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My Gentle Barn: Creating a Sanctuary Where Animals Heal and Children Learn to Hope

Ellie Laks,

Nomi Isak (Co-author)

4.43 · Rating details · 905 ratings · 207 reviews

Founder Ellie Laks started The Gentle Barn after adopting a sick goat from a run-down petting zoo in 1999. Some two hundred animals later (including chickens, horses, pigs, cows, rabbits, emus, and more), The Gentle Barn has become an extraordinary nonprofit that brings together a volunteer staff of community members and at-risk teens to rehabilitate abandoned and/or abuse ...more

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Hardcover, 269 pages

Published March 25th 2014 by Harmony (first published January 1st 2014)

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Jan 25, 2014 Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin rated it it was amazing

Shelves: animals, first-reads-giveaways, own

OMG!!!! I HAVE AM SO GLAD I WON THIS IN A GOOD READS GIVEAWAY! I DIDN'T EVEN HAVE A CHANCE TO WRITE DOWN I WAS READING THIS BOOK! I OPENED IT THIS MORNING AND COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS BOOK AND FOR ALL YOU DO FOR THE ANIMALS.

I HAVE HAD A DREAM ALL OF MY LIFE OF HAVING A WILDLIFE REFUGE BUT TO TAKE IN ALL ANIMALS. I ALWAYS WANTED TO HAVE A HORSE RIDING AREA FOR DISABLED CHILDREN. BEING DISABLED NOW MYSELF, BUT HOPEFULLY NOT FOREVER, THIS BOOK HAS GIVEN ME A SPARK OF HOPE ...more

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Nov 03, 2016 Margie rated it really liked it

Recommended to Margie by: Linda

Shelves: memoir, animals

My Gentle Barn is the uplifting story of one woman's compassion for abandoned and abused animals and her passionate journey to rescue them. Ellie Laks started out with one goat which she rescued from a petting zoo and has gone on to rescue hundreds of animals over the years. Her "Gentle Barn" houses the rehabilitated animals on her acreage and barn in Santa Clarita, California. Not only are the animals rescued and rehabilitated, they provide comfort and hope for the future for the many groups of My Gentle Barn is the uplifting story of one woman's compassion for abandoned and abused animals and her passionate journey to rescue them. Ellie Laks started out with one goat which she rescued from a petting zoo and has gone on to rescue hundreds of animals over the years. Her "Gentle Barn" houses the rehabilitated animals on her acreage and barn in Santa Clarita, California. Not only are the animals rescued and rehabilitated, they provide comfort and hope for the future for the many groups of special needs, at-risk and foster children who visit the Gentle Barn.

As a child, Ellie took comfort in her pets and had great empathy for them. After some very low moments as a young adult, she ultimately realized that rescuing animals was her mission in life. From that point on, there was no stopping her. Ellie Laks is a force of nature. As one reviewer said, "You'll love Ellie Laks and the animals she rescued--and who rescued her back."

I am awed by Ellie's strength, vision and power to realize her dream of rescuing hundreds of animals. She was joined in her quest a few years after she started Gentle Barn by her compassionate and caring husband and together they have raised three children along with all their animals. Imagine the energy and commitment it takes to do all that, even with their many volunteers.

On Halloween, the following article appeared in the Los Angeles Times, "Can too much Halloween candy kill you?" page B2, Monday, October 31, 2016. I initially thought, "This sounds interesting." When I was finished with the article I was angry and appalled that researchers had used animals for a pointless, frivolous and utterly useless experiment. Here is an exerpt:
"You might think it would be easy for researchers to find volunteers willing to eat candy for the sake of science. But it simply wouldn’t be ethical to ask people to accept a life-threatening risk — even if it were covered in chocolate.
Instead, scientists feed sugar to rats, increasing the amount until half of the animals are dead. In the medical literature, this lethal dose is known as LD50."

Unbelievable! . . . "it simply wouldn't be ethical to ask people to accept a life-threatening risk . . ." How "ethical" is it for the animals who were killed for an absurd and utterly senseless experiment!

It takes people like Ellie to take a stand and fight every day for our voiceless animals. If only we could clone a few million of her.

