Gentle Barn Book Review - A Moving Animal Rescue Book

The Gentle Barn was a life-changing book for me.

By Marnie Kunz

I’m writing this Gentle Barn book review after reading My Gentle Barn: Creating a Sanctuary Where Animals Heal and Children Learn to Hope by Gentle Barn farm animal sanctuary founder Ellie Laks. As an animal lover, I enjoy reading animal rescue books, and this book was particularly inspiring. In the book, Ellie describes how she transformed her past trauma into an incredible organization that helps other young people struggling with turbulent lives while also healing animals in need. The book includes many heartwarming animal stories that Ellie has rescued. The memoir is a must-read for anyone interested in animal welfare and rescue. I was so moved by the book that I even went on a journey to visit one of the Gentle Barn locations after reading it!

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I recently visited the Gentle Barn sanctuary. The goats are so fun!

Gentle Barn Book Summary

My Gentle Barn book review would not be complete without a book summary. I don’t want to give away the plot of this great rescue animal book, so I am sharing an overview of the general narrative. 

My Gentle Barn intertwines the life story of Ellie Laks and her work creating and growing the Gentle Barn farm animal sanctuary. The Gentle Barn is a farm animal sanctuary that Ellie started in California. The sanctuary rescues and rehabilitates abused and neglected farm animals. Ellie’s own journey includes trauma and childhood abuse, and she weaves an inspiring story of forgiveness and service with her efforts in helping special needs animals and youth. 

In the book, Ellie shares how she has always felt a special connection with animals, which many of us fellow animal lovers can relate to. She describes how she came across a sick goat at a run-down petting zoo, and she became determined to rescue the goat. Fast-forward to many successful farm animal rescues later, and the Gentle Barn has become a movement with three sanctuary locations across the United States. 

One of the goats I met at the Gentle Barn.

Gentle Barn Themes

The book highlights the transformative power of the human-animal bond as Ellie and her team work to restore the physical and emotional well-being of their rescued farm animals. Ellie includes heart-warming tales of survival and healing among the farm animals. She also details how her sanctuary became a place of healing for at-risk teens and kids who learn to communicate and experience love through connecting with the farm animals. 

A central theme of the book is survival, transformation, and healing for both animals and humans. Ellie emphasizes how the sanctuary provides a safe haven for at-risk children to connect with the farm animals, fostering empathy, compassion, and personal growth. Her memoir also introduces readers to a cast of unforgettable animal characters, each with a unique story of resilience.

Ultimately, My Gentle Barn illustrates hope and transformation, demonstrating the incredible impact that compassion and dedication can have on the lives of animals and young people. 

Writing Style and Tone

The Gentle Barn weaves a relatable and moving story that describes the troubled years of founder Ellie Laks’ youth and culminates in her transformation into a hopeful and helpful adult who created a healing movement. Ellie’s connection with animals leads her to start rescuing them. As she does, she realizes how healing the animals can be for young people like at-risk inner-city youth. 

The book is easy to read and engaging, and the author’s writing style kept me hooked. As an animal lover, I could relate to her love of animals. As someone who has also gone through trauma, I felt so much raw emotion reading her story. I was really moved by the healing power of kindness and forgiveness in the lives of Ellie, her animals, and the kids who visit the Gentle Barn. 

The Gentle Barn’s Mission and Impact

The Gentle Barn is a non-profit animal sanctuary whose mission is to inspire kindness and compassion toward animals, people, and the planet. It has three locations in the United States: Santa Clarita, California; Christiana, Tennessee; and Dittmer, Missouri. 

The non-profit organization rescues, heals, and rehabilitates farm animals in need while also offering therapeutic programs for children and teens. Part of the Gentle Barn’s mission is to encourage a plant-based lifestyle that includes veganism. Each Gentle Barn location has a volunteer staff of community members that help care for the animals and supervise visitors.

I visited the Gentle Barn in Missouri.

My Journey to the Gentle Barn

I visited the Gentle Barn on one of their Sunday public tours. At the event, there were plenty of volunteers to supervise our interactions with the animals, answer questions, and offer tips for interacting with each individual’s personality and preference. It was one of the best experiences I’ve had petting and visiting farm animals while also giving the animals space to be themselves and not feel trapped.

At the Gentle Barn in Missouri, I met pigs, chickens, cows, goats (my favorite!), horses, donkeys, and turkeys. The hands-on visiting hours allowed us to wander into different areas and enjoy visiting the animals at our own pace. I also learned a lot from the volunteers. I was surprised to see how affectionate the farm animals were, including the turkeys (one who especially loved to be petted). 

I highly recommend visiting a Gentle Barn and going on one of their Sunday tours if you can.

So many cute animals at the Gentle Barn.

Gentle Barn Book Review Personal Reflections

Overall, the Gentle Barn book was a life changer for me. It taught me more about the emotional lives of farm animals and led me on the journey to visit the Gentle Barn. After playing with the goats, pigs, and other farm animals, I was inspired by their big personalities. 

Visiting the Gentle Barn sanctuary inspired me to change to a plant-based diet. I have been a vegetarian for most of my life, after doing a project on animal welfare in grade school and having revelations about animal cruelty in the meat industry. However, I ate a lot of eggs and cheese for most of my life. After visiting the farm, I cut out all farm animal products from my diet and have adopted a vegan lifestyle. Learning more about the dairy industry and seeing the cows and chickens at the Gentle Barn made me want to live more compassionately and not harm animals with my eating choices. 

If you’d like to read more about my plant-based diet and tips, you can check out my tips on my fitness site here: The Vegan Athletes’ Guide to Plant-Powered Nutrition. I am a fitness trainer and coach, so I have thoroughly researched the health benefits and nutrient requirements of veganism, which I share in my article. 

A Gentler Way of Life

Overall, I highly recommend reading the book My Gentle Barn: Creating a Sanctuary Where Animals Heal and Children Learn to Hope. The inspiring tale offers a feel-good account of one woman’s journey from trauma to healing and how she opened the doors for many animals and people to heal by creating the Gentle Barn sanctuaries. The book includes lessons on forgiveness, resilience, transformation, and the powerful impact of love and connection between people and animals. Whether you’re an animal lover or a trauma survivor (or both), you’ll find healing and hope in this book and at the sanctuary. 

If you’d like to learn more about the Gentle Barn or visit one of their locations, check out the Gentle Barn website. 

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