A Long Walk Home

by Judith Tebbutt

This is the story of how, over a period of one hundred and ninety-two days, I was torn away from the life I knew and loved, and dragged down to the depths of despair; of how I endured enforced isolation and near-starvation at the hands of Somali pirates; and of how I made a choice to survive by any and all means that I could muster.

In September 2011 Judith Tebbutt and her husband David set out on an adventurous holiday to Kenya. A couple for thirty-three years, they had first met in Zambia: Africa had played a major part in their life together. After a joyous week on safari in the Masai Mara, they flew on to a beach resort forty kilometres south of Somalia. And there, in the early hours of 11 September, tragedy struck them.

Judith was torn away from David by a band of armed pirates, dragged over sea and land to a village in the arid heart of lawless Somalia, and there held hostage in a squalid room, a ransom on her head. There, too, she learned the terrible truth that the responsibility of securing her release now rested with her son Ollie.

Powerful, moving and at times quite devastating, this is Judith Tebbutt's story in her own words.

Genres: Nonfiction, True Crime, Memoir, Biography, Book Club, Africa, Autobiography

344 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2013

Reviews

[Sandra]

DNF
I think this is the first book I could not finish in a very long time. I could not get into the writing style and I was not bowled over by it.
I am not a non-fiction fan really, so this was a gamble.
I have not scored it as it did not seem fair to do so.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would never have read this book if it was not chosen by my Book Club. I rarely read non fiction, but I found it an interesting, and at times a riveting account of the author's stay in captivity when taken by Somali pirates as a hostage. I just wish the writing had been better, it seemed quite amateurish even though a ghost writer gave some help. It did give a good insight into conditions in Somalia, and the final chapters leading up to her release and homecoming flew by. Howenever there is no explanation of the ransom (described in the media as being close to £800,000) or who paid. There is just one paragraph. "Details about sums of money ..... are bound by confidentiality agreements". That is all we get. Confidentiality with kidnappers? No way. But confidentiality with who put up the money? We can only guess. it certainly wasn't the family and friends that was hinted at early on. Judith did not lose her house or savings (plenty of money for holidays including three and a half weeks in Australia). I have my own theory, but I guess everyone has. I wish I had known this before I started the book.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jude Tebbutt's mental fortitude is inspiring. A wonderful reminder that we are often stronger than we think.

[Amanda Rowsell · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was interesting and thought provoking. Reading how Judith coped in the desperate circumstances made me think how I would cope in that situation. It was interesting to read how the relationships developed with her captors.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I heard Jude's story on the news I felt very sorry to learn what had happened to her & her family. Now I have read her story & come to know the very real people involved sorry doesn't begin to describe how I feel. Jude is an incredibly brave lady & I feel tremendous admiration for the way in which she survived her ordeal & the loss of her beloved husband. I am so pleased that she was finally released & I wish her well.
The book was well written, interesting & drew me in from the start & the ending kept me on the edge of my seat. Even though I knew she had been released the events leading up to that release were very dramatic & tense.
As I said. An incredibly brave lady
Highly recommended

[Meenakshi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not much of a non fiction reader and had this book on my shelf for past four month. But since I started reading I just couldn't stop. Many a times I have seen people making a mess of their lives on slightest of inconveniences caused in their day to day life. And even turning insane just because they could not achieve something or may be even for much trivial reasons. But Judith I think has shown exceptional courage and will to come out of her ordeals. What really caught me was the way she kept herself active and sane amidst such a crisis by making herself to learn new things.

[Bettie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Review Here

[A Book Lovers Diary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book was very well written and I commend Judith Tebbutt for writing about her ordeal. I cannot imagine how hard it must have been for her.

This book was a huge eye opener. I have never considered how easily someone could be kidnapped and it can happen when you lease expect it!

Not my usual type of book, and it took me a while to read it, but it was definitely something I enjoyed reading.

[kagami · Rating 2 out of 5]

It seems to me that "A Long Walk Home" was not meant for the general reader so much as for the author herself, her close relatives, and possibly the police, who had to know in detail what she went through after she was violently plucked out of her African holiday and spirited away by Somali pirates. She lost her freedom for six months and, very sadly, her beloved husband - for good. The experience must have been incredibly traumatic for Jude, and that trauma is conveyed to the reader.

To me the most important message of the book was how vital it is to stay focused; to try, against all odds, to think positive even in the face of adversity, the end of which is not known. The author describes how she came up with a daily routine which kept her mind and body occupied so that she could go through each day, and how she was driven to stay sane by the thought of being reunited with her only child.

