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Jaycee Dugard
A Stolen Life
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Memoir & Autobiography (2011)A raw and powerful memoir of Jaycee Lee Dugard's own story of being kidnapped as an 11-year-old and held captive for over 18 years On 10 June 1991, eleven-year-old Jaycee Dugard was abducted from a school bus stop within sight of her home in Tahoe, California.It was the last her family and friends saw of her for over eighteen years. On 26 August 2009, Dugard, her daughters, and Phillip Craig Garrido appeared in the office of her kidnapper's parole officer in California. Their unusual behaviour sparked an investigation that led to the positive identification of Jaycee Lee Dugard, living in a tent behind Garrido's home. During her time in captivity, at the age of fourteen and seventeen, she gave birth to two daughters, both fathered by Garrido. Dugard's memoir is written by the 30-year-old herself and covers the period from the time of her abduction in 1991 up until the present. In her stark, utterly honest and unflinching narrative, Jaycee opens up about what she experienced, including how she feels now, a year after being found. Garrido and his wife Nancy have since pleaded guilty to their crimes.
277 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 11, 2011
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About the author
Jaycee Dugard
2 books907 followersThe kidnapping of Jaycee Lee Dugard occurred on June 10, 1991, when she was 11 years old. Dugard was abducted from a school bus stop within sight of her home in South Lake Tahoe, California. Searches began immediately after the kidnapping, but no reliable leads were generated. She remained missing for more than 18 years.
On August 25, 2009, convicted sex offender Phillip Craig Garrido visited the campus of UC Berkeley accompanied by two young girls. Their unusual behavior there sparked an investigation that led to his bringing the two girls to a parole office on August 26, accompanied by a woman who was then identified as Dugard.
Garrido, 58, and his wife Nancy Garrido, 54, of Antioch, California, were arrested for kidnapping and other charges; they pleaded guilty on April 28, 2011 to Dugard's kidnapping and sexual assault. Law enforcement officers believe Dugard was kept in a concealed area behind Garrido's house in Antioch for 18 years. During this time Dugard bore two daughters who were aged 11 and 15 at the time of her reappearance.
On June 2, 2011, Philip Garrido was sentenced to 431 years' imprisonment; his wife received 36 years to life.
On August 25, 2009, convicted sex offender Phillip Craig Garrido visited the campus of UC Berkeley accompanied by two young girls. Their unusual behavior there sparked an investigation that led to his bringing the two girls to a parole office on August 26, accompanied by a woman who was then identified as Dugard.
Garrido, 58, and his wife Nancy Garrido, 54, of Antioch, California, were arrested for kidnapping and other charges; they pleaded guilty on April 28, 2011 to Dugard's kidnapping and sexual assault. Law enforcement officers believe Dugard was kept in a concealed area behind Garrido's house in Antioch for 18 years. During this time Dugard bore two daughters who were aged 11 and 15 at the time of her reappearance.
On June 2, 2011, Philip Garrido was sentenced to 431 years' imprisonment; his wife received 36 years to life.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 12,159 reviews
September 16, 2011
This is a monumental book in many ways. It's one of the few times that a victim of prolonged sexual imprisonment has come forth to tell her story, and the importance of having a record of this first-hand account cannot be discounted. Jaycee Dugard was kidnapped at the age of 11 and held captive for 18 years while a man repeatedly raped her and had her bear two of his children. She was miraculously freed at the age of 29 and, two years later, seems to be overall pretty well-adjusted and happy.
I've read a fair amount on this subject, but it's still very painful to read about Jaycee's story. One of the awful things about her situation is that her captor was "nice" to her when he wasn't assaulting her, sobbing and apologizing profusely, and telling her she was "helping him" with his problem. The confusion of dealing with that must do untold amounts of damage, since if someone is always monstrous, it's much easier to look upon him as the enemy. While it's natural to wonder about these things, it has always troubled me when I hear strongly worded questions about why victims in these situations don't try harder to escape. I think it's very difficult to imagine the amount of physical and psychological fear and confusion that these individuals undergo, as well as the coping mechanisms that they must use in order to simply survive. Through Jaycee's words, it's possible to come closer to understanding how someone in a devastating situation is relentlessly conditioned into doing a dominant person's bidding--and how her reality changed so much that she began to look upon being separated from her captor with crippling fear of the unknown.
While I am glad that readers have a chance to read Jaycee's story, it does worry me that it comes so soon after her release in 2009. Elizabeth Smart has similarly just signed on to be a commentator for ABC News, and it makes you wonder if Elisabeth Fritzl can be too far behind. I cannot even begin to imagine the kind of damage this kind of violence and depravity does to someone, let alone a child whose character hadn't even been fully formed at the time of her kidnapping. It troubles me to think that in our insistent need for information and our need for heroic stories in this modern age, we may unintentionally be harming these poor women with the pressure to present a pulled-together, picture-perfect image for our benefit.
But perhaps I don't give enough credit to their strength. While there is a great deal of pain in reading Jaycee's story as you relive her suffering, it is also impossible not to be moved by the resiliency of the human spirit. The joy she took in the pets that came and went over the years; her attempts to stay positive, chronicled through journal entries; her pleasure in the birth of her "beautiful baby girls." One of the things that touched me the most was the notion that a child of 17--with a fifth grade education--was determined to provide some sort of education and future for her two children by downloading daily lesson plans and teaching them herself. It speaks to an extraordinary spirit, as well as to the extraordinary capacity of the human heart.
The fact that these kinds of violent acts happen in the world are incredibly shameful and tragic. In sharing her story, however, Jaycee Dugard has helped many readers to see that human beings can and do survive impossible situations...and that it's important to appreciate the many precious freedoms that we so often take for granted.
A note about the book: This is an incredible piece of testimony to a shocking perpetuation of violence against a human being. I am glad that the publishers chose to keep Jaycee's young voice, which sounds unspoiled and unguarded in a surprising and touching way. There were some editorial missteps, however, that I felt detracted from the book quite a bit, including leaving in inconsistent tenses, confusing timelines, and switching back and forth perhaps a little too often between past and present for a fairly short book. Addressing these issues would have streamlined the book immensely, and it's puzzling that more efforts weren't made to provide a better framework for the story.
Additional Reading:
Readers who are interested in exploring other books with similar topics might consider Living Dead Girl, which is the best fictionalized story about kidnapping and imprisonment that I've read to date. I was NOT a huge fan of the much more lauded Room or the more recent Circle 9, however.
I've read a fair amount on this subject, but it's still very painful to read about Jaycee's story. One of the awful things about her situation is that her captor was "nice" to her when he wasn't assaulting her, sobbing and apologizing profusely, and telling her she was "helping him" with his problem. The confusion of dealing with that must do untold amounts of damage, since if someone is always monstrous, it's much easier to look upon him as the enemy. While it's natural to wonder about these things, it has always troubled me when I hear strongly worded questions about why victims in these situations don't try harder to escape. I think it's very difficult to imagine the amount of physical and psychological fear and confusion that these individuals undergo, as well as the coping mechanisms that they must use in order to simply survive. Through Jaycee's words, it's possible to come closer to understanding how someone in a devastating situation is relentlessly conditioned into doing a dominant person's bidding--and how her reality changed so much that she began to look upon being separated from her captor with crippling fear of the unknown.
While I am glad that readers have a chance to read Jaycee's story, it does worry me that it comes so soon after her release in 2009. Elizabeth Smart has similarly just signed on to be a commentator for ABC News, and it makes you wonder if Elisabeth Fritzl can be too far behind. I cannot even begin to imagine the kind of damage this kind of violence and depravity does to someone, let alone a child whose character hadn't even been fully formed at the time of her kidnapping. It troubles me to think that in our insistent need for information and our need for heroic stories in this modern age, we may unintentionally be harming these poor women with the pressure to present a pulled-together, picture-perfect image for our benefit.