...more

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Apr 04, 2014 Leah rated it it was amazing

I'm not sure how long I've been a Facebook fan of The Gentle Barn, but I am sure I always love reading the stories, enjoying the pictures, and recalling the mission of the organization, so when Amazon Vine offered me a pre-publication review copy of this book, with my interests in animal welfare, rescue, and critters in general, I had to order it. Gentle Barn founder Elllie Laks and either "as told to" or "with" co-author Nom Isak have told the long, winding, exciting story perfectly.

Part of Ge I'm not sure how long I've been a Facebook fan of The Gentle Barn, but I am sure I always love reading the stories, enjoying the pictures, and recalling the mission of the organization, so when Amazon Vine offered me a pre-publication review copy of this book, with my interests in animal welfare, rescue, and critters in general, I had to order it. Gentle Barn founder Elllie Laks and either "as told to" or "with" co-author Nom Isak have told the long, winding, exciting story perfectly.

Part of Gentle Barn's story reminds me of the earlier history of Best Friends Animal Society (formerly Sanctuary) in Kanab, southern Utah, that began with several visionary, like-minded people rather than with a single individual, and which has grown to a large, influential organization that still focuses primarily on animals. I liked Best Friends' book, and I've even visited the sanctuary. However, for Gentle Barn, Ellie Laks' childhood is the critical back story, and her book mostly emphasizes how the animals she rescued also rescued and healed her from a sorrow-filled, lonely, misunderstood childhood (common humanity, anyone?), and addiction in her young adult years. A shoutout to Ellie for doing a great job of briefly explaining the incredible complexity of addiction and addictive personality!

In some ways this book mostly emphasizes mutual respect and healing between Ellie and the animals, but it also details ways a major aspect of Gentle Barn's mission has been helping at-risk and underprivileged kids and youth heal and humanize as groups of them visit the sanctuary, learn to relate to animals, and learn to own their own feelings, pains, and histories. And, of course, it honors the many many folks who have helped with finances and by physically volunteering at the sanctuary.

I loved reading about ways animals speak to us with their bodies, faces, voices, and how they need us to communicate before engaging them in almost any activity. The wonder-filled story of the Gentle Barn will continue, and how inspiring to realize humans, non-human critters, and the natural environment can live together so well and in such harmony. ...more

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Mar 13, 2014 Sharon rated it it was amazing

Shelves: memoir, animal-rescue

Like Ellie Laks, I had a troubled childhood (not nearly as troubled as hers, but nonetheless ...). Also like Ellie Laks, I felt as though animals were the only ones who really understood me, and who wanted to listen. Many a secret was whispered into the ear of the family cat.

In any event, Ellie Laks knows early on in life that her mission is to rescue animals. She puts that mission on the shelf many times before starting the Gentle Barn ... at which time she discovers whole new challenges and wh ...more

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Mar 09, 2017 Eli Easton rated it it was amazing

I read this book as research because I'm currently writing a book that features a farm sanctuary. I don't read much non-fiction, but this book drew me in from the start and keep me hooked. There are lots of stories of animal rescues in the book, many of which had me wiping away tears. But I wouldn't say its a sad or difficult book. There's also an overriding message of following your dreams and saying yes to compassion and pity, and of animals responding to love and freedom, of the meaning of li ...more

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Jan 14, 2014 W rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads

I received this book as a First Reads winner.

I finished this book yesterday afternoon and have really been giving quite a bit of thought to this review. I wanted to "LOVE" this book but for some reason it just didn't hit that mark for me.

To sum it up in one word, I guess the best I can come up with is "shallow". I couldn't really find anything that grabbed my curiosity or prompted deeper thought. On the other hand,the only other area that would have been interesting to hear more about would be ...more

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Feb 04, 2014 Cheryl rated it it was amazing

Shelves: i-have-read-this-book

I LOVED this Book !!! This is an Amazing true Story of a dream of a young girl who through her loneliness as a child sought out on a mission to help heal animals. Through caring for the animals she finds healing for herself...
I admire her conviction and strong heart to make a difference in Animals lives and in caring to help and heal children in need.
This story took me on a roller coaster of emotions... I had tears of sadness for some of the animal abuse and neglect that Ellie saw and treated at ...more

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Nov 15, 2015 Donna rated it really liked it

Shelves: non-fiction

I enjoyed this book. It took me by surprise because I liked it so much more than I expected.

