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Pets Essays

Esther the Wonder Pig

Changing the World One Heart at a Time

by (author) Steve Jenkins, Derek Walter & Caprice Crane

Publisher
Grand Central Publishing
Initial publish date
May 2016
Category
Essays, Popular Culture, Vegetarian & Vegan
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9781455560776
    Publish Date
    May 2016
    List Price
    $15.99
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9781455560790
    Publish Date
    May 2017
    List Price
    $22.99

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Description

Unlikely pig owners Steve and Derek got a whole lot more than they bargained for when the designer micro piglet they adopted turned out to be a full-sized 600-pound sow! This funny, inspirational story shows how families really do come in all shapes and sizes.

In the summer of 2012, Steve Jenkins was contacted by an old friend about adopting a micro piglet. Though he knew his partner Derek wouldn't be enthusiastic, he agreed to take the adorable little pig anyway, thinking he could care for her himself. Little did he know, that decision would change his and Derek's lives forever.

It turned out there was nothing "micro" about Esther, and Steve and Derek had actually signed on to raise a full-sized commercial pig. Within three years, Tiny Esther grew to a whopping 600 pounds. After some real growing pains and a lot of pig-sized messes, it became clear that Esther needed much more space, so Steve and Derek made another life-changing decision: they bought a farm and opened the Happily Ever Esther Farm Sanctuary, where they could care for Esther and other animals in need.

Funny, heartwarming, and utterly charming, Esther the Wonder Pig follows Steve and Derek's adventure--from reluctant pig parents to farm-owning advocates for animals.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
AMAZON BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

About the authors

Contributor Notes

In just two short years, Steve Jenkins and Derek Walter 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.

Caprice Crane is an award-winning, internationally bestselling, five-time novelist, screenwriter, and television writer, and has the distinction of being one of Huffington Post's "50 Funny People You Should Be Following on Twitter." Her debut novel Stupid and Contagious (published in fourteen countries), and her international bestselling Forget About It won the RT Reviews Choice Award in 2006 and 2007 consecutively. She has since published three more novels to critical acclaim.

Editorial Reviews

"Told with self-effacing humor and a sense of wonder at what life can bring, ESTHER is the story of the transformative power of love between people and animals and how the decision to try to make a difference on a personal level can effect positive change far beyond anything that might have been imagined."—Larry Levin, New York Times bestselling author of Oogy: The Dog Only a Family Could Love

"Written in a sincere, touching, and often quite funny voice, ESTHER THE WONDER PIG is a balm to the soul . . .So far, definitely my favorite read of 2016."—Have Cake, Will Travel

"Funny, moving, and heartwarming. The greatest love story ever told between two men and their pig. "—Ricky Gervais

"There's joy and humor on every page."—VeganOutreach.org

"First, Jenkins and Walter opened their hearts to one very special pig, and now they are opening their doors and letting us in, too. ESTHER THE WONDER PIG is a tender, funny story that manages to sneak up behind you when you're least expecting it and change your life. Be prepared to fall in love-with a pig."—Jasmin Singer, author of Always Too Much and Never Enough: A Memoir and co-host of Our Hen House

"An inspirational, enjoyable read, especially for animal lovers."—Booklist

"Steve and Derek show us what we already know at Mercy for Animals-that farmed animals are just as deserving of love and respect as the dogs and cats we share our home with-or, in their case, the pig they share their home with."—Nathan Runkle, founder & president, Mercy for Animals

"Funny, entertaining, enlightening, and touching, this book about an unknowingly influential little piggy is a good read that also provides an education on the intelligence of pigs and their capacity for giving and receiving affection."—Publishers Weekly (STARRED REVIEW)

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