How do you resolve a midlife crisis? Margaret Winslow, an overworked college professor in New York City, answered a for-sale ad for a "Large White Saddle Donkey." Hilarity ensued, along with life-threatening injuries and spirit-enriching insight. Walk with Winslow and Caleb the donkey through training traumas, expert-baffling antics, and humiliating races, and share in Winslow's gradual understanding of Caleb's true, undeniable gifts: a willingness to be true to himself no matter the circumstances, to trust, and to forgive. As she and Caleb learn to thrive, you'll learn the importance of being true to your own pure and powerful self. How a midlife decision to adopt a 700 lb. white Andalusian donkey upended a woman's life and understanding of herself
"This unusual, engaging story of a woman and her donkey will undoubtedly win many hearts."
- Publishers Weekly
"Winslow's writing is at times laugh-out-loud funny, including her recollections of riding Caleb through what she thought was an abandoned psychiatric center and competing in a dressage competition. It is also poignant as she struggles with how best to train with Caleb while maintaining a challenging work-life balance. A moving and humorous account of what a woman learned about herself as she trained a donkey."
- Booklist
"Adoption - be it of a cat, a child, or in Margaret Winslow's case, a donkey - demands time, trust, and the flexibility to alter one's expectations. This tender story of a frustrated academic and an indomitable beast delivers the drama of this struggle and, ultimately, the gift of love."
- Tina Traster, author of Rescuing Julia Twice and director/producer of the documentary Catnip Nation
"Laugh and cry as Margaret Winslow parks her ego to accept the honest reflection a donkey provides - endearing comedy and blatant humiliation."
- Karlene Stange, DVM, author of The Spiritual Nature of Animals
"A testament to the power of love and forgiveness, no matter how long humans take to really hear what animals tell them from deep within their hearts. A complex story with an ultimately simple message, Smart Ass has a happy and touching ending for both Caleb and his finally centered human."
- Best Friends Magazine
"Donkeys are amazing animal beings. Twice my life was changed by an up-close-and-personal meeting with a donkey who seemed to know precisely what I was thinking and feeling. So I fully understand Margaret Winslow's being rescued by Caleb's charm, presence, and sense of humor, along with his ability to trust and to forgive. I hope Smart Ass enjoys a broad global audience because there are so many life lessons to be learned from the nonhuman animals who bless our lives if we allow them in."
- Marc Bekoff, PhD, author of The Emotional Lives of Animals
"I love Margaret Winslow's book and all it teaches us about the true nature of life, from the power of love to the reality of animal communication. More than anything, Smart Ass teaches us about reverence for life."
- Dr. Bernie S. Siegel, author of Love, Animals & Miracles and 365 Prescriptions for the Soul
"No creatures are more misunderstood than donkeys. They challenge us to look inside ourselves for the answers to their problems, and in doing so they help us grow as humans. Every donkey will take you on a journey of self-discovery if you let them, and Caleb is no different. He has a message for you about the way we treat and respect animals, each other, and ourselves. Heartbreaking, funny, encouraging, and enlightening, Smart Ass is a beautifully written story that questions our own stubbornness as a species and asks us to learn how to trust ourselves."
- Ben Hart, animal behaviorist and trainer at Hart's Horsemanship and the Donkey Sanctuary
"Smart Ass inspires us with a delightful odd-couple relationship between a white donkey and a middle-aged college professor, a grand story of humorous, w