First, the Gentle Barn does amazing work in animal rescue. I enjoyed hearing all about it and the animals. Because I was so impressed with the Gentle Barn, I started following them on FB.

Second, it didn't bother me that the author only showed herself in the best possible light. That kind of thing bothers me in autobiographies, but in this case, it barely registered with me. This was really a book about ...more

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Jul 31, 2020 Marjorie Hodges rated it liked it

It is great to know there are still kind people in the world.

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Jun 20, 2014 Diane rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audio-books-listened-to

My Gentle Barn, a memoir, tells the story of Ellie Laks’ troubled childhood, feeling misunderstood and abandoned by her Jewish Orthodox parents and sexual abused by baby sitters. She relates that her early love of animals, to which she turned to for solace, helped to heal her emotional pain. From an early age Ellie had a dream to rescue neglected and abandoned animals. She wanted other troubled children to have a place to go where animals could help to heal their hurts.

According to the author, t
My Gentle Barn, a memoir, tells the story of Ellie Laks’ troubled childhood, feeling misunderstood and abandoned by her Jewish Orthodox parents and sexual abused by baby sitters. She relates that her early love of animals, to which she turned to for solace, helped to heal her emotional pain. From an early age Ellie had a dream to rescue neglected and abandoned animals. She wanted other troubled children to have a place to go where animals could help to heal their hurts.

According to the author, the Gentle Barn began one a small scale in an effort to rescue homeless and neglected dogs, right in her own backyard . Later she expanded her rescue to include pigs, goats and cows and quickly outgrowing her initial quarters. She was able to purchase a much large, more appropriate property, in part, thanks to a trust fund. This new property allowed her to continue her mission of helping more animals and healing more children. In 1999 the Gentle Barn animal sanctuary in Santa Clarita, California has open to the general public and has been helping animals and healing at-risk children. In a NY Times article, I read that according to Ellie’s husband, it takes about $50,000 a month to operate the Gentle Barn. The money has come from individual donations, through the Gentle Barn website, as well as from private family donations, corporate grants and foundations. Major donors have included Ellen DeGeneres, Toyota, CBS, William Morris Endeavor and Princess Cruises.

When asked early on why she does what she does, she replied, “You don’t understand. I’m not saving the animals; they’re saving me." Her stories about nursing the rescued animals back to health from deplorable conditions seemed genuine and heartfelt, and her love and concern for the animals welfare admirable. I loved her devotion to help troubled kids and how she was able to get some of them to trust through their interactions with the animals.

Although her memoir is inspiring and she is to be commended for her work, I never felt any sympathy for Ellie. Yes, she claimed her childhood was difficult, and the path to the Gentle Barn, involved lots of stumbling blocks. She also made a lot of bad decisions in her life. She spent 3-years as a crack addict, married, divorced, had unplanned pregnancies, remarried and ended up with significant financial issues. Some of her recantations just did not ring true for me, making me wonder whether parts of the memoir might have been embellished or even fabricated.

After finishing this memoir, a book which I am happy that I read, I started “googling" The Gentle Barn and Ellie Laks” and came across (2) interesting links which made wonder about the validity of what I read in this book. I think that while The Gentle Barn is and continues to do good work, there may be another side to the story which the reader has not been privy to. One of these links of concern was posted by the author’s own brother in response to this memoir. View HERE ---http://www.amazon.com/review/R2688GSY....

The other link is from a blog post on another animal advocate’s website. View HERE --http://animaladvocateswildliferehabil....

I guess readers will be left to form their own opinions. One thing I do know is that I’d love to visit The Gentle Barn. As a lover of all animals, I’m pretty sure I would love spending a day there. ...more

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Jan 29, 2014 Lauren Henderson rated it it was amazing

Shelves: memoir, on-homesteading, netgalley, 2014-favorites

I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Review also posted on Great Minds Read Alike.

I'm not even sure what I was expecting when I started reading this book - I guess I thought it would be something that only farm animal lovers would identify with... just a Yay Animals!! happy story about saving the world.