But perhaps I don't give enough credit to their strength. While there is a great deal of pain in reading Jaycee's story as you relive her suffering, it is also impossible not to be moved by the resiliency of the human spirit. The joy she took in the pets that came and went over the years; her attempts to stay positive, chronicled through journal entries; her pleasure in the birth of her "beautiful baby girls." One of the things that touched me the most was the notion that a child of 17--with a fifth grade education--was determined to provide some sort of education and future for her two children by downloading daily lesson plans and teaching them herself. It speaks to an extraordinary spirit, as well as to the extraordinary capacity of the human heart.
The fact that these kinds of violent acts happen in the world are incredibly shameful and tragic. In sharing her story, however, Jaycee Dugard has helped many readers to see that human beings can and do survive impossible situations...and that it's important to appreciate the many precious freedoms that we so often take for granted.
A note about the book: This is an incredible piece of testimony to a shocking perpetuation of violence against a human being. I am glad that the publishers chose to keep Jaycee's young voice, which sounds unspoiled and unguarded in a surprising and touching way. There were some editorial missteps, however, that I felt detracted from the book quite a bit, including leaving in inconsistent tenses, confusing timelines, and switching back and forth perhaps a little too often between past and present for a fairly short book. Addressing these issues would have streamlined the book immensely, and it's puzzling that more efforts weren't made to provide a better framework for the story.
Additional Reading:
Readers who are interested in exploring other books with similar topics might consider Living Dead Girl, which is the best fictionalized story about kidnapping and imprisonment that I've read to date. I was NOT a huge fan of the much more lauded Room or the more recent Circle 9, however.
Read
June 19, 2024Heartbreaking story of Jaycee Dugard and her life being held captive for 18 years. This is why I listen to memoirs, being able to hear her tell her own story, both while captive and once she was found
July 16, 2011
I read this in one sitting. I would be concerned about anyone who could read this book without difficulty. I had to pause frequently and just breathe to compose myself, and still feel sick to my stomach when I think of what she endured. It is a horrific story and yet beautifully written. Jaycee Lee Dugard is an extraordinary young woman and courageous in the extreme, not only because she survived her ordeal with compassion for herself as a victim and hope for the future, but because she tells her story in unflinching detail. It is astounding to learn that she does not hate her tormentors, that she does not want that type of negativity in her life (echoing the sentiments of many notable survivors of torture, extermination camps, extreme abuse, etc.) Amazing woman, simply amazing! What was done to her absolutely defies imagination - not only the sexual abuse and physical neglect but the extreme isolation, manipulation, and mind games. And she helps us clearly understand why she was unable to escape even after she was granted a degree of freedom. She is a hero and we all have something to learn from her story. I wish her and her family well. It's humbling to know that she shared her story with the world.
August 19, 2011
Hard to read, hard to review. Please know that the two-star rating is no reflection on Ms. Dugard or my abject horror at what she experienced. But I certainly didn't really "like" it and I'm not sure I'd actually recommend it to anyone. The diction and syntax are somewhat simple, but that rang true, since her formal education stopped at 5th grade. Parts were very repetitive, the graphic details made my stomach turn, and it skipped over the time period I was most curious about.
Ms. Dugard's experiences are horrific, especially the graphic descriptions of rape and Phillip's drug-fueled "runs." No 11-year-old, or anyone, should ever have to experience those things. It's beyond bizarre to me that after years of sexual abuse and rape, including two pregnancies, a weird kind of "normalcy" and "family" developed. Ms. Dugard barely skimmed over the last decade or so of her captivity and that's what I was most curious about. How did she raise her daughters in that environment (yes, I know they were told she was their sister, but still...)? How did they turn out to be so well-adjusted and how did they handle the shock to their system that "real life" must have been? How did she maintain her sense of self and sanity? Why didn't she reach out for help during an outing or online or when his parole officer came over to the house? I know there are true, deep-seated psychological explanations, but I wanted to hear it from her.
Ms. Dugard truly is remarkable. With only a 5th grade education and essentially on her own, she survived 18 years of abuse, oppression, brainwashing, and boredom, to become, by all accounts, a fairly well-adjusted, courageous, thoughtful woman. With, I'm sure, the help of many caring and competent professionals, Ms. Dugard is taking control of her life, which was denied to her for so long, and refusing to be bitter about the past. Good for her.
Ms. Dugard's story and similar ones (Elizabeth Smart, Elisabeth Fritzl) make me so paranoid. How many other missing children are being held captive, practically in plain sight, and we just aren't seeing them? And how many thousands of other children around the world are experiencing similar atrocities right now? Ms. Dugard was able to escape after 18 years, but so many children haven't and won't. It makes me want to curl up in a ball in bed and sob all day long.
For more book reviews, come visit my blog, Build Enough Bookshelves.
Ms. Dugard's experiences are horrific, especially the graphic descriptions of rape and Phillip's drug-fueled "runs." No 11-year-old, or anyone, should ever have to experience those things. It's beyond bizarre to me that after years of sexual abuse and rape, including two pregnancies, a weird kind of "normalcy" and "family" developed. Ms. Dugard barely skimmed over the last decade or so of her captivity and that's what I was most curious about. How did she raise her daughters in that environment (yes, I know they were told she was their sister, but still...)? How did they turn out to be so well-adjusted and how did they handle the shock to their system that "real life" must have been? How did she maintain her sense of self and sanity? Why didn't she reach out for help during an outing or online or when his parole officer came over to the house? I know there are true, deep-seated psychological explanations, but I wanted to hear it from her.
Ms. Dugard truly is remarkable. With only a 5th grade education and essentially on her own, she survived 18 years of abuse, oppression, brainwashing, and boredom, to become, by all accounts, a fairly well-adjusted, courageous, thoughtful woman. With, I'm sure, the help of many caring and competent professionals, Ms. Dugard is taking control of her life, which was denied to her for so long, and refusing to be bitter about the past. Good for her.
Ms. Dugard's story and similar ones (Elizabeth Smart, Elisabeth Fritzl) make me so paranoid. How many other missing children are being held captive, practically in plain sight, and we just aren't seeing them? And how many thousands of other children around the world are experiencing similar atrocities right now? Ms. Dugard was able to escape after 18 years, but so many children haven't and won't. It makes me want to curl up in a ball in bed and sob all day long.
For more book reviews, come visit my blog, Build Enough Bookshelves.
May 25, 2019
If nothing else, this book definitely shows the power of hope, gratitude, and the healing power of animals.
In her own words, Jaycee Dugard recounts her life, her abduction, her abuse, and her eventual freedom from the prison of a disgusting backyard and her own fears of the world beyond it.
I read this in one sitting and was fairly enthralled throughout. Dugard has a very distinct way of writing. Very stream of consciousness, almost rambling in some ways...and almost poetic and yet cuttingly concise in others, Dugard detailed her thoughts and emotions in a way that, although unpolished and sometimes childlike, painted a very clear emotional picture of her 18 years in captivity.
In spite of her horrific circumstances, I was overcome with wonder at her joy and gratitude whenever she talked about animals. Through the years in captivity, she was sometimes allowed to keep pets, sometimes for mere weeks, other times for years; but it warmed my heart that she was able to find comfort in the warm and unconditional love of furry and feathered friends. As a huge animal lover, I found solace knowing that she at least had that at times and, of course later, her daughters.
I don't know if I would be able to go through what Dugard went through and come out as grateful and hopeful and positive as Dugard seems to be. I don't know how I would react to being in her shoes. I hope I never find out. But either way, I am glad she and her daughters are free. And I hope her captors rot in prison. And that no one gives them a cat.
In her own words, Jaycee Dugard recounts her life, her abduction, her abuse, and her eventual freedom from the prison of a disgusting backyard and her own fears of the world beyond it.
I read this in one sitting and was fairly enthralled throughout. Dugard has a very distinct way of writing. Very stream of consciousness, almost rambling in some ways...and almost poetic and yet cuttingly concise in others, Dugard detailed her thoughts and emotions in a way that, although unpolished and sometimes childlike, painted a very clear emotional picture of her 18 years in captivity.