I hope the writing and publishing of "A Long Walk Home" has helped Judy Tebbutt to come to terms with what befell her, and has given her the impetus to reinstate her remarkable mental strength. May she find a way to live happily again, be it in painfully different circumstances.

[Issi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this a really compelling read, despite a rather slow, quite laboured start. Jude Tebbutt certainly showed resilience and strength in the face of major adversity. I'm amazed by how well she seemed to maintain her calm and sanity throughout this arduous, galling experience and I appreciated the honesty and lack of sensationalism in her memoir.

Her background in social work obviously helped her to overcome lots of difficulties and remain mentally strong, but I was surprised by a few things. Surprised that it took her so long to imagine any real harm having come to her husband. Surprised that she mentions sleeping naked on one occasion - I'd have thought that's the last thing you'd do. Surprised that although she is clearly afraid of the men who have kidnapped her, she never once alludes to being afraid of sexual molestation at their hands - perhaps she felt that she was protected from this by their religion. And surprised and impressed too, by the lack of anger, the lack of hatred.

Kudos Mrs Tebbutt - your story is an inspiration.

[Sanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book some time ago before I started reviewing on Goodreads. I could not imagine the horror Judith Tebbit went through, and then to have to forcibly endure such primitive living conditions and hardships while being held captive.

The evil terror dished out by the Sudanese made my blood boil!!! How can anyone treat another human being that way....and then to not tell her they had already murdered her husband the night they kidnapper her?

What an incredibly strong woman Judith Tebbit is, but I bet she never knew just how strong she was until this horrific event happened to her.

I have kept this book because it had a profound effect on me and I will read it again some time. It showed me that the Sudanese have no respect for anything, and especially not human life.

[Chris Steeden · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was not too sure at first about this. I had read a couple of other Somalia pirate kidnapping books (including the Chandlers) so expected just more of the same. That is what I got but what the author had to go through and how she coped and got through it is truly amazing and kept me captivated. The pace of the book, descriptions and way it was written made you almost think you were there with Judith.

[Sheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would never have even picked this book up in the shop to read the back, but it was chosen by a member if my book club and I have to say l couldn't put it down. A powerful insight into life as a hostage, my heart went out to her and her family. I am so pleased to have read this book.

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was helpful to have previously seen the film 'Captain Phillips' so I was able to visualise the landscape and pirates.

[Maxine Patterson · Rating 1 out of 5]

A real struggle to read this through. An amazing plot, but the writing was so clunky and laboured.

[moonlit_di · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trudna i długa podróż przez niewolę i cierpienie w niewielkim pokoiku gdzieś w Somalii. Autorka bardzo szczegółowo opisuje zarówno swoje przeżycia jak i wszystko co ją otaczało, jej strach i niepewność udzielają się czytelnikowi i uświadamiają, jak łatwo przenieść się z luksusowych wakacji na odludziu, do bycia dźganym karabinem i umieszczonym w brudnym pokoiku pełnym robactwa, otrzymując jedynie miskę gotowanych ziemniaków do jedzenia.
Niestety pierwsze 100 stron książki mnie umęczyło - autorka opowiada o swoim życiu przed porwaniem, porównuje jednego mężczyznę swojego życia z drugim... jak dla mnie, jest za dużo nużących i nic nie wnoszących historii z jej życia. Natomiast od momentu, kiedy dochodzi do porwania, książka staje się dużo bardziej porywająca.
Do tej pory nie mogę wyjść z podziwu - wytwałość i nadzieja autorki pomogły jej przejść przez naprawdę ciężkie chwile, w których wielu z nas na pewno by się załamało.
Polecam, ale nie nastawiajcie się na cuda, jak dla mnie jest to jednorazowa lektura, która po przeczytaniu wyląduje na miejskich książkowych wymiankach - nie czuję potrzeby czytania jej po raz drugi.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the story of the kidnap of Judith Tebbutt in Somalia in 2011, as told by Judith herself. I found it quite hard going, not due to any shortcoming on the author's part but because her life during the time she was held in Somalia was a mixture of extreme tedium mixed with a background of chronic terror, with occasional periods of more acute terror, and this led to a certain amount of tedium in her account of her daily life at this time. Describing tedium just can get tedious! I did want to know what happened, though, and I found her account of life after her release from captivity quite moving, not least because I was going through a not dissimilar emotional battle for different reasons at much the same time.

