Esther the Wonder Pig: Changing the World One Heart at a Time

by Steve Jenkins, Derek Walter, Caprice Crane

In just two short years, Steve and Derek have cemented a place for themselves among the worlds most well-known and successful animal activists, accumulating hundreds of thousands of followers from all over the world. In 2014 Steve and Derek founded the Happily Ever Esther Farm Sanctuary in Campbellville, Ontario, where they continue to rescue and rehabilitate abandoned and abused farmed animals.

Genres: Nonfiction, Animals, Memoir, Biography, Humor, Vegan, Canada

212 pages, Hardcover

First published May 31, 2016

About the author

Steve Jenkins is a Canadian realtor. In 2012 he and his partner Derek Walter adopted what they thought was a mini pig, who turned out to be a full-sized commercial sow. Since then, Esther the Wonder Pig has become a social media sensation and the couple has opened Happily Ever Esther Farm Sanctuary.

Reviews

[Shelby *trains flying monkeys* · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm usually that person that wants every animal I see.

I've finally found one that there is not enough cuteness in the world for me to want.
She was cute...at first.

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But then she started growing...

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And kept growing...

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And the messes. My OCD just couldn't allow me to enjoy reading about the massive pee and poop stories. Along with the huge oil spill..or eating the stove door. Nope. Nope. Nope.
Then the preachy vegan stuff? More nope.

Then to ice that big old stinky cake...the owner Steve Jenkins? I really didn't connect with him at all. I liked his partner Derek, but not enough to redeem this one. (I'm so sorry piggie lovers)

Booksource: I received a copy of this book from the lovely Jen...I hate that I didn't like it more but she didn't really either so it's all good.

[Laurie (barksbooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review and the rest of the crap I write can be seen @ my blog Bark's Book Nonsense . Stop by and say hey.

I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley after seeing it on Yodamom's shelf. Thanks Yodamom!

Esther is a 600+ pound pig who is internet famous. She has more followers than most people. If you google “Esther the pig” you’ll find her everywhere. This is the story of how it all happened.

Steve is a sweet young guy, living with his partner Derek, two dogs and two kitties in a 1,000 sf apartment. Pretty normal, right? He loves all creatures, always has, so when an old friend he hasn’t heard a peep from in 10 years gives him a ring, begging him to provide a home for her “micro-pig”, he agrees to meet her. He, of course, ends up going home with the cute little piggie - without consulting his partner. And my husband thought he had it bad when a kitten suddenly appeared in our bathroom one night. Being sneaky NEVER pays off because that evil cat loves him and only him and I guess it serves me right.



As Derek and Steve are adjusting to life with a pig in an apartment where livestock is not allowed, they both come to the realization that Steve’s long-lost “friend” is a big, lousy liar. The cute little piggie they name Esther grows and grows and grows.



But she has a name and a personality and she has become a part of the family.





Uh oh! Now, what are they going to do?!

The book documents the quirks and events that happen when one lives with a full grown pig. Things are broken, food is snatched and rivers of pee are unleashed but somehow they stay strong and make it work. Derek and Steve’s eyes are opened to the horrors of factory farming and realize they can no longer eat bacon without seeing Esther’s face.



It’s sweet and warm and funny and never gets preachy. There are even a few vegan recipes at the end for anyone interested in trying it out. If you want a feel good, true story with a happy ending this is a good one. 4 1/2 Stars

Come visit my blog and say "hey" at Barks Book Nonsense.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this true story about Esther the 'mini pig' adopted by two Canadian guys, Steve and Derek, and how she turned out to be a full sized pig who changed their lives forever. It's an incredible tale of love and resilience that they accepted all the challenges, mess and destruction that Esther threw at them as she grew from a tiny cute piglet into a full sized porker full of charm, intelligence and attitude while living in their small suburban house.

Fortunately both Steve and Derek fell in love with Esther and their relationship survived her worst behaviors. Their love for Esther caused them to become vegan when they could no longer look at her and eat bacon or any other meat. When Steve set up a Facebook page for her, she became an overnight sensation and when she outgrew their home and they knew they had to move she became the face of a crowd-funding venture to allow them to buy a small farm where they could offer shelter to other rescued animals. Steve Jenkins has a lovely way with words which made for an amusing and heartfelt read.