In spite of her horrific circumstances, I was overcome with wonder at her joy and gratitude whenever she talked about animals. Through the years in captivity, she was sometimes allowed to keep pets, sometimes for mere weeks, other times for years; but it warmed my heart that she was able to find comfort in the warm and unconditional love of furry and feathered friends. As a huge animal lover, I found solace knowing that she at least had that at times and, of course later, her daughters.
I don't know if I would be able to go through what Dugard went through and come out as grateful and hopeful and positive as Dugard seems to be. I don't know how I would react to being in her shoes. I hope I never find out. But either way, I am glad she and her daughters are free. And I hope her captors rot in prison. And that no one gives them a cat.
August 22, 2011
The five stars are not for the literary value of this book, but for the honest telling of what these 18 stolen years were like for Jaycee Dugard. I am glad she allowed us to read this story in her own words, and not some smooth, glossy version of her story written by a ghost writer. The simple language enhanced this book in my opinion. You really felt the presence of that young girl reliving her story.
This is a remarkable young lady with more strength than I can imagine ever having. I feel we each owe it to her to read her story. For 18 years she was not able to honestly express what she was thinking and what she was feeling. She felt invisible. This is her way of saying I exist, this is who I am, and I have no reason to be ashamed. I also support her desire to not let her abductor get away with his belief that the world would never know the details of what he did. This book is a way to help give Jaycee back her life and her voice.
In this country that does not honor its children, allows pedophiles to revictimize again and again, and then turns them free to victimize again, we owe the vicitms the respect of listening to their story. The number of times that probation officers actually saw young girls in the home of this known sex offender and never pursued verifying who they were and why there were there is beyond belief, and yet it is true. When are we as a country going to stand up for our children. I would say this book would be too difficult to read for parents whose children who are still under 18 years of age.
This is a remarkable young lady with more strength than I can imagine ever having. I feel we each owe it to her to read her story. For 18 years she was not able to honestly express what she was thinking and what she was feeling. She felt invisible. This is her way of saying I exist, this is who I am, and I have no reason to be ashamed. I also support her desire to not let her abductor get away with his belief that the world would never know the details of what he did. This book is a way to help give Jaycee back her life and her voice.
In this country that does not honor its children, allows pedophiles to revictimize again and again, and then turns them free to victimize again, we owe the vicitms the respect of listening to their story. The number of times that probation officers actually saw young girls in the home of this known sex offender and never pursued verifying who they were and why there were there is beyond belief, and yet it is true. When are we as a country going to stand up for our children. I would say this book would be too difficult to read for parents whose children who are still under 18 years of age.
August 5, 2011
I am definately going to hug my children a little tighter and make sure I remember the promises I make to them after reading this book. I remember seeing Jaycee's face on missing posters and praying for her when I was a teenager. I also remember the day I was watching the news and heard the news of incredible discovery. While I was reading this book I could not stop thinking about when I was eleven years old. Jaycee does a wonderful job of showing exactly how her life was stolen. I guess because I am only few years older than Jaycee I can't help but think of all that has happened in my life during the last 18 years. This book although it was a quick read was by no means an easy read. Jaycee is an amazing young women. At one point in the book she describes herself as a coward but in my oppinion she is anything but. She is one bravest women I can think of. After reading her story I was able to see just how much of a psycological hold her abducters had over her. Thier is so much I want to say about this book but I just can't wrap my mind around it all at this time so I will be writting more as I sort through everything.
O.k it's been a couple days since I have read this one and I have had some time to digest things. I'm so angry at the system for failing her. I can't help but feel like not only was she victimized by her captors but by the system who was put in place to protect her (all of us really). I can understand missing her on one or even two of the visits but over eighteen years is just ridiculous. Probation officers came to that house over sixty times during her captivity why in all those times did'nt they just one check the backyard. The neighbor even called the cops to report that children where living in tents in the backyard. When the sherrif came to ivestigate he never bothered to go into the backyard, once again I am left wondering WHY.
Jaycee's story has definately made me loose faith in the so called system. I look at my three little girls and feel all the more need to protect them. I'm so proud of Jaycee for surviving not only physically but mentally to. I really liked the part about the reunification process. I honestly was very naive about what reuniting her with her family would entail. I think of all she lost during those eighteen years and its mindblowing. I want to thank her therapist for doing such a wonderful job with helping her. I do wish she would have talked a little more about how her daughters felt when they found out everything but I do understand her need to protect them. I can't wait to see her build her foundation and rebuild her life.
O.k it's been a couple days since I have read this one and I have had some time to digest things. I'm so angry at the system for failing her. I can't help but feel like not only was she victimized by her captors but by the system who was put in place to protect her (all of us really). I can understand missing her on one or even two of the visits but over eighteen years is just ridiculous. Probation officers came to that house over sixty times during her captivity why in all those times did'nt they just one check the backyard. The neighbor even called the cops to report that children where living in tents in the backyard. When the sherrif came to ivestigate he never bothered to go into the backyard, once again I am left wondering WHY.
Jaycee's story has definately made me loose faith in the so called system. I look at my three little girls and feel all the more need to protect them. I'm so proud of Jaycee for surviving not only physically but mentally to. I really liked the part about the reunification process. I honestly was very naive about what reuniting her with her family would entail. I think of all she lost during those eighteen years and its mindblowing. I want to thank her therapist for doing such a wonderful job with helping her. I do wish she would have talked a little more about how her daughters felt when they found out everything but I do understand her need to protect them. I can't wait to see her build her foundation and rebuild her life.
August 23, 2011
What Jaycee Dugard experienced for 18 years is, beyond question, horrendous. And it is an achievement that her book keeps the sensationalism to a minimum, focusing rather on the more basic lines of thought of her young self. She is a clear writer, if overly simplistic.
However, as a memoir, if we are to take her unparalleled story aside, A Stolen Life does not amaze. Truly amazing memoirs are not made by the occurrences of the life it follows, but rather by the ability of the memoirist to transcend their experiences and explore deeper meanings, repercussions, and universality. Jaycee's story is worth being told, but the structure of the book (with its simple, chronological chapter structure and interspersed and somewhat repetitive "Reflections" sections) doesn't bring Jaycee's story beyond the visceral moment-by-moment trauma. Perhaps such exploration would take more distance from her experiences, or perhaps it is simply too painful. While A Stolen Life is absolutely a story worth telling, and hearing, it didn't awaken any deeper understandings or meanings for me beyond compassion for Jaycee.
However, as a memoir, if we are to take her unparalleled story aside, A Stolen Life does not amaze. Truly amazing memoirs are not made by the occurrences of the life it follows, but rather by the ability of the memoirist to transcend their experiences and explore deeper meanings, repercussions, and universality. Jaycee's story is worth being told, but the structure of the book (with its simple, chronological chapter structure and interspersed and somewhat repetitive "Reflections" sections) doesn't bring Jaycee's story beyond the visceral moment-by-moment trauma. Perhaps such exploration would take more distance from her experiences, or perhaps it is simply too painful. While A Stolen Life is absolutely a story worth telling, and hearing, it didn't awaken any deeper understandings or meanings for me beyond compassion for Jaycee.
December 20, 2020
"تاریخ به ما یاد داده وقتی ظاهراً هیچ امیدی درکار نیست، امید در قلبهای مردم همچنان پابرجاست."
این کتاب درباره ی زندگی ربوده شده ی دختری 11 ساله بود.
جیسی دوگارد 11 ساله بود که دزدیده شد.
از خانوادهش جدا شد.
از مادری که عاشقانه دوستش داشت جدا شد.
از خواهر 2 سالهاش جدا شد
از دوستان مدرسه اش، از مدرسه، از زندگیش جدا شد و مجبور شد وارد زندگی تازه ی دردناکی بشه و سختی های زیادی رو تحمل کنه!
