"A Stolen Life" Stole My Heart

Guess what? I already read "A Stolen Life" cover to cover! Can you believe it?  I didn't stay up too late last night, but I am a little tired as I write this.  The book was just so interesting that I couldn't put it down.  I think part of it is due to the fact that it is a memoir and these things written really did happen to this poor girl.

Jaycee Dugard was kidnapped at the age of eleven and was held captive for eighteen years.

I love the approach that this book takes.  You feel as if you are reading Jaycee's journals in a way.  She writes her story as she remembers it and in between are short reflections that you get to experience about the memory she is writing about.  There are a lot of pictures throughout the book as well, pictures of where she was held captive, journals she wrote, and of herself as a kid.

Can you imagine leaving everything you've ever known at the age of eleven? Spending more time with your kidnappers than with your own family? Jaycee writes this story as a part of her therapy.  What I find extremely admirable is how strong Jaycee appears to be.  Never once does she come from a place of anger or resentment.

It is an absolutely incredible story to read, a true miracle that she remained alive.  It makes me wonder how many girls like Jaycee do not make it back to their families.  Jaycee probably wouldn't have if it wasn't for what happened to her at the end.  When kidnapped at such a young age one becomes dependent on their captors, for this is your means of survival.  You begin to look forward to the human contact with them and they become all you know.  I feel like with Jaycee, her captivity produced a Stockholm effect in ways that took her as far as protecting the two people who stole her life.

This story is not for the faint of heart, it is difficult to read at times, but I strongly recommend it for anyone who is looking to just care. 


Have you read "A Stolen Life"? 
What is your favorite memoir?