[Yodamom · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5
Rule: Never trust someone who tells you it is a Mini Pig.
It was not a bad thing that Esther turned out to be a full size 600 pound pig. She was just about 550 pounds more than expected. She was a handful and they learned the hard way/hilarious many times. Their laughter, tears and frustrations during their growth and learning of how to be adopted pig parents was a beautiful and sometimes heartbreaking thing to watch. Derek and Steve are two amazing men, with huge open hearts, and they give it their all to make the world a little better.
An excellent story about love, patience and adjusting to change. Animal rescue is a major issue for obvious reasons.

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been quite a fan of Esther's so I was excited to read this book. This is a wonderfully uplifting book. I laughed and cried . Being a vegan myself I have been amazed at how Esther , Steve and Derek have been able to change people's minds about eating meat without being preachy or militant. From the start of the story as to how Esther was acquired and through her antics and adventures you will fall in love with Derek and Steve and especially Esther.

[Lata · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite the obviously sentimental aspect to this story, I really enjoyed learning how Esther came to live with Steve and Derek, and how they coped with the shock of raising a full-sized commercial pig as a member of their family. I knew pigs were pretty smart before reading this book, but I had not known how affectionate they are. Esther brought copious problems into the lives of the couple, but she also brought tremendous change, and love and happiness.
This book isn’t “literature”, but it’s heartfelt and kind of sweet to hear how a pig melted the hearts of two grown men.

[Book Haunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

So one day, an ex-girlfriend of Steve’s calls up and offers him a pot-belly pig. He knows that his partner, Derek will freak out if he brings another animal home without talking about it first, but Steve just can’t resist. Come on, all you animal lovers out there does this sound even a little bit familiar? I know it does to me. My loved ones have just quit fighting it.

Esther is no bigger than a teacup when Steve brings her home and she quickly wins Derek’s heart. What both Derek and Steve don’t anticipate is that little Esther grows up to be a 650 pound pig. In their little 1000 square foot home, this proves to be quite a trial of errors. Steve and Derek don’t give up easily though. The love they both have for Esther allows them to conquer each problem they face along the way. In the process, they even become vegans.

Nowadays, Steve and Derek and Esther live on a farm. They have become the successful founders of Happily Ever Esther Farm Sanctuary for farm animals in need. They did so with a lot of faith and donations from fans and followers of Esther’s on Facebook. Steve and Derek are performing daily miracles for these animals and they are doing so with loads of love in their hearts. Esther truly is the “Wonder Pig.”

Oh my, what a wonderful book this is! This book is a must-read for animal lovers everywhere! Esther, I would love to meet you some day!

Once you have read about Esther, you’ll want to check out the website and Facebook links below:

Websites

Esther the Wonder Pig

Happily Ever Esther Farm Sanctuary

Facebook Links

Esther the Wonder Pig

Happily Ever Esther Farm Sanctuary

Esther’s Army

Esther’s Kitchen

I want to thank the publisher (Grand Central Publishing) for providing me with the ARC through NetGalley for an honest review.

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

My thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.

The danger with writing a memoir is that you have the opportunity to show the world what a huge, self-centered immature jerk you are. That's why I will NEVER write memoirs. I may come across as all of the above on occasion, but why confirm it?

This book falls into that trap. I'm not saying that the author IS all of the above, just that he comes across that way in this book.

He seemed to live by the motto, "It's better to ask forgiveness than permission,", because he was CONSTANTLY doing things behind his significant other's back that he KNEW he shouldn't be doing because they had discussed that thing not a few months prior!! That just shows a lack of respect for the other person and immaturity on his part that made me ragey. How can you claim to love someone if you don't respect them enough to tell them you want to adopt another pet?

So that got me rather annoyed and angry. Add to that the fact that this was basically the "soft sell" to get meat eaters to turn into vegans, and the book lost me.

If ALL animal lives matter, then I have to ask the vegans, before the fields were plowed, tilled, etc., were ALL of the small animals scared off of the land before the land was brutalized by machines? Dozens to hundreds of small mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds and insects all die when plant matter is harvested. So how do those hundreds of lives balance with the life of one cow/pig/chicken?

Don't even get me STARTED on the fact that agriculture is not sustainable, nor an eco-friendly way to grow calories for human consumption. Grass-fed, free-range food on the hoof and claw, when rotated properly, is actually better for the ecology of the area, the animals being raised and the humans who end up eating them. The animals raised in a non-factory farm environment have only one bad day, the last one.

I agree, factory farms are HORRIBLE and need to be stopped, but it's not bad to eat animals, that's kind of how we developed for hundreds of thousands of years. We just need to care for and raise the animals we use for food better than we are now.