چرا انسان به خودش اجازه ی هرکاری رو میده؟
چرا فکر میکنه برای ارضای خواستههاش باید بقیه فدا بشن؟
چرا انسان ها فقط به خودشون فکر میکنند و توجهی به دیگری ندارند؟
چرا آرامش برای خود فرد مهمه ولی آرامش فرد دیگری به ما ربطی نداره؟
این کتاب رو به نظرم همه باید بخونند.
حرف هایی توی گفته میشه که هم شنیدنش دردناکه هم خوندنش. ولی این حرف ها از اعماق وجود فردی بیرون میاد که 18 سال درد و رنج رو تحمل کرده.
این کتاب درباره ی زندگی ربوده شده ی دختری 11 ساله بود.
جیسی دوگارد 11 ساله بود که دزدیده شد.
از خانوادهش جدا شد.
از مادری که عاشقانه دوستش داشت جدا شد.
از خواهر 2 سالهاش جدا شد
از دوستان مدرسه اش، از مدرسه، از زندگیش جدا شد و مجبور شد وارد زندگی تازه ی دردناکی بشه و سختی های زیادی رو تحمل کنه!
چرا انسان به خودش اجازه ی هرکاری رو میده؟
چرا فکر میکنه برای ارضای خواستههاش باید بقیه فدا بشن؟
چرا انسان ها فقط به خودشون فکر میکنند و توجهی به دیگری ندارند؟
چرا آرامش برای خود فرد مهمه ولی آرامش فرد دیگری به ما ربطی نداره؟
این کتاب رو به نظرم همه باید بخونند.
حرف هایی توی گفته میشه که هم شنیدنش دردناکه هم خوندنش. ولی این حرف ها از اعماق وجود فردی بیرون میاد که 18 سال درد و رنج رو تحمل کرده.
December 13, 2019
It's amazing how one person can be kept captive for 18 years and not a single soul even suspects anything amiss. This book is Jaycee Dugard's story of her life in captivity. The story telling is simplistic in keeping with the fact that she never got a chance to complete her school education. The book could have done with some editing if only to make the sentence structure better and more readable. The middle of the book is full of journal entries written by Jaycee during her captivity and some of the passages are quite poignant.
I would not really recommend this book because there are just too many stories about cats and dogs and not enough analysis of her own life or that of her captors. For instance, while I found her positive affirmations really impressive, how and why did she get the inspiration to be so positive in a negative environment? I also am a little hazy about why Phillip turned himself in and I find Nancy's role in the entire saga rather unfathomable. She obviously did not want Jaycee around, so why didn't she release her? These, and many more questions are left unanswered by the author.
I really feel for Jaycee's stolen life and hope she manages to get the help she needs and have a bright future, but I really did not need to read about her cats and dogs, page after page after page. As she herself says in the preface, come back to me in ten years time when I've figured things out better. Maybe that's a good idea.
I would not really recommend this book because there are just too many stories about cats and dogs and not enough analysis of her own life or that of her captors. For instance, while I found her positive affirmations really impressive, how and why did she get the inspiration to be so positive in a negative environment? I also am a little hazy about why Phillip turned himself in and I find Nancy's role in the entire saga rather unfathomable. She obviously did not want Jaycee around, so why didn't she release her? These, and many more questions are left unanswered by the author.
I really feel for Jaycee's stolen life and hope she manages to get the help she needs and have a bright future, but I really did not need to read about her cats and dogs, page after page after page. As she herself says in the preface, come back to me in ten years time when I've figured things out better. Maybe that's a good idea.
October 24, 2020
گودریدزم را بالا پایین میکنم و میبینم بعد و حین خواندن هیچ کتابی چنین احساسی نداشتهام.
برای اولین بار (و شاید آخرین بار!) این حرف را میزنم: همین حالا گوشیتان را بگذارید زمین، به کتابفروشی یا سایتی که از آن خرید میکنید بروید و این کتاب را بخرید.
چند بار خواستم برایش کپشن بنویسم اما دیدم هیچ جوره نمیشود حق مطلب را ادا کرد. جز اینکه «این کتاب برای من رفت در صدر تمام کتابهایی که وقتی از من بخواهند کتابی پیشنهاد دهم پیشنهاد میدهم».
فقط از ترجمه بگویم که چندباری احساس کردم دارم یک کتاب تالیفی میخوانم نه ترجمه. واقعا درخشان. همهچیز در بهترین حالت.
*از باید خواندنیها*
برای اولین بار (و شاید آخرین بار!) این حرف را میزنم: همین حالا گوشیتان را بگذارید زمین، به کتابفروشی یا سایتی که از آن خرید میکنید بروید و این کتاب را بخرید.
چند بار خواستم برایش کپشن بنویسم اما دیدم هیچ جوره نمیشود حق مطلب را ادا کرد. جز اینکه «این کتاب برای من رفت در صدر تمام کتابهایی که وقتی از من بخواهند کتابی پیشنهاد دهم پیشنهاد میدهم».
فقط از ترجمه بگویم که چندباری احساس کردم دارم یک کتاب تالیفی میخوانم نه ترجمه. واقعا درخشان. همهچیز در بهترین حالت.
*از باید خواندنیها*
October 7, 2020
صبحگاه ۱۰ ژوئن ۱۹۹۲، جیسی دوگاردِ یازدهساله حوالی ایستگاه اتوبوس محلهشون دزدیده میشه؛ خانوادهش از همون روز برای پیداکردنش تمام تلاششون رو میکنند، اما از جیسی هیچ اثری نیست..
هجده سال بعد، در ۲۶ اوت ۲۰۰۹، سرانجام جیسی پیدا میشه و تصمیم میگیره خاطرات هجده سال اساراتش رو بنویسه....
~~~~~~
حدودا ۱۶ یا ۱۷ ساله که بودم یه خبری مثل بمب صدا کرد: دختری که ۱۸ سال پیش ربوده شده بود پیدا شد.
یادمه خبرش خیلی شوکهام کرد...
گذشت تا کتابی به اسم «اتاق» نوشته شد که یکجورهایی شبیه پروندهٔ “جیسی دوگارد” بود*. اون کتاب رو که خوندم پیش خودم گفتم این کتاب فقط شباهتهایی با پروندهٔ جیسی داره، داستان اصلی چی میتونه باشه!
خوندن چنین سرگذشتنامهای تجربهٔ عجیب و ترسناکی بهنظر میرسید، چون روایتگر یکی از مهمترین و هولناکترین پروندههای آدمرباییه...
در برابر خوندنش مقاومت کردم تا اینکه با دیدن تعدادی ویدیو توی یوتیوب (مصاحبهٔ مادر جیسی در سالهای ربودهشدن دخترش، حرفهای جیسی بعد آزادی) وسوسه شدم؛ کتاب رو گرفتم و شروع کردم به خوندن.
اسفند ۹۷ بود.
چهار کتابی که پیشتر از من چاپ شده هم بهنوعی تلخ و دردناکاند، اما این کتاب، با وجود اینکه حدود دو سال از اولین باری که خوندمش میگذره، هنوز هم برام غمانگیز و هولناکه و ذرهای عادی نشده. فقط میتونم بگم ما داریم ۱۸ سال اسارت جیسی رو “میخونیم” اما جیسی این ۱۸ سال رو “زندگی” کرده...
تصور کنید: ۱۸ سال توی یک حیاطخلوت اسیر باشی و حتی اجازه نداشته باشی اسم واقعیت رو به زبون بیاری.
مدتی که کتاب رو ترجمه میکردم آرامش نداشتم؛ جیسی فقط تا پنجم ابتدایی درس خونده و همین باعث شده کتاب در عین سادگی، خیلی تاثیرگذار باشه؛ شعار نمیده و با احساسات مخاطب الکی بازی نمیکنه. شروع به خوندنش که میکنی وارد دنیایی میشی که حالاحالاها از دستش خلاص نمیشی. اگه سلیقهٔ من رو در زمینهٔ کتاب قبول دارید، قطعا کتابی عجیب و فراموشنشدنی رو خواهید خوند.