But in these pages is one of the most inspiring and beautiful stories that I have ever read. There is story after story of individual a ...more

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Apr 14, 2014 Shirley rated it it was amazing

Ellie Laks-Wiener has been blessed with the ability to heal the physical and emotional traumas experienced by both animals and young people. Her life-affirming energy resonates throughout this memoir. Her ability to handle disheartening experiences is awe-inspiring. She is a miracle worker whose stories need to be read and retold to make people aware of the abuse experienced by children and animals and to give people the hope and willpower to fight against that abuse. Ellie describes her own abu Ellie Laks-Wiener has been blessed with the ability to heal the physical and emotional traumas experienced by both animals and young people. Her life-affirming energy resonates throughout this memoir. Her ability to handle disheartening experiences is awe-inspiring. She is a miracle worker whose stories need to be read and retold to make people aware of the abuse experienced by children and animals and to give people the hope and willpower to fight against that abuse. Ellie describes her own abuse during the opening chapters of My Gentle Barn. These experiences give her first-hand knowledge and a deep abiding empathy for the struggles experienced by others.

A few parts of the book that expose the inner workings of Ellie, her barnyard companions, and some of her visitors follow.

Buddha, a rescued cow, had the unusual ability to give humans hugs. At the Gentle Barn, at-risk children began their visits by sharing a hug with Buddha. Ellie could sense that these kids were shedding their survival armor and beginning to heal. “If these kids could start there, by accepting love from a cow, maybe they then could accept love from other human beings, and just maybe one day learn to love themselves.” (p. 86)

The touching tale of Grandpa Goat and young Emily Goat, was a story of true and everlasting love. (p. 88-89) This account is worth reading again and again.

Ellie explained, “I have only a loose grasp on linear time, dwelling more naturally in the fluid world of the heart and the present moment.” (p. 94)

Ellie commented on the interactions of the animals in her barnyard community with the following remark. “Actually, they get along better than humans do. They’re more forgiving and live more in the moment. Besides, they know better than to expend energy trying to be right.” (p. 184)

These stories and lessons on life stay with the reader long after the last page is read. The most important of the lessons to be learned is that abuse experienced by children and animals does not have to lead to a destiny of misery and failure.
...more

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Feb 02, 2014 Emily rated it it was amazing

Shelves: first-reads

Full disclosure: I received a free copy in a Goodreads first reads contest.

I'll admit at first I wasn't sure what to think about this book. I work in mental health and all I can remember thinking at first is 'this gal needs therapy'. As things went on, I realized she was getting therapy. Doing it herself, through her work with and love of animals. I'm a huge advocate of animal therapy, especially for children and teens. I too have had the privilege of seeing a teen who glares at the world open u ...more

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Dec 15, 2014 Florence Millo rated it really liked it

Shelves: biography

My Gentle Barn by Ellie Laks

It is hard to believe that someone who had been molested and neglected as a child could become such a caring and compassionate person. Perhaps, it is because as she says, the animals saved her. This book is about her healing neglected and abused animals as they heal her own neglected and abused spirit.

The thought of animal abuse is so abhorrent to me that I almost didn't read this book. While there is no glossing over the neglect and abuse the animals came out of, El ...more

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Apr 05, 2014 Pamela Barrett rated it it was amazing

Do you love animals? Have you ever felt that you have a special bond with them? If the answer is yes then you will want to read Ellie Laks’ memoir My Gentle Barn. It is about rescuing animals, and healing them and then letting them help bring hope to children that are hurting. The story is so enthralling that I starting reading it one evening and finished it the next day. I remember finding out about The Gentle Barn on FB through other rescue pages. I loved seeing the pictures of the animals and ...more

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Feb 04, 2014 Jennifer Ochoa rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2014

I expected this book to be one of my casual weekend morning books that I read for about 20 pages while drinking coffee before I start housework. I started reading it this morning and next thing I know I was on page 150 and really wanted to keep reading. My housework would have to wait. I had laughed several times, cried several times, and was only about halfway through the book.