Yes, I get the link, Esther is a pig and pigs are food and eating a pig is like eating Esther. It's a personal preference. I don't like bacon (shocker, I know) and I feel badly eating pigs, because they ARE very intelligent and are so closely biologically related to humans, that we can use their insulin for diabetes and their hearts for valve replacements and their bodies are used to test decomp in different environments to help CSI people train, so I don't like eating pig for those reasons, but I do eat other animals.

I have to wonder, would this even be an issue if they were raising a cow as a pet? Maybe, maybe not. Pigs are a sight more intelligent, so not sure if that would have been turned into a book and a FaceBook page if a cow was the star.

So this book was not for me. It hit a couple of my hot button issues, non-positive narrator and pushing veganism. I was a vegetarian for a good 10 years and a vegan for one of them. I was on that side of things for moral reasons and for health. Neither ended up standing up to scrutiny, at least when I got older.

Not saying to not be a vegan, that's a personal choice. If you want to do that, more power to you. Just be mindful of sustainability and other animal lives too.

Two stars, because I was expecting a cute book and got a vegan screed, and many non-funny stories of how Steve lied to Derek constantly and of Esther urinating everywhere indoors. Just my opinion, more people liked than disliked this book, so I probably read it wrong.

[Samantha · Rating 2 out of 5]

this was written by someone else, so I'm not sure how much of the actual personality of steve jenkins she captured and how much was just her "humor" ("we went straight to the farm. we did not pass go. we did not collect $200"). it was amusing enough as a light read giving a little more background than you might have picked up on social media.

basically, a guy with no impulse control or respect for his partner's wishes gets a "mini" pig that grows to be 650 pounds and causes them to go vegan, move to a farm, and start an animal sanctuary. so, yay. I found it interesting that much of the book discusses pig urine, but pig poop is never once mentioned.

also, the pig is prone to making HUGE messes that steve then cleans up within an hour or two. I don't know how you get vegetable oil off every surface of your home in an hour. or actually ever clean up - to the point of being able to sell your house - a home so saturated in pig urine your eyes water when you walk in.

there is a lot of time spent talking about how amazing esther is, but few anecdotes as to why. could have used a few more stories.

[Ann Marie (Lit·Wit·Wine·Dine) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! Please check out my review on my blog . (I'm being lazy because I would have to do some reformatting for GR. I hope you'll humor me this one time.)

[Leisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Esther is such a beautiful soul. Her huge personality, innocent smile and obvious unconditional love are just a few things that make so many people fall for her. Reading about how the "mini" pig came to be adopted by Steve and Derek was incredibly cool, especially when I realized how many things fell into place once they decided to keep her. I was laughing one second, tearing up the next, and it definitely got me thinking about living an "Esther Approved" lifestyle. I will continue to follow Esther's journey and cannot wait to see the changes these lovely fellows bring to the animal world. ❤️

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started to follow Esther on Facebook, and dreamed about having my own Esther! I have been quite a fan of Esther's, so I was excited to buy and read this book. And I was not disappointed! I laughed out loud so many times while reading it! This is an important book because due to Esther's popularity and unscrupulous people selling "mini" or "teacup" pigs! NEVER believe someone who tells you it that you are buying a Mini Pig. That is what Esther's dads were told and led to believe that she wouldn't grow much over 70 pounds! Esther is now a 600+ pound porcine pink princess, who is now internet famous. She has more followers than most celebrities just on Facebook alone. She also has thousands more followers on Twitter and Instagram! After her dads fell in love with her, they discovered that she was a commercial farm pig and would eventually weigh 600 pounds or more. Derek and Steve are two amazing men, with huge open hearts, and they give it their all to make the world a little better for animals. Esther's dads do not sugarcoat any of Esther's stories. Steve gives the readers all the disgusting and hilarious details of raising Esther, while trying to outsmart her and "Esther" proofing their home.
This is an excellent book about love, patience and adjusting to change. Through the Easter effect, animal rescue became part of their lives, bringing them to buy a farmhouse to give more rescue animals a forever home! Steve and Derek also write about their reasons for becoming Vegan without it being preachy or harsh sounding. Too them it was the right decision and one that they are happy to share in a positive way! Also in the book ‘Esther approved’ is a couple of recipes at the back!

Thank you Steve and Derek for sharing Esther with us!

[Felix · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, that was cute. Not as much to it as I was hoping, though, but very cute.

