It may seem strange to equate a 650-pound pig with a butterfly, but when the pig in question is Esther, I believe the comparison is valid.
Just as chaos theory shows us that the flapping of butterfly wings can cause ripples of change to emanate across our universe and truly alter the path of our lives, so too have those of us who have been drawn into Esther’s spell had our horizons expanded, our preconceptions challenged, and our hearts swollen.
It is not hyperbole to call Esther a phenomenon. She is a truly magical creature, not only in terms of the lives she has touched and the awareness she has raised, but most of all—and this is surely the root of all her other powers—she is just such a beautiful spirit to hang out with.
Like many of her disciples, I became enamored with her initially via her social media presence, and my fascination with her only increased when I made the pilgrimage to the Happily Ever Esther Farm Sanctuary and was granted an audience with the Princess of Porcine.
Of course, the two people whose lives have been most altered by Esther’s magic are her dads, Steve Jenkins and Derek Walter. To say their lives were turned upside down when they adopted what they thought was a teacup piglet would be insulting to understatements. They are now living on and running a farm animal sanctuary and managing a veritable Esther empire that includes merchandise, social media, cruises, and activism for a variety of animal and social causes.
This book picks up where their last left off, and details the realities of suddenly finding themselves living in a freezing farmhouse and in charge of a farm that is rapidly filling up with rescue animals. To say they learn on the job is also an understatement, but what keeps them going is their love for a pig and the way she inspires them and so many other people to make the world a better, kinder place—even when she (spoiler alert) goes through her awkward teenager phase and won’t speak to them for days on end!
This book is a lesson in resilience, grace, and love. The day I spent hanging out with Esther, Steve, and Derek (not forgetting Cornelius the turkey and Reuben and Shelby the dogs) was one of the fondest of my life. This book re-illuminated and reminded me of what it feels like to be a part of the Esther experience in all its shapes and forms, in all its joy and pain, in all its huge implications for how we can change the world, and in all its tiniest moments of purity, such as when you look Esther in the eye and you feel happy she is alive and you have been a part of her life.
—Alan Cumming
January 2018