*نویسنده در مصاحبهای گفته کتاب «اتاق» موردتاییدش نیست چون شرایطش، چه طی اسارت و چه بعد آزادی، هیچجوره شبیه اون کتاب نبوده.
☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️
هجده سال بعد، در ۲۶ اوت ۲۰۰۹، سرانجام جیسی پیدا میشه و تصمیم میگیره خاطرات هجده سال اساراتش رو بنویسه....
~~~~~~
حدودا ۱۶ یا ۱۷ ساله که بودم یه خبری مثل بمب صدا کرد: دختری که ۱۸ سال پیش ربوده شده بود پیدا شد.
یادمه خبرش خیلی شوکهام کرد...
گذشت تا کتابی به اسم «اتاق» نوشته شد که یکجورهایی شبیه پروندهٔ “جیسی دوگارد” بود*. اون کتاب رو که خوندم پیش خودم گفتم این کتاب فقط شباهتهایی با پروندهٔ جیسی داره، داستان اصلی چی میتونه باشه!
خوندن چنین سرگذشتنامهای تجربهٔ عجیب و ترسناکی بهنظر میرسید، چون روایتگر یکی از مهمترین و هولناکترین پروندههای آدمرباییه...
در برابر خوندنش مقاومت کردم تا اینکه با دیدن تعدادی ویدیو توی یوتیوب (مصاحبهٔ مادر جیسی در سالهای ربودهشدن دخترش، حرفهای جیسی بعد آزادی) وسوسه شدم؛ کتاب رو گرفتم و شروع کردم به خوندن.
اسفند ۹۷ بود.
چهار کتابی که پیشتر از من چاپ شده هم بهنوعی تلخ و دردناکاند، اما این کتاب، با وجود اینکه حدود دو سال از اولین باری که خوندمش میگذره، هنوز هم برام غمانگیز و هولناکه و ذرهای عادی نشده. فقط میتونم بگم ما داریم ۱۸ سال اسارت جیسی رو “میخونیم” اما جیسی این ۱۸ سال رو “زندگی” کرده...
تصور کنید: ۱۸ سال توی یک حیاطخلوت اسیر باشی و حتی اجازه نداشته باشی اسم واقعیت رو به زبون بیاری.
مدتی که کتاب رو ترجمه میکردم آرامش نداشتم؛ جیسی فقط تا پنجم ابتدایی درس خونده و همین باعث شده کتاب در عین سادگی، خیلی تاثیرگذار باشه؛ شعار نمیده و با احساسات مخاطب الکی بازی نمیکنه. شروع به خوندنش که میکنی وارد دنیایی میشی که حالاحالاها از دستش خلاص نمیشی. اگه سلیقهٔ من رو در زمینهٔ کتاب قبول دارید، قطعا کتابی عجیب و فراموشنشدنی رو خواهید خوند.
*نویسنده در مصاحبهای گفته کتاب «اتاق» موردتاییدش نیست چون شرایطش، چه طی اسارت و چه بعد آزادی، هیچجوره شبیه اون کتاب نبوده.
☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️
November 27, 2015
I read this book in one day. I was captured by Jaycee's words and her story. She endured so much and was such a brave woman. I probably would have given up, but she pressed on and loved to tell a tale that no one could even think to write for fiction!
February 4, 2015
I haven't read a memoir of this kind before. They're so hard to read. This need not be a literary review but a review of this woman's story, and I've rated it a full 5 stars.
Like most of us I'd heard about this over the years, but didn't consider reading her memoir until I stumbled across it in a second hand bookshop just last week. Jaycee Dugard has done an amazing job telling us her story. It would have been tremendously hard to do.
Right from the start she did tell us it will be a bit disjointed and she might go off onto different tangents, but this is to be expected and I didn't mind her writing style at all. She's done so well for not having attended school since the age of 11. I love that she loved to write as she was held captive and always had a love for reading.
She's a gracious and forgiving lady, and the fact that she's emerged this way is outstanding. She has formed an organisation to help people deal with events such as she's experienced, and anyone receiving help from her will be a lucky person, as she seems to have an amazing character after her horrific life circumstances.
I sincerely hope Jaycee Dugard is proud of her work in telling her story.
Like most of us I'd heard about this over the years, but didn't consider reading her memoir until I stumbled across it in a second hand bookshop just last week. Jaycee Dugard has done an amazing job telling us her story. It would have been tremendously hard to do.
Right from the start she did tell us it will be a bit disjointed and she might go off onto different tangents, but this is to be expected and I didn't mind her writing style at all. She's done so well for not having attended school since the age of 11. I love that she loved to write as she was held captive and always had a love for reading.
She's a gracious and forgiving lady, and the fact that she's emerged this way is outstanding. She has formed an organisation to help people deal with events such as she's experienced, and anyone receiving help from her will be a lucky person, as she seems to have an amazing character after her horrific life circumstances.
I sincerely hope Jaycee Dugard is proud of her work in telling her story.
August 14, 2011
When Jaycee Dugard was first found, my fascination with her case originally grew out of a desire to better understand another famous kidnapping victim who had been in a somewhat similar situation: Elisabeth Fritzl. But I have stayed interested for one major reason: Ms. Dugard has been incredibly adept at keeping control over her own story and maintaining her agency at all times. This book can be seen as the culmination of those efforts, since Ms. Dugard has written her own book about her own experiences rather than letting journalists write them (or worse: not letting journalists write them but watching them get written anyway).
Don't read it out of prurient interest, in other words. If you know anything about what was said in the media when she was found, there's probably nothing about the details of her captivity that will surprise you anyway. The actual remarkable part is Ms. Dugard's agency, which is all over this book. No one made her write it; she decided to. No one told her which experiences to share and which ones to keep private; that was her decision. And all of the reflections on her experiences are in her own voice, because she wrote every word herself.
Don't read it out of prurient interest, in other words. If you know anything about what was said in the media when she was found, there's probably nothing about the details of her captivity that will surprise you anyway. The actual remarkable part is Ms. Dugard's agency, which is all over this book. No one made her write it; she decided to. No one told her which experiences to share and which ones to keep private; that was her decision. And all of the reflections on her experiences are in her own voice, because she wrote every word herself.
April 22, 2017
Although written by a woman with limited education due to her eighteen years in captivity after a terrifying abduction aged just eleven, this an intriguing memoir covering the years of her confinement and her re introduction into society.
For a book covering such a long period of time I was surprised this book wasn't longer, but having said that I enjoyed - for want of a better phrase - the book and thought it was generally well told.
A follow up to this memoir would be welcomed to find out more of what has become since of the brave Jaycee and her two daughters.
For a book covering such a long period of time I was surprised this book wasn't longer, but having said that I enjoyed - for want of a better phrase - the book and thought it was generally well told.
A follow up to this memoir would be welcomed to find out more of what has become since of the brave Jaycee and her two daughters.
February 6, 2016
Let's be honest- this was more of a therapeutic assignment rather than anything else.
Initially I was interested in reading this because I wanted to know the 'complete' story. Unfortunately I felt that what I read I had read before in magazine articles. There was little new information. I felt like to go along with her recovery the author was given free range and told to most likely just 'writer her story'. While I can understand that it must have been quite hard for her I do feel that someone could have gone through and made it more 'user-friendly'.
I can understand that the author did not want her children's names revealed but at the same time they already were to the public via court documents and other media outlets. Towards the end of the book I did feel like I was just reading notes from her therapist's notebook on what exercises they practiced, how well she did and how she made the connections.
The story in itself is a sad one and we get that, we expect that. Therefore I feel there should probably have been a little more healing time before this book was published. Because as of now it simply comes off as rushed.