[Marcus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming tale of the difference Esther made to a family. As Ricky Gervais’ quote states on the cover it is also quite witty. There is no such being as a micro-pig, so they are initially duped and end up with a beloved 650lb+ companion. Her tail had been cut off and she has been selected for her ability to fatten up quickly as per the farmed animal industry’s practices.

Along the way they will realise the disconnect between the intelligent loving Esther and the packaged animal products in their home that speak to the great suffering of victims just as sentient. As such, they go on to buy a sanctuary and the book closes with some “Esther Approved” (vegan) recipes.

[Pamela (Here to Read Books and Chew Gum) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've followed Esther the Wonder Pig on social media for a while now. It's amazing how quickly my partner Owen and I became invested in her life, and by extension, the lives of Steve and Derek, the men who adopted her.

Reading about their journey raising Esther was an absolute joy. I also think it was an important book because due to Esther's popularity I think a lot of people have started to fantasize about the idea of owning their own pigs. Esther The Wonder Pig doesn't glorify pig ownership. In fact, Steve as the narrator gives all the disgusting, grimy cringing little details of raising Esther mixed in with the stories of love and friendship. It was a great mix that I really felt captured Esther's unique personality and extreme intelligence, while also outlining the hard (but rewarding) work that owning a 400 pound pig truly is.

My only criticism of Esther the Wonder Pig is that sometimes the prose felt a little forced. The voice of the narrative just didn't feel believable or convincing, and some of the humour was a little too on the nose. The bits that were truly funny and delightful were the straight up anecdotes about Esther, but when Steve and Derek's private lives entered in to it, the humour wasn't quite as natural. It didn't make the book bad, it just made it seem a little less polished than I would ordinarily have liked it to be. But the anecdotes managed to completely override that small criticism to ensure that this was still absolutely delightful to read.

It was fantastic to read about how Esther, Steve and Derek got to where they are along with their extended menagerie of furry friends. I loved that they spoke about how Esther changed their lives completely for the better, as she's done for so many of us. I also really loved their refreshing approach to talking about the ethical reasons for Veganism without it being preachy and aggressive. I wish more people could talk about it that way.

In this book Esther feels like a person, and it's hard not to relate to and fall in love with her delightful antics. Steve and Derek have done a wonderful thing with their farm sanctuary, and the more people who read this book and find sympathy for our fellow living creatures the better. It was an easy read, and one that I would recommend to absolutely everyone.



http://iblamewizards.com/review-esthe...

[Hilary "Fox" · Rating 3 out of 5]

Esther the Wonder Pig is more than a social media sensation. She is also a vibrant voice, leading the way in changing how people interact with the world around them. Gone are the horrifying photos of slaughterhouses and statistics, gone are the shaming and accusations - all are replaced by a smiling pig, doing piggy things. Esther and her owners are changing the world through humor, positivity, and simply walking the walk and being an example of all they promote. Esther is a giant personality in her huge body, and watching her get up to her antics is more than enough to get many to swear off pork, and perhaps even more. Every small step counts, after all. Doesn't it?

The book is delightful, humorous, and overwhelmingly positive. The pictures are, of course, adorable, and the story is such a happy one. While Steve Jenkins never shies away from the reality of how difficult it is to live with a commercial sized pig, he also explains how this responsibility was one they had to take. If not for them, she likely would have been someone's dinner, after all. She was born to be someone's dinner. She is simply doing what pigs do, it isn't something worth blaming her for. Esther changed their lives, and in turn, they are hoping to pay it forward through spreading compassion.

This is a nice book. While I wasn't crazy about the writing style, I loved the message and enjoyed it as a quick read. If anyone is an ardent follower of Esther already, I am certain they would adore getting the 'inside scoop' as it is. As more of an outsider to the Esther world, I thoroughly enjoyed it and would be happy to see others give it a try. Perhaps they'd even be inspired to try some of the Esther-Approved recipes in the back. They certainly do look delicious, after all! ;)

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Esther the wonder pig. I've been following her facebook page for a long time. It was great to get further back story about how she came into her dads lives. I listened to the audio narrated by her dad Steve. He did a great job telling his story. I want a pig so bad. But as you learn from the book they are a ton of work and get into all kinds of trouble. Was dying laughing at some parts such as when Esther spills oil all over the house and then gets on their bed covered in it. I also got teary eyed as her dad explained falling in love with a pig and changing their diet and their whole lives to fit her in. Beautiful story. Be sure to follow her facebook page for adorable pictures and updates of Queen Esther. https://www.facebook.com/estherthewon...