I was expecting a charming tale, and I got that, but I was not expecting to be completely sucked in like I was. I had ...more

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Feb 07, 2014 Wendy-Lynn rated it it was amazing

Ellie Laks knew from the time she was a young girl, that she got along better with animals. Whether it was rescuing birds, rabbits, or being covered in butterflies, animals were her sanctuary. Growing up her family did not condone her behavior nor was it welcomed. As Ellie got older, she started rescuing stray dogs and eventually built a successful dog rescue business. When she met her husband and finally had a child, Ellie felt it was time to focus on her human family. Not much time went by whe ...more

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Feb 28, 2014 Jana rated it liked it

Recommends it for: Adult & Teenagers; animal activists, childhood counselors & teachers

Recommended to Jana by: I won a copy in Good Reads Sweepstake

Shelves: biographies

I could not put down Ellie Laks' book until I read it cover to cover. A warm, rich, easy-to-read work of art. I laughed and cried, touched by the love of human beings for animals, the suffering perpetuated on this kingdom by others, and the amazing ability for both animals and humans to heal. "My Gentle Barn: Creating a Sanctuary Where Animals Heal and Children Learn to Hope" is written by Ellie in the first-person, and offers the reader the opportunity to walk with her on a very personal journe ...more

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Mar 11, 2014 Shea rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: Everyone, Animal Lovers

Recommended to Shea by: Won through GoodReads New Author Giveaway

Shelves: nonfiction

LOVE THIS BOOK!

Like Ellie, I have always had a passion for animals. I feel a completeness when they are near. I'd rather snuggle a furry little puppy than smell a baby-powder infused infant. The story captured me from the start with her personal story of abuse, and kept me going with the stories of the suffering of the animals she encountered.

I was touched by the support of the celebrities mentioned in the book and in awe of the generosity of so many. The "Gentle Barn" is truly a blessing, as J ...more

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Mar 11, 2014 Rachel León added it

I received a copy of this book as a First Reads winner.

This book tells the author's story of how she came to found the Gentle Barn, an animal sanctuary in California. What's cool about the Gentle Barn is they bring in groups of foster children or kids from residential treatment programs and meeting the animals and hearing their stories helps break down walls they've put up from all the hurt they've experienced. As someone who works in child welfare, I found these stories fascinating. I found El ...more

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Mar 19, 2014 Jennifer rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

I was fortunate to win this book via the giveaway, One of my favorites!! The words flowed effortlessly and moved me with every line. Her story is one of hope courage and love. She didn't take no for an answer and created a beautiful safe haven for creatures no else wanted, while sharing it with people who also needed healing. I would love to visit the Gentle Barn one day. This is a must read for people who love animals and just anyone in general. In my eyes this is also a sort of self-help book, ...more

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Jan 18, 2018 Laura rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Made me laugh, made me cry...

I found out something about the Gentle Barn on Facebook, and started following and contributing as I could. Reading Ellie's full story made so much sense and helped me know that the animals of this work are worth more of my time and effort. Thank you, Ellie and Jay. ...more

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Oct 17, 2014 Meredith Spidel rated it it was amazing

I had never heard of The Gentle Barn before, but am now understanding what a tremendous movement Laks has started. Through her endless compassion towards animals, the hope packed into every page of this book is inspiring.

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Apr 06, 2019 MyCatJeoffry Books rated it it was amazing

This book came out a few years ago but I just listened to the audio version and have to make readers aware of it if you are not already! It’s a memoir, by Gentle Barn founder Ellie Laks, detailing her long journey to forming this wonderful sanctuary, which both serves as a haven for animals rescued from slaughter and enables at-risk youth to heal by caring for them.

Laks starts with her own childhood, which was not very pleasant, and made her just the kind of at-risk youth she seeks now to help. This book came out a few years ago but I just listened to the audio version and have to make readers aware of it if you are not already! It’s a memoir, by Gentle Barn founder Ellie Laks, detailing her long journey to forming this wonderful sanctuary, which both serves as a haven for animals rescued from slaughter and enables at-risk youth to heal by caring for them.

Laks starts with her own childhood, which was not very pleasant, and made her just the kind of at-risk youth she seeks now to help. Her parents had no respect for the lives of animals and their treatment of those she kept as pets was abusive to both her and them. Pets died when they wouldn’t let her keep them inside during harsh winters, for example, and when she cried over it, they told her to “get over it;” they’re “just” animals. Ugh, just makes me shake with anger and want them to be punished for animal cruelty. And I know these kinds of parents exist in abundance. But ultimately it’s the work of people like Laks that changes minds and leads to a more compassionate world.

