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 abused animals. As Ellie teaches the volunteers to care for the animals, they learn a new language of healing that works wonders on the humans as well.
My Gentle Barn weaves together the story of how the Barn came to be what it is today with Ellie's own journey. Filled with heartwarming animal stories and inspiring recoveries, My Gentle Barn is a feel-good account that will delight animal lovers and memoir readers alike.
My Impressions:
Inspiring, heart breaking and beautiful wrote. This book grips your heart and does not let go. Told with warmth, compassion and gentleness you feel the love the author has for these wonderful animals that have lived tragic lives, much like the turmoil Ellie herself lived through.
Ellie does an amazing job focusing on the positives and negatives that have shaped her life and her mission calling from God. She stresses the importance of finding balance between work and family, talks of overcoming obstacles, self doubt and negative speech from others in her life. This book inspires you to live out your dreams and gives you hope to overcome obstacles that are holding you back.
Ellies childhod is a huge factor in shaping who this author turned out to be. With an emphasis on the animals she rescued really being the ones that rescued her though her life when she felt misunderstood, depressed, lonely, fearful and through her years suffering from drug addiction.
I adored reading about the heartbreaking stories of the youth that the Gentle Barn has helped. They remind us that we are all broken and in need of healing that only God can provide and I am so thankful that He has placed people like Ellie to intervene into the lives of these wonderful broken animals and humans alike. I honestly cannot recommend this book enough for animal lovers around the world.
Want to get involved and help this wonderful and unique cause? Visit http://www.gentlebarn.org/
They always need volunteers, donations, animal sponsorship and people to share their message with the world. Together we can make a difference.
About the Author: Ellie Laks is the Founder of The Gentle Barn and is the Author of "My Gentle Barn" a new book available for pre-order now and available on March 25, 2014.You can follow along on her facebook page.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the Bloggingforbooks review program in exchange for my honest review which I have given.
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