[Mo]

This book was so wholesome, I truly loved it. Received it as a gift from my good friend Ivana, since I will soon be working on a pig sanctuary for three months! Actually, I was planning to take it with me, but Esther kept staring at me from the book cover, begging me to be read - so I was like, sure Esther, as you wish.

It's amazing how this book starts off with a couple adopting a mini pig, while (seemingly) having it all together, happily settled. The pig then becomes bigger and bigger, so the whole house needs to be accommodated for her needs. In the end, both men fall in love with Esther, become vegan, buy a farm together, and dream of caring for even more animals. It is truly inspiring how much an animal can change a person's mindset and life in general.

I must say I would have preferred the book to be even more centered around Esther instead of the owners (the first half was mainly how 'hard' Esther made their lives, which is fair, but still). There are mentions of her intelligence and love, but I'm sure there must have been many more examples of her behavior (which is what they fall so in love with, after all). Even in the Appendix interview, when they're asked if Esther took to the new farm immediately, they answer by stating that the adjustment period for themselves was very big. I mean, come on. As another reader stated: "there is a lot of time spent talking about how amazing esther is, but few anecdotes as to why. could have used a few more stories."

[~Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! Let me preface this with the fact that I am an animal lover ... all and any! Goats are my new passion as I have a couple of friends that have goats! Anywho, I love animals!

Esther, Esther, Esther ... what a funny, crazy, large personality you have. I have always heard from pig people that pigs are uber intelligent. Seems correct after reading about Esther’s sneaky antics and her manipulation techniques. One adorable piggy.

You are going to have to wade through some messiness, pee puddle cleanup (big pig = lots of pee), an incredible oil mess, a very large litter box and food adventures. The training can be messy for any pet but especially a 600 lb. pig.

This is an entertaining book with a great message on animal treatment and rescue. Once I started it, I read straight through without putting it down. I laughed out loud and even got on Esther’s FB page to see pictures of her. Yes, I am now one of Esther’s followers!!

[Ash (BooksToAshes)]

I'm so happy I read this book because it reminded me why I became vegetarian in the first place. After over ten years, I almost lost sight as to why I stopped eating meat, and this reminded me.

I had the privilege of meeting Esther 7 years ago, she's done so much good and brought so many people together. Rest easy girl, I wish other animals like you could experience the love you did.

I'm also eating vegan a few days a week now, I eat vegan food periodically already but I'm making more of an incentive to reduce my dairy (the eggs I receive are from my partners co-worker who raises her own hens, I don't plan on buying store bought anymore).

RIP Esther, we love you ❤️

[Ren · Rating 4 out of 5]

After finishing this book, I'm still amazed that this couple raised a full size pig in their home. I loved hearing how the sanctuary, Happily Ever Esther, began. Getting to know an animal many think of as food often changes how people view the entire species. I appreciate as well how they use positivity to make an impact.

[Rachel V. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a fan of Esther for a long time since I just accidentally found her one day on Facebook and fell in love with her beautiful face and the side eye look that she gives. Any Esther fan is going to love this book. If you're not a fan yet you will soon become one after reading it. It tells the story of partners Steve and Derrick taking in what they thought was a micro pig to an already over full house only to discover, after they fell in love with her, that she was a commercial farm pig and would eventually weigh 600 pounds or more. As more of a joke they start a Facebook page for Esther and in just a few days she has thousands of followers and getting more every day. They realize how popular Esther is and that she is loved around the world. Esther eventually inspires them to become vegan and open a santuary, Happily Ever Esther Farm Santuary in Canada so they can take care of more animals in need like Esther. If you're like me and you've been "following" Esther since before she moved to the farm you'll love getting a behind the scenes look at their lives, how they found the farm, and that nerve wracking journey in the back of that trailer when they moved her from the house to the farm. What they were thinking and feeling when the trailer doors opened and Esther walked down the ramp and then ran for joy along side of Shelby, her doggie best friend, in the open field. I cried tears of joy when I watched it on facebook and I cried tears of joy when I read about it in the book. Such a great story of a Wonder Pig who continues to inspire people all over the world to be kind, and about the two wonderful men who love her and continue to give her, and others like her love and a safe and happy sanctuary.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found myself to be reading a book which ultimately rejects farming, and I became much less interested in it once that became clear. And the writing style was not my cup of tea. It didn't seem written, so much as transcripted gab sessions between the pet owners and their co-writer.