Memoir about beginning a non-profit though it may be, at points it reads like a thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat! Laks’ path is fraught with not only difficulty – an angry, jealous neighbor that will stop at nothing to shut her down – but danger as well. When she talks about finding the perfect space in Santa Clarita, and moving the sanctuary from just outside of L.A. up there, the first thing I thought, having lived in L.A. was, uh-oh, isn’t that wildfire country? It sure is, and they nearly lose all of the animals, and their own lives, fleeing from a fire one year. This part of the book was totally un-put-downable!

Hoping to open my own version of an animal rescue, I wanted to know financial details of how Laks did this. Funny, but there aren’t many, because, like with me, her passion was much more solid than her business acumen! Several times, the sanctuary is almost forced to shut down due to lack of funds. Laks was so much more compassionate about saving the animals and at-risk youth than thinking about how to actually bring in money. Finally, she lands a very good business partner – and husband, Jay, and he helps brainstorm unique ways to fund-raise. Then, very serendipitously – the sanctuary being near L.A. – someone who loves it knows Portia de Rossi, Ellen DeGeneres’s partner, and after being on the Ellen Show, the Gentle Barn really takes off. Though the original is still in Santa Clarita, there are now several throughout the U.S.

After my beloved Rhea passed away, I searched for books celebrating the animal-human bond that would help me manage my grief. Someone in the Our Hen House flock (a Facebook group for members of the vegan podcast) mentioned books about building animal sanctuaries. This is the first one I picked up and it is definitely very high on my list of favorite memoirs about love of animals. ...more

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Jan 03, 2020 K Krause rated it it was amazing

I read this book after having visited The Gentle Barn in Santa Clarita, CA, so I could clearly picture the faces of some of the animals Ellie writes about in this poignant memoir about her life and vision of saving and rehabilitating abused or abandoned animals.

Most of us do not understand where most of our food comes from, but when you sit and hold a turkey, or hug a cow, or scratch a pig under his chin, there's no way you can separate what goes on your plate with an animal you were just eye-t ...more

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Jun 14, 2018 Gemini rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This book was great & also heart wrenching. I was surprised to read the issues she had as a child & the abuse she endured which I wasn't expecting. The lack of support from her family was pretty problematic as well. All the struggles she went through even as an adult is commendable by how she got through it helping animals. To have so much passion & vision to create this animal sanctuary & the hurdles she went through in order to make it successful was amazing. There are so many ups & downs that ...more

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Oct 14, 2020 Lauren Blankenship rated it it was amazing

Shelves: audiobooks

The story of Ellie's own healing by animals due to suffered childhood trama (trigger warning: brief, accounts of sexual assault, but not in too much detail) and how her love of animals led her to open what ends up being a successful and thriving animal sanctuary in California. I cried with her in her struggles and in the animal's suffering, but my heart swelled with love as the inevitable healing of kindness unfolded. Ellie is truly a treasure to this earth and in this book, the animals heal peo ...more

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Feb 05, 2018 JoAnna rated it liked it

Three-line review: After growing up in a family of neglect, Laks sets out to realize her dream of founding an animal sanctuary that helps both farm animals and those who come in contact with them. As an animal lover, my heart goes out to the abused and neglected animals she has saved over the years, and I am appreciative of the efforts she has taken to make this world a better place. That said, while this is a well-written book about a noble cause, I found some of her tendencies — such as her at ...more

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Aug 18, 2019 Connie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: memoirs, audiobook

Loved this book. Great to find a person with compassion and a desire to make life better for abused and abondoned animals with no thought of personal gain. The honest look at the emotional scars of her own childhood without continual fingerpointing at bad parenting elevated Ellie Laks in my eyes. She is a descriptive writer and weaves a good narrative. I wish she had included more about the healing powers of animals for emotionally challenged children, as she clearly understood from her own expe ...more

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Mar 26, 2018 Madeleine rated it it was amazing

When my friend recommended this book I was initially like "great, hippie vegetarians." But within the first five pages, there is rape, and crack cocaine! OMG!
The author endures a rather awful-sounding childhood and a consequently rocky early adulthood to start an animal sanctuary (no easy feat). From there, she works to organize tours for local organizations which help at-risk kids. The kids respond profoundly to meeting these animals, and it's really heartwarming. Even if I wasn't a gosh-darne ...more

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