I'm not sure if the book was published before the author was awarded the 20 million dollars, but perhaps this was a way of trying to secure financial safety for her daughters' futures.
Initially I was interested in reading this because I wanted to know the 'complete' story. Unfortunately I felt that what I read I had read before in magazine articles. There was little new information. I felt like to go along with her recovery the author was given free range and told to most likely just 'writer her story'. While I can understand that it must have been quite hard for her I do feel that someone could have gone through and made it more 'user-friendly'.
I can understand that the author did not want her children's names revealed but at the same time they already were to the public via court documents and other media outlets. Towards the end of the book I did feel like I was just reading notes from her therapist's notebook on what exercises they practiced, how well she did and how she made the connections.
The story in itself is a sad one and we get that, we expect that. Therefore I feel there should probably have been a little more healing time before this book was published. Because as of now it simply comes off as rushed.
I'm not sure if the book was published before the author was awarded the 20 million dollars, but perhaps this was a way of trying to secure financial safety for her daughters' futures.
April 3, 2016
How can you not appreciate this book? Just stop for a second and think about yourself being in her situation. How can anyone survive being captive from age 11 for 18 years? I wanted to rate this book with 5 stars. But that wouldn't be honest, it would be out of sympathy. You really feel like a child wrote this book, but maybe this was the intention, because her formal education stopped when she was only 11 years old. The story jumps around a lot. I found it unnecessary when I read about all those pets she had and journey entries. I just don't know… I expected to feel her pain, rage, anger through reading this book. But I didn't, she made it too mellow. People that did this to her are disgusting and they don't deserve a nice word, but you don't get this feeling while reading this book.
Read
March 3, 2023withholding a rating because it feels pretty dystopian of me to rate this author's trauma on a scale of 1 to 5.
i must have been living under a rock because i'd never heard of this case before. i listened to it on audio because jaycee narrates it, and finished this all in one day if that tells you anything.
i must have been living under a rock because i'd never heard of this case before. i listened to it on audio because jaycee narrates it, and finished this all in one day if that tells you anything.
July 14, 2011
Jaycee Dugard's childhood was stolen from her, with this memoir, I hope it will give her and her daughters an opportunity to have a better life. I brought this book in support of Jaycee.
December 18, 2025
“I was kidnapped by a stranger at age eleven. For eighteen years, I was kept in a backyard and not allowed to say my own name.”
A STOLEN LIFE is the shocking story of the kidnapping of a young eleven year old girl and the mental anguish she suffered over an eighteen year period at the hands of a mentally ill pedophile, a pervert, a rapist and his enabling wife. Somehow, despite the near complete capture of her mind and soul through Stockholm Syndrome, she managed to escape to return to her family, her mother, her siblings and the real world.
The degree to which Jaycee Dugard’s story is reduced to something so shockingly banal and the fact that Phillip and Nancy Garrido’s criminality is so ordinary, so complete, so overwhelming, and so under-the-radar as to escape detection for such an astonishing length of time in the obvious sight of the entire world including law enforcement and parole officers beggars the imagination. Sadly, it is this very banality and ordinariness that turns A STOLEN LIFE into something that is merely disgusting and cringeworthy without being a story that demands to be read.
If Phillip and Nancy Garrido ever again see the light of day, there is simply no justice in this world.
Paul Weiss
A STOLEN LIFE is the shocking story of the kidnapping of a young eleven year old girl and the mental anguish she suffered over an eighteen year period at the hands of a mentally ill pedophile, a pervert, a rapist and his enabling wife. Somehow, despite the near complete capture of her mind and soul through Stockholm Syndrome, she managed to escape to return to her family, her mother, her siblings and the real world.
The degree to which Jaycee Dugard’s story is reduced to something so shockingly banal and the fact that Phillip and Nancy Garrido’s criminality is so ordinary, so complete, so overwhelming, and so under-the-radar as to escape detection for such an astonishing length of time in the obvious sight of the entire world including law enforcement and parole officers beggars the imagination. Sadly, it is this very banality and ordinariness that turns A STOLEN LIFE into something that is merely disgusting and cringeworthy without being a story that demands to be read.
If Phillip and Nancy Garrido ever again see the light of day, there is simply no justice in this world.
Paul Weiss
August 10, 2011
Having followed the Elizabeth Smart abduction, trial and consequences here in SLC, when I heard about what had happened to Jaycee Dugard, my heart went out to her big time and I've been fascinated to hear more about her story and to find out as much as possible about the case. As I finished up her book and take of her own life, I was amazed at how well she seems to have come out of it all and how well adjusted and loving she seems to be.
The book is pretty simple and straight forward. If you don't already know, she was kidnapped when she was 11 years old by a convicted rapist and pedophile and then kept in his compound for 18 years, undetected by his parole officers. During that time she was used as a sex slave and bore two daughters that she raised at the compound. It is clear that he was a manipulative, drugged out, selfish creep who totally controlled young submissive Jaycee in every way. He was married and it's also clear that his wife Nancy was also under his manipulative and controlling spell, because she did nothing to set Jaycee free or to stop the abuse.
So Jaycee lived through 18 years of living in a tent or other areas of the compound without a toilet or shower, raising two young children, being fed when Philip and or Nancy where in the mood to feed her and then, while she was still young enough to be sexually attractive to him, he would have a meth "run" and use her sometimes for several days in a row to perform various sexual acts, etc., after-which he would apologize and promise her it would be the last time.
She is such a sweet and innocent person. It almost seems as if she were still eleven years old when she wrote the story. She was genuinely worried whether her mother would accept her back because she had the two children. She was still confused at some of her feelings for Philip and still believed in much of the garbage he had fed her in his attempt to justify his behavior.
I'm glad it was written from this naive perspective. In the meantime, just as in the case with Elizabeth Smart, I personally feel that capital punishment would be called for and probably too nice. He deserves cruel and unusual punishment.
Reading the story brought out a bunch of thoughts: from the amazing resilience of the human spirit, to comparing her life to the lives of so many children who are and have been abused by their own parents, to what we as a society should do differently to get these animals off the streets. How many children out there are going through similar lives right now?
There's also a direct correlation to the horrible recent case of Warren Jeffs and how he controlled multiple wives, young girls God told him to marry and then the descriptions of his sexual exploits of these children all while his other wives watched on all naked, etc. Brother. Why are we so worried about the Taliban when similar folks are living close by?
I'm happy Jaycee made it through all of this. She is a miracle. I hope she will let us take part in her life in the future. I have my fingers crossed that all will go well for her.
I also have loved watching Elizabeth Smart blossom into one sharp, wonderful, human being. Amazing.
The book is pretty simple and straight forward. If you don't already know, she was kidnapped when she was 11 years old by a convicted rapist and pedophile and then kept in his compound for 18 years, undetected by his parole officers. During that time she was used as a sex slave and bore two daughters that she raised at the compound. It is clear that he was a manipulative, drugged out, selfish creep who totally controlled young submissive Jaycee in every way. He was married and it's also clear that his wife Nancy was also under his manipulative and controlling spell, because she did nothing to set Jaycee free or to stop the abuse.
So Jaycee lived through 18 years of living in a tent or other areas of the compound without a toilet or shower, raising two young children, being fed when Philip and or Nancy where in the mood to feed her and then, while she was still young enough to be sexually attractive to him, he would have a meth "run" and use her sometimes for several days in a row to perform various sexual acts, etc., after-which he would apologize and promise her it would be the last time.
She is such a sweet and innocent person. It almost seems as if she were still eleven years old when she wrote the story. She was genuinely worried whether her mother would accept her back because she had the two children. She was still confused at some of her feelings for Philip and still believed in much of the garbage he had fed her in his attempt to justify his behavior.
I'm glad it was written from this naive perspective. In the meantime, just as in the case with Elizabeth Smart, I personally feel that capital punishment would be called for and probably too nice. He deserves cruel and unusual punishment.
