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!

Anyone who has been following my book reviews, knows that I'm a huge fan of Tin House. Lacy M. Johnson's memoir, The Other Side is a new offering from Tin House and as soon as I saw it advertised, I had to read it.

PLOT- Lacy M. Johnson fell in love with a Spanish professor who was teaching at the college that she was attending. He was charming and handsome at first, but when she moved in with him, the abuse started. After several years of putting up with his erratic behavior and both physical and mental abuse, Johnson left him. She thought that he had left the country, but instead he was waiting and plotting revenge. He kidnapped Lacy and brutally raped her, threatening to kill her. She would have been dead, if not for his mistake of leaving her alone, tied up, giving her enough time to escape. Although she escaped, she is left with scars and he fled the country, making it impossible for her to feel safe.

LIKE - Johnson's story is a powerful force that is impossible to put down. I think the style is what works best. She writes in a finessed stream of consciousness. She floats between flashbacks to her childhood, the abusive relationship, the rape and her life after the rape. She teases out the information about the rape, not divulging the full details until the very end of the story. This may sound sick, but I kept reading, wanting to know exactly what he did to her. It was horrific and upsetting. It was a strong choice to keep this at the end of the story, as it added to the tension.

I also like that we knew early on, that in the end, she was able to marry a nice guy and have kids with him. This sense of a happy ending, made the horrific portions easier to bear. Johnson is raw and honest, but never tries to make the reader pity her. This makes her a compelling protagonist worth rooting for.

DISLIKE- The only very minor negative, is that when Johnson switched between flashbacks, it sometimes took me a few moments to realize that a switch had occurred. Occasionally, the transitions were not as clear as they could be. However, this was only in a handful of sections and usually the floating between timelines worked very well.

RECOMMEND- Yes. A huge yes! The Other Side is a very powerful memoir and Johnson is brave for sharing her experience. I would especially recommend this to anyone who has or is currently in an abusive relationship. It would also be good for younger women who are starting to date, as a cautionary tale for understanding what is unacceptable behavior and where it could lead.