[Linda Humberstone · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is well written by Judith Tebbutt giving her own account of what she went through when she was kidnapped by Somali pirates. You get to know the essence of this woman as you read how she dealt with her imprisonment, her captors and keeping a positive mental outlook. This sounds as if it was an easy thing to do but indeed it wasn't. You not only feel her degradation, isolation, fears and anguish but also her faith that she would, one day, be rescued. It is hard to believe that these pirates have no consciences whatsoever about what they do to people but diligently observe their prayers and doctrines of their religion. This is inexplicable to me and I do not care what reasons drive them to commit these crimes I cannot forgive them for their actions.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine you go on vacation with your husband, you've had a wonderful week on safari, and you go to spend an idyllic relaxing time on a tropical island. Perfect, yes? Except you wake up in your beach hut to find your husband grappling with a man, and another man takes you away at gunpoint. Judith's ordeal at the hands of Somali pirates lasted 192 days. Days where she was starved, living in isolation and intimidated by her captors. This is a fascinating, in some parts heart-rending, but strangely uplifting story: how Judith kept her health and sanity together while living in terrible conditions is a miracle. I couldn't put this book down. Definitely recommended reading.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gripping story with a happy outcome. The author's strength and resilience has to be admired. I fail to understand how people can be so cruel to each other. Part of seems to be the complete failure of the 'pirates' to understand that there were many different ways of looking at life. I am glad Judith is (more or less) OK and I'm glad I live in Scotland and not Somalia. There has to be a way of stopping this but I have no idea what it is. The book also raised deep issues of the treatment of women in Moslem countries. Recommended.

[Ellen Hibbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a brilliant book, I couldn't put it down!

Well written and really easy to read. I was impressed by the level of detail Judith was able to recall, from the day to day accounts to the descriptions of the people involved. I especially enjoyed their nicknames, aside from making the characters easier to identify, it added some humour to a pretty harrowing story.

It's heartbreaking but more than anything it's inspiring! What a strong, resilient, incredible woman.

[Suz · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's amazing how humans cope with tragedy. Its amazing how the mind works & how the body survives. Its fascinating to try & comprehend the thought processes & motivation of all involved, to walk in all their shoes. What would any of us do in any of their boots? Life is a twisty & windy road with so many paths. We each have to walk our own road & deal with the mountains & obstacles in our way. Until we are there, faced with the mountain, we never truly know.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Compelling Reading:
Fascinating story of an ordinary woman in extra-ordinary circumstances. The resilience and fortitude that she must have needed to draw upon to remain strong during this is astounding. Much of the book is describing the tedium of day after day not knowing, not having anything to do and how she coped with it. I was hooked.

[Erin Rocha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I REALLY enjoyed this one. It made me think and was incredibly compelling. I liked the writing style. This book made me think about it almost non-stop throughout my day which isn’t something that has happened to me often. I would recommend this one to anyone who travels a lot or likes a good memoir.

[Gretchen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compelling read about one woman's experience to survive in awful circumstances. Sometimes I feel like a captive in my own life and so it's worth examining how routine and hope can go a long way towards salvation. It also gave me pause to consider that part of the world - Somalia - and the inescapable corruption that permeates their way of life.

[Lydia Reid · Rating 3 out of 5]

First thoughts of this was how descriptive and in depth the story was, really leaving me with a sense of how horrendously she suffered. But as it went on it was obvious that it wasn't a story, it was a long, drawn out description of what captivity was like. Much preferred the end few chapters when she describes being released & integrated back in to life

[Sherry Partington · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this to be a rather gripping story. I did wonder during my read if it had been watered down a bit. There was no doubt in my mind that Jude went through hell and her suffering was real. But since she couldn't expose certain things after writing her book, I wonder if the physical and mental agonies weren't worse.
Overall, a really good read.

[Jessica Tobbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harrowing and remarkable telling of her experiences.

This strong woman has written her story in an intellectual but factful way, and gives a candid account of her ordeal. Her writing really paints the picture and you almost feel that you are there with her.

[Nadine Hanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

True story from Jude Tebbutt, who had been kidnapped by Somali pirates and was held captive for months.

Fascinating and frightening.
Showing how powerful the own mind can be and how we can direct our thoughts and habits towards survival mode.

[Kay]

I haven't read this book and many others in my to be read list. Amazon and Good Reads are putting every book I look at in Amazon bookstore on here. regardless if I've even downloaded it. In this case it's probably a good book but I haven't downloaded it at all!