Reading the story brought out a bunch of thoughts: from the amazing resilience of the human spirit, to comparing her life to the lives of so many children who are and have been abused by their own parents, to what we as a society should do differently to get these animals off the streets. How many children out there are going through similar lives right now?
There's also a direct correlation to the horrible recent case of Warren Jeffs and how he controlled multiple wives, young girls God told him to marry and then the descriptions of his sexual exploits of these children all while his other wives watched on all naked, etc. Brother. Why are we so worried about the Taliban when similar folks are living close by?
I'm happy Jaycee made it through all of this. She is a miracle. I hope she will let us take part in her life in the future. I have my fingers crossed that all will go well for her.
I also have loved watching Elizabeth Smart blossom into one sharp, wonderful, human being. Amazing.
April 8, 2022
4.0 Stars
This is another tough kidnapping memoir that does not shy away from some of the horrific details. The narrative structure and prose were a bit fragmented at times, but the strength of this young woman still manages to come through.
This is another tough kidnapping memoir that does not shy away from some of the horrific details. The narrative structure and prose were a bit fragmented at times, but the strength of this young woman still manages to come through.
July 21, 2011
One of the hardest books I've ever read because of the subject matter. Dugard has been through hell and back. Her story is an inspiration to all who face some sort of adversity and want to give up. For 18 years, this woman was held captive, mentally & physically abused (the rape descriptions were the hardest parts to read), & impregnated twice. While she had moments of despair (who wouldn't?), she always held out hope that some day her life would improve. Even post-captivity, Dugard has maintained an attitude that most could not. She refused - and refuses - to waste energy hating the people who stole her life. An amazing woman for sure.
January 10, 2022
Very heartbreaking. Poor Jaycee had to go through a lot to regain her freedom.
I hated Phillip (obviously), and in some scenes I hated Nancy even more. She enabled her husband's behaviour time and time again and even helped him with his sick fantasies. She had many opportunities to let Jaycee go but never did. She's just as disgusting as he is.
I'm glad Jaycee is free and doing okay now. I wish her lots of happiness.
I hated Phillip (obviously), and in some scenes I hated Nancy even more. She enabled her husband's behaviour time and time again and even helped him with his sick fantasies. She had many opportunities to let Jaycee go but never did. She's just as disgusting as he is.
I'm glad Jaycee is free and doing okay now. I wish her lots of happiness.
Read
July 25, 2011I don't feel right rating this book. It is clearly written by Jaycee as a completely free agent. No ghostwriter, no dictation -- just her, a computer, old journals and her memories. I think she did a great job providing her readers with the raw, hard to read details. She feels no shame for what was done to her and I believe that is why she comes across as so mentally healthy in interviews and in this book. I'm proud of her.
I'm still left with a lot of questions: How is she so certain Phillip did not sexually abuse her daughters? He was left alone with them very frequently and it seems many of those times he was left alone with the girls were at his suggestion for she and Nancy to go somewhere (stores, grocery, etc.). Her maternal connection seems thwarted. I don't begrudge her this. She was made a mom when she didn't want to become one. She was a child herself and never really grew. Her children were raised to believe she was their sister, not their mother. They slept inside the home while she slept outside in a tent by herself. How can you blame her for feeling a deeper connection to the animals that were in her presence all the time than for her own children? Its saddening but understandable.
Really really fascinating read.
I'm still left with a lot of questions: How is she so certain Phillip did not sexually abuse her daughters? He was left alone with them very frequently and it seems many of those times he was left alone with the girls were at his suggestion for she and Nancy to go somewhere (stores, grocery, etc.). Her maternal connection seems thwarted. I don't begrudge her this. She was made a mom when she didn't want to become one. She was a child herself and never really grew. Her children were raised to believe she was their sister, not their mother. They slept inside the home while she slept outside in a tent by herself. How can you blame her for feeling a deeper connection to the animals that were in her presence all the time than for her own children? Its saddening but understandable.
Really really fascinating read.
July 14, 2011
This book is an enigma. Until the final forty pages, it is a page-turner. Yet, I could not give it more than 3 stars and probably don't recommend it that highly. At the end, I will mention what groups of people I do think should buy the book and read it. But first, a very brief analysis of the book.
Dugard is the woman who was kidnapped in Lake Tahoe at age 11 and then kept as a sex slave by a man and his wife for 19 years. During that time, she became pregnant twice and gave birth to two girls. In 2009, she was discovered and released from captivity by police. Her captivity is brutal, nauseating, psychologically twisted and is designed to provoke horror in the readers.
Before analyzing the contents of the book, let me observe the overall approach the author takes. There are numerous grammatical, stylistic and word choice mistakes, common with young writers. I suspect Dugard had maximum control over the book's content. It is not polished like you would expect if a ghost writer had written it and not laid out with the common approaches most editors use. She explains in the Forward of the book that she had no intention of sticking with a chronological approach to the narrative. She jumps from the past to the present often. She does this well and though it at times gets annoying, it is never confusing. It is certainly much easier to follow than Time Traveler's Wife. She also decided to make the rape scenarios more graphic than is usually found in tell-all books. I suspect the presence of a therapist in this. It is obvious to me as a counselor that she has a lot of problems with burying her feelings and never allowing anger and pain to come to the surface. Therefore, there is a lot of catharsis in this book's pages.
I have several criticisms of the book's contents. First, she throws in a great deal of animosity toward her step-father, but the anger seems misplaced. She doesn't like how he gets angry because she doesn't brush her teeth. She keeps coming back to his insistence on rules and how he cancels play-dates because she lies to him. It is likely she finds it impossible to completely deal with her anger toward the Garridos (her captors) and so focuses part of it on her step-father. She also spends a great deal of time in the book telling how law enforcement failed to find her when they easily could have done it. Though this is true (and Diane Sawyer makes this her focal point in the Dugard interviews on ABC), the accounts of these are not woven into the book. They seem thrown in to emphasize the her grief. She also spends page after page after page reprinting journal entries that essentially show her caring for dogs and cats in minute detail. So little attention is paid to her daughters in the book that one would think she cared more about the animals than her girls. I know this cannot be true, and I suspect she does this to protect the identity and privacy of her daughters, but the over-emphasis on the animals does seem strange.
She does a number of things well. She analyzes her emotional state at each stage with credibility. I suspect a lot of this is due to the work of her therapist who is given a lot of credit with helping restore her to sanity at the end of the book. She also makes herself eminently quotable as she emphasizes how she refused to hate the Garridos, or even to be bitter over the pain they caused. She is very realistic and accurate in her descriptions of Garrido's flaws and sick behavior, not excusing any of it while analyzing how his drug use and sexual fetishes are not the result of mental illness but actually the other way around. I love how she does not paint her victim state with bright colors and will not allow the reader to see Garrido as a victim of mental illness either. In reading the book, I felt she was fair with all parties concerned, except perhaps her step-father whose only flaw seems to be his mildly unfair discipline of her.
I recommend the book for therapists, people helpers, law enforcement officials, civic leaders and anyone who is given the responsibility to help society rid ourselves of sexual predators. I also recommend this for parents who have raised their children and would like to be involved with helping others raise their children safely. Parents of small children - this book could give you nightmares or thrust you into becoming Helicopter parents if you're not careful. By no means should children read this book until they are in their late teens at least. Warning: The book contains a few highly sexual references and wording which will offend some.
I wish she would have allowed a ghost writer to help her weed out some of the weaker points and this would have been a better book. I am glad she had a chance to do this for herself. I hope it helps.
Dugard is the woman who was kidnapped in Lake Tahoe at age 11 and then kept as a sex slave by a man and his wife for 19 years. During that time, she became pregnant twice and gave birth to two girls. In 2009, she was discovered and released from captivity by police. Her captivity is brutal, nauseating, psychologically twisted and is designed to provoke horror in the readers.