What got me to pick this up was to learn about a farm sanctuary. Disappointingly for me, the narrative ended when they moved to the farmhouse; this was only the story of how they came to be there.

As they describe their transition from meat-eating pet lovers to vegan animal advocates, they see veganism as the logical result of caring about animals. I can understand where they're coming from, but I don't agree with the inevitability of that conclusion. I believe it is possible to respect life, yet participate in agriculture as a farmer (of meat animals) or as a consumer (of meat). I do feel that current U.S. farming practices are frequently inhumane and should be improved, but I don't feel that humans must avoid all meat consumption and all use of all animal products to be humane.

[Mary Lou · Rating 3 out of 5]

The pig is entertaining. The guys are likable. The story is hard to believe. The book is okay. It's a quick read that gives fans of Esther's Facebook page her history with Steve and Derek. Some heartbreaking moments and, frankly, some gross moments. I give props to the guys for choosing to soft pedal their message which, in my experience, is a much more effective way to win people over than nagging and berating them.

PS This book isn't really appropriate for kids, even though it's an easy book to read. Perhaps Steve and Derek's next projects should be juvenile and picture books featuring Esther for the kids.

[Alicia Maclean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though I already knew much of this story, I found myself both laughing and crying more than I ever have from a book. It's a quick read, and feels like you're reading a long email from a friend. At times the tone was a little too casual, but overall I very much enjoyed this and would recommend to anyone. It definitely parallels the thoughts/actions we all have through major life events, including the second-guessing of ourselves and throwing caution to the wind when you just know, in your gut, despite reason, you're doing the right thing. This is an amazing and inspiring (and beyond unconventional) family whom everyone will love.

[Keep Calm Novel On · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely delightful read. A touching love story. Will be enjoyed by all. Thank you Steve, Derek and Esther for sharing.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am familiar with Esther. I have seen pictures of her on her Facebook page. Yet, I have not been a follower of her's since the beginning. So, it was a treat to get to see how it all began. I have raised chickens and turkeys; yet I can't imagine raising a full commercial size pig.

I had to laugh when Steve accepted Esther and was thinking of ways to ease Derek into the idea. When I was younger, my mom, sister, and I were at a craft fair. As we left, there in the parking lot was a guy selling black Labrador puppies. The biggest one came wobbling over to us and of course we had to take the puppy home. When we got home, my mom told my sister and I to wait in the car with our new puppy while my mom went to tell my dad. My dad was not keen on the idea but in the end, he end we kept the puppy and he even named her. Pepper. They had a bit of a love/hate (more like battle of the minds) relationship but they were really close to each other.

Instantly, I fell in love with Esther. She is a queen. Yet, Esther may be the star of this book but it would not have been if not for Steve and Derek. Additionally, I fell in love with them as well. They are like ying and yang. So happy that Esther has found her "forever" home. Animal lovers will be tickled pink with this book.

[Emmkay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just the (very) light read I needed at the moment. A short, chatty tale of how the author and his partner adopted what they thought would be a mini-pig but which turned out to be a (currently 650 pound) commercial pig, became vegans, and started a sanctuary. It's not especially well-written or deep - their animal rights research seems to have involved watching a few Netflix documentaries, but I suppose that's already more research than the author put in before coming home with a pig! But it seems heartfelt, I mostly enjoyed reading it after a rough day, and I'd certainly be interested in visiting the sanctuary. 2.5.

[Adam Pluszka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bardzo miła, pozytywnie nastrajająca historia wielkiej miłości oraz tego, jak ta ponaddwustukilogramowa miłość zmieniła życie nie tylko autorów - dziś prowadzą azyl dla zwierząt źle potraktowanych przez los (w sensie przez człowieka): "Do tej pory znalazły u nas schronienie czterdzieści dwa zwierzaki: cztery króliki, pięć kóz, dziewięć owiec, dziesięć świń (nie liczymy Esther), koń, osioł, trzy krowy, pięć kur, trzy koguty i paw" - ale i innych ludzi, którzy przez wzgląd na Esther postanowili zmienić swoją dietę.
Czyta się migusiem, nie zwraca się uwagi na częsty płacz i inne afekty, często się śmieje. I bardzo fajny przekład.

[Kat V · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVE PIGS! I always have. Once again I’m hoping for something adorable o distract me from the other depressing nonfiction books I’m reading. Good news: it’s working! What a great happy story with a happy ending. 4.4 stars