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Buried Memories: My Story: Updated Edition
UPDATED: New chapters from Katie
In 1992, nine-year-old Katie Beers was kidnapped by a family friend and locked in an underground box for 17 days. Katie has now come forward to tell the story that created a national media storm as reporters uncovered the truth about her pre-kidnapping life of neglect and sexual abuse and the details of her rescue. She shares how this experience and the recent death of her kidnapper, John Esposito, has affected her life. Despite the horrible reality of Katie's days of being chained in darkness, the kidnapping was, in fact, the climactic end of a tragic childhood and the beginning of a new life.
Katie breaks her silence and reveals her inspiring healing process to the journalist who covered the story of the disappearance more than twenty years ago. Buried Memories is the only source that includes the complete details of her traumatic childhood, transcriptions of recordings from Esposito, a first-hand account of how Katie felt after Esposito's death in 2013, and Katie's hopeful view of the future as she looks back into her dark past.
311 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 13, 2013
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4009 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 153 reviews
September 8, 2013
As a fellow Long Islander who is only a few years younger than Katie, this is a chilling and horrifying story. Katie is a courageous person, and the release of this book will hopefully spread a message around the nation to become more vigilant of children--even those who are not their own, and to report signs of neglect and abuse wherever present. I think this book unravels a lot of misconceptions about predators and how they truly operate.
March 27, 2025
‘Yet, it still astounds me that every single adult in my young life stole a piece of my childhood from me in one way or another.’
Back on 28th December 1992 nine-year-old Katie Beers was about to celebrate her 10th birthday. She was kidnapped by a family ‘friend’ 43-year-old contractor, John Esposito in Bay Shore, New York. Katie’s mother had already warned her not to go near Esposito as he had previously fiddled with her older half-brother. Katie’s godmother, Linda Inghilleri, said it was fine for Katie to go with John to an amusement arcade. Linda’s husband, Sal, was facing first-degree sexual-abuse charges involving Katie after Katie’s mother, Marilyn, had reported him to police. He had been arrested two months earlier and was due to appear in court in February.
How revolting is all of this? Poor Katie. What a start to life. Two predatory paedophiles abusing her. My word. The author, Gusoff, was a reporter at the time of the abduction and reported on the missing Katie. She meets with Katie a decade and a half later to write this book. Katie was not helped by any adults in her young life. ‘Neighbours suspected the little girl had been sexually abused; schools were aware she was chronically absent and had dropped out altogether soon after starting fourth grade; merchants were troubled for years by her abominable hygiene and lack of supervision; Suffolk County’s Child Protective Services had been to Katie’s house at least twice and in one visit claimed Linda hollered and chased the caseworker out.’
What I liked about this book was that it went over Katie’s life after all of this. We see how she coped after these dreadful events and the path her life took. What I did not like about the book was the confusing beginning. Katie’s young life was far from normal and I felt the author needed to go over the living arrangements and how the family was set-up before the kidnapping but this was not detailed until after. The book is actually very good but, in my opinion, has been ordered incorrectly and is let down as such.
Back on 28th December 1992 nine-year-old Katie Beers was about to celebrate her 10th birthday. She was kidnapped by a family ‘friend’ 43-year-old contractor, John Esposito in Bay Shore, New York. Katie’s mother had already warned her not to go near Esposito as he had previously fiddled with her older half-brother. Katie’s godmother, Linda Inghilleri, said it was fine for Katie to go with John to an amusement arcade. Linda’s husband, Sal, was facing first-degree sexual-abuse charges involving Katie after Katie’s mother, Marilyn, had reported him to police. He had been arrested two months earlier and was due to appear in court in February.
How revolting is all of this? Poor Katie. What a start to life. Two predatory paedophiles abusing her. My word. The author, Gusoff, was a reporter at the time of the abduction and reported on the missing Katie. She meets with Katie a decade and a half later to write this book. Katie was not helped by any adults in her young life. ‘Neighbours suspected the little girl had been sexually abused; schools were aware she was chronically absent and had dropped out altogether soon after starting fourth grade; merchants were troubled for years by her abominable hygiene and lack of supervision; Suffolk County’s Child Protective Services had been to Katie’s house at least twice and in one visit claimed Linda hollered and chased the caseworker out.’
What I liked about this book was that it went over Katie’s life after all of this. We see how she coped after these dreadful events and the path her life took. What I did not like about the book was the confusing beginning. Katie’s young life was far from normal and I felt the author needed to go over the living arrangements and how the family was set-up before the kidnapping but this was not detailed until after. The book is actually very good but, in my opinion, has been ordered incorrectly and is let down as such.
December 8, 2017
Beers and Gusoff have created a well written, thoughtful, complex, heartbreaking, insightful, and inspiring memoir of Katie Beers' 17 day abduction on the eve of her 10th birthday. It was a hard book to put down. Often with books of this nature, authors write in simplistic terms. Think of the way Ann Rule tells a story in which every single word or action the criminal says or does is evil and every action or word uttered by other people in the book turns out to the be the criminal's fault somehow. I am always intrigued by the cases Rule writes about but always find her writing so disappointing. Gusoff and Beers avoided the Ann Rule trap and because of it, have written an exceptionally poignant account of Katie's life and kidnapping that is a real contribution to those of us who try to understand why people do what they do. I don't want to read about true crime merely for the sensation of it, though I like sensation. I want to read it because I want to know what humans are capable of-- at their best, their worst, and their in between. Gusoff and Beers allowed me to really sink my brain into this case.
The thing I found most interesting to read about was the life of Katie's mom. She seems to have been raked over the coals -- in the general media, in the courts, and, to a large degree, in this book-- for her shitty parenting. I could jump on the bandwagon and proclaim that I too want to signal to all that I am a law abiding citizen, great parent, and overall good person who would never treat a child the way Katie's mother treated her. But, I can't help but think that is because my life has been far too blessed, even during what I considered to be the worst times in my life, to not have to have made the decisions Katie's mom had to make. Katie's mother is accused of neglecting Katie and "allowing" her to have contact with not one, but two child predators. Because Marilyn was never home and because she "allowed" Katie to have contact with dangerous people, her daughter was taken from her. I am not suggesting Katie should have stayed with her mother. I think her being sent to foster care was the best possible thing that could have happened to a child who had endured so much in her young life. What I am saying is that I think it is possible to believe it was right to remove Katie from Marilyn's home without crucifying Marilyn, and the following is my argument for why.
Marilyn Beers, Katies mother, was very poor, lived in a poor neighborhood, had menial jobs, and ended up not having any help raising her children. That includes child support. I have so many friends who get $40K plus a year that complain about how they get no help. I think dad's should be doing 50% of the raising of children. So, don't get me wrong. I am not defending men who pay 40k+ a year and do less than half the parenting. What I am saying is that 40k+ a year would have made a hell of a difference in Marilyn Beers' life and in the life of Katie. Marilyn had no child support on which to depend. Nor did she collect income from the state. Marilyn could have gone on welfare. She certainly could have qualified, but she was too proud. Instead of going on welfare, she worked her ass off at not one, but often two jobs. When Katie was born, Marilyn was working as a taxi driver, doing 12 hour shifts. Having no other option, she took newborn Katie to work with her on those 12 hour shifts. This is a woman who chose to work instead of collect off of the state. Even working two jobs, she couldn't afford child care. Whose fault is that? Hard working Marilyn's fault?
Marilyn's mother was in her 70s and could only help out so much. What was a single mother, who is working 2 jobs supposed to do about also raising children. How often are men stuck with having to work 2 jobs *and* raise children full time? Marilyn made some poor decisions out of desperation. She allowed her best friend to come live in her house and help take care of Katie. This was a mistake. This woman and her husband, who are freeloaders who lived off of hard working Marilyn's income, are the people who should be raked over the coals in the media, the courts, and in this book (which they are). They beat Katie, used her as a maid, and the husband sexually molested Katie for years.
Like many children, Katie didn't tell her mother about the sexual abuse. Thus, Marilyn never "allowed" Katie to be around a sexual predator. Should she have known? Maybe. Should she have invested more time in trying to find out? Yes. But you try to be a full time mom, have 2 jobs, and have to deal with the caretakers of your child being unsuitable (meaning you have to expend time and money you don't have to find a new care situation). Add on to that the fact that Marilyn's best friend and her husband were attacking Marilyn's character all the time, calling her a bad mother, which she believed. She was more interested in beating herself up than she was in calling them bad caretakers.
Marilyn's best friend is the person who allowed Katie to get in a car with a known sexual predator. Marilyn's son (Katie's brother) told Marilyn that the predator was touching him. One word from her child and Marilyn cut off all contact with the predator. When she found out her best friend's husband was a predator, she cut off contact with him. At no time did Marilyn "allow" Katie to have contact with predators. She is guilty of being unaware. She is guilty of being far too busy working to parent either one of her children. There is no question about that. But to portray her as someone who welcomed predators in her home is unfair. The predators preyed on both Marilyn and Katie. In that way, she is a victim along with Katie.
It is clear Katie, and all children, need better parenting than someone as poor and hardworking (and naive) as Marilyn could provide. Katie needed a better set of live in caretakers, a better grandmother, a better community. My defense of Marilyn only goes so far though. She doesn't seem to have been able to learn much from her experience of losing Katie. Even when Katie was grown up, with children of her own, it doesn't seem that Marilyn tried very hard to be in Katie's life. I can imagine a tone had been set, in which Marilyn realized other people could care for Katie better than she ever could. I am just having a hard time imagining myself ever voluntarily giving up trying to have a relationship with my child.
Marilyn was not the only complex character in the book. To Beers' and Gusoff's credit, they did a great job of presenting as true to life a description of the characters as possible. The main predator's mind was so hard to understand. There were times when I truly believed he imagined, in some really fucked up warped way, that he was protecting Katie from her messed up life. It makes no sense how he could believe raping a child could ever "save" her, but it seems he might have actually believe this.
The writing in this story was exceptional and gripping. So don't pick this book up unless you have time to read it cover to cover.
The thing I found most interesting to read about was the life of Katie's mom. She seems to have been raked over the coals -- in the general media, in the courts, and, to a large degree, in this book-- for her shitty parenting. I could jump on the bandwagon and proclaim that I too want to signal to all that I am a law abiding citizen, great parent, and overall good person who would never treat a child the way Katie's mother treated her. But, I can't help but think that is because my life has been far too blessed, even during what I considered to be the worst times in my life, to not have to have made the decisions Katie's mom had to make. Katie's mother is accused of neglecting Katie and "allowing" her to have contact with not one, but two child predators. Because Marilyn was never home and because she "allowed" Katie to have contact with dangerous people, her daughter was taken from her. I am not suggesting Katie should have stayed with her mother. I think her being sent to foster care was the best possible thing that could have happened to a child who had endured so much in her young life. What I am saying is that I think it is possible to believe it was right to remove Katie from Marilyn's home without crucifying Marilyn, and the following