Before analyzing the contents of the book, let me observe the overall approach the author takes. There are numerous grammatical, stylistic and word choice mistakes, common with young writers. I suspect Dugard had maximum control over the book's content. It is not polished like you would expect if a ghost writer had written it and not laid out with the common approaches most editors use. She explains in the Forward of the book that she had no intention of sticking with a chronological approach to the narrative. She jumps from the past to the present often. She does this well and though it at times gets annoying, it is never confusing. It is certainly much easier to follow than Time Traveler's Wife. She also decided to make the rape scenarios more graphic than is usually found in tell-all books. I suspect the presence of a therapist in this. It is obvious to me as a counselor that she has a lot of problems with burying her feelings and never allowing anger and pain to come to the surface. Therefore, there is a lot of catharsis in this book's pages.
I have several criticisms of the book's contents. First, she throws in a great deal of animosity toward her step-father, but the anger seems misplaced. She doesn't like how he gets angry because she doesn't brush her teeth. She keeps coming back to his insistence on rules and how he cancels play-dates because she lies to him. It is likely she finds it impossible to completely deal with her anger toward the Garridos (her captors) and so focuses part of it on her step-father. She also spends a great deal of time in the book telling how law enforcement failed to find her when they easily could have done it. Though this is true (and Diane Sawyer makes this her focal point in the Dugard interviews on ABC), the accounts of these are not woven into the book. They seem thrown in to emphasize the her grief. She also spends page after page after page reprinting journal entries that essentially show her caring for dogs and cats in minute detail. So little attention is paid to her daughters in the book that one would think she cared more about the animals than her girls. I know this cannot be true, and I suspect she does this to protect the identity and privacy of her daughters, but the over-emphasis on the animals does seem strange.
She does a number of things well. She analyzes her emotional state at each stage with credibility. I suspect a lot of this is due to the work of her therapist who is given a lot of credit with helping restore her to sanity at the end of the book. She also makes herself eminently quotable as she emphasizes how she refused to hate the Garridos, or even to be bitter over the pain they caused. She is very realistic and accurate in her descriptions of Garrido's flaws and sick behavior, not excusing any of it while analyzing how his drug use and sexual fetishes are not the result of mental illness but actually the other way around. I love how she does not paint her victim state with bright colors and will not allow the reader to see Garrido as a victim of mental illness either. In reading the book, I felt she was fair with all parties concerned, except perhaps her step-father whose only flaw seems to be his mildly unfair discipline of her.
I recommend the book for therapists, people helpers, law enforcement officials, civic leaders and anyone who is given the responsibility to help society rid ourselves of sexual predators. I also recommend this for parents who have raised their children and would like to be involved with helping others raise their children safely. Parents of small children - this book could give you nightmares or thrust you into becoming Helicopter parents if you're not careful. By no means should children read this book until they are in their late teens at least. Warning: The book contains a few highly sexual references and wording which will offend some.
I wish she would have allowed a ghost writer to help her weed out some of the weaker points and this would have been a better book. I am glad she had a chance to do this for herself. I hope it helps.
November 16, 2024
Reading Jaycee Dugard's story is beyond the truly harrowing. I cannot even begin to process and can only imagine the unimaginable horrors of degradation that her abductors inflicted on her as a 5th grader up until 2009, when remarkably, she was found alive.
Dugard is one hell of a survivor. I can only hope she finds peace and plenty of support moving forward. I remember watching on TV as a kid about her abduction, and it terrified me. I compulsively watched the news and shows like “America’s Most Wanted” and “Unsolved Mysteries”. I never in my life thought Dugard would’ve survived.
Young kids were all being kidnapped, assaulted and murdered in the early to mid 1980s-90s. Some of these youngsters around my age whose murders and abductions have haunted me to this day are: Michaela Garecht, Adam Walsh, Polly Klaas, AJ Schwartz, and Corinne Gustafson, just to name a few kids that did not survive the brutalities of their merciless killers.
When I got older, Elizabeth Smart's story had a positive outcome- and I am glad her being found would eventually give way to hope that Jaycee Dugard would one day be found. I am glad she did, and I sincerely hope she is doing everything the can to make sure her well being and children’s well being are cared for.
Dugard is one hell of a survivor. I can only hope she finds peace and plenty of support moving forward. I remember watching on TV as a kid about her abduction, and it terrified me. I compulsively watched the news and shows like “America’s Most Wanted” and “Unsolved Mysteries”. I never in my life thought Dugard would’ve survived.
Young kids were all being kidnapped, assaulted and murdered in the early to mid 1980s-90s. Some of these youngsters around my age whose murders and abductions have haunted me to this day are: Michaela Garecht, Adam Walsh, Polly Klaas, AJ Schwartz, and Corinne Gustafson, just to name a few kids that did not survive the brutalities of their merciless killers.
When I got older, Elizabeth Smart's story had a positive outcome- and I am glad her being found would eventually give way to hope that Jaycee Dugard would one day be found. I am glad she did, and I sincerely hope she is doing everything the can to make sure her well being and children’s well being are cared for.
August 27, 2016
Words cannot begin to describe the pain Jaycee Lee Dugard went through by the hands of the Garrido's, but this definitely comes close.
The narrative of Jaycee herself was harrowing at times but essentially poignant at others. This is a must read, but be warned you may need to rest up for a while after. My head is so all over the place.
It is a moving novel that has made me thankful for the childhood I had.
The narrative of Jaycee herself was harrowing at times but essentially poignant at others. This is a must read, but be warned you may need to rest up for a while after. My head is so all over the place.
It is a moving novel that has made me thankful for the childhood I had.
July 15, 2011
This book is very difficult to read -- which may seem like an obvious statement -- but I did not expect to personally have such a hard time reading it, as I usually do not have trouble reading hard topics. I (cried but) breezed right through Room, The Lovely Bones, Diary of Anne Frank, and The Book Thief, and I expected to do the same with Jaycee's memoir. But this was the first time I actually had to put a book down and leave it for a while because I felt physically ill after reading certain chapters. I do feel this is an important book for people to read and certainly compelling, but I give you this forewarning so you know -- the abuse she suffers is perhaps even worse than you are expecting. Certain people with sensitivities to difficult topics probably should not read this book. The descriptions of sexual abuse are not overly-gratuitous -- Jaycee writes in a very simple yet straightforward manner -- but she does give details and and it is these simple descriptions that will haunt you. I think that is what makes her memoir so moving: she does not *need* to be a gifted writer to move her readers; she does not need smooth prose or poetic language. Her story is *that* heartbreaking all on its own, just in the simple, straight-forward details of her day-to-day living in her captor's hell.
Jaycee's memoir reads a lot like a diary (and she does include several pages of the journal she kept while in captivity): she writes as she remembers it, from the perspective of a confused & terrified 11-year old. At the end of most chapters, she includes a "Reflections" section where she provides more insight and analysis of what she went through. You can see the work of her therapy here and just how far she has come in the two years since her rescue, and perhaps starting to make meaning out of her experience and make sense of it all.
Perhaps what is most impressive -- besides the fact that she survived -- is how she does not harbor any hate, resentment or regret. Her story is truly a testament to living life in the now, living life to its fullest, and not taking any moments for granted. Her story is also a testament to the human spirit and just how much one person can endure and still triumph in the end.
She is quite simply and unbelievably REMARKABLE.
Jaycee's memoir reads a lot like a diary (and she does include several pages of the journal she kept while in captivity): she writes as she remembers it, from the perspective of a confused & terrified 11-year old. At the end of most chapters, she includes a "Reflections" section where she provides more insight and analysis of what she went through. You can see the work of her therapy here and just how far she has come in the two years since her rescue, and perhaps starting to make meaning out of her experience and make sense of it all.
Perhaps what is most impressive -- besides the fact that she survived -- is how she does not harbor any hate, resentment or regret. Her story is truly a testament to living life in the now, living life to its fullest, and not taking any moments for granted. Her story is also a testament to the human spirit and just how much one person can endure and still triumph in the end.
She is quite simply and unbelievably REMARKABLE.
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