew up were a help on this way. Patrick himself states in the introduction: "My life has been a series of tests. Some I have chosen well and passed, and others I have not. But I am blessed because my mam and dad started a donkey sanctuary to save lost donkeys, never dreaming it would save me too." I really appreciate that he is open an honest about his life: "I hated myself and the man I’d become. Or maybe I wasn’t a man at all, but rather some kind of dark monster. The darkness inside of me felt like it had taken over, morphing into a sort of shadow man who was running my life and calling the shots. I had no vision for a future, and now with a baby coming, I wondered what kind of life this was going to be for a child" (chapter 9). I also appreciate his statement in chapter 12: "It was an act of great mercy, because no one else would have taken me. I was unemployable. I was a real-life Prodigal Son, who decided to turn his back on his family and squander every opportunity he’d been given. In the biblical story, when the rebellious son returns, instead of greeting him with anger and shaming, his father greets him with open arms and a welcome back celebration. He didn’t deserve this kind of homecoming whatsoever, but his father loved him so much he did it anyway. In fact, when he saw his lost son coming, he ran to meet him."
The book touches the topics of alcoholism and general addictions, PTSD, and a possible dyslexia and attention deficit disorder (ADD) which was never diagnosed. I highly recommend this book to readers who like to read honest memoirs based on a Christian background.
The complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley free of charge. I was under no obligation to offer a positive review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
#Sanctuary #Netgalley

What I liked most about this book was how the author's life was turned around for the better when he cried out to God for help and his cry was heard and answered. It's so inspiring to see how a man can give up alcohol and still be sober 10 years down the line. I also liked the donkey stories, though they seem to have healed him less than implied in the subtitle.

All in all, not a bad read.

Beautifully written. Filled with very helpful information on understanding addiction, interwoven with wonderful stories about donkeys and Irish country life. This book came to me in a period of my life when I needed it most. I will definitely be recommending this to others. Thank you, Mr. Barrett! May God bless you and your family. (I received an advanced readers copy of this book, but the views expressed in this review are entirely my own).

I love how honest and vulnerable Patrick was in the telling of his story. My favorite part was when God redeemed this man that seemed so lost and unreachable. It’s truly astonishing how God saves us and gives us a new story and new beginning. I very much recommend this book

I enjoyed this book because of it's writing style, unique topic, and the fact that it really provided a thought-provoking experience. Recommended for readers who want to read slowly so as to take time to process.

SANCTUARY by PATRICK BARRETT and SUSY FLORY is the amazing account of Patrick Barrett’s life and the people and animals who played a part in it. It is a story of redemption, overcoming temptation, acceptance and belonging, and the unconditional love of Father God who longs for us to rurn to Him.
This is a very honest book and one in which we are led through the realites of Patrick’s life as he equates his experiences with those of the donkeys who were saved by the Donkey Sanctuary, and shows how these same donkeys played a huge part in his restoration.
I like the way he finally turns to the God he used to think of as harsh and unloving, due to his Irish Catholic upbringing, and finds the Lord who died to save him. I also like the bible stories, such as that of the Prodigal Son, that he uses to illustrate parts of his life.
It is good to see him training as a psychotherapist in order to help those who struggle with the effects of PTSD as he did after his time in the Irish Defence Forces in Lebanon and Kosovo as part of the U N peace keeping force.
This is a moving and inspiring autobiography and one I recommend to anyone who enjoys this genre.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Tyndale House Publishers. The opinions in this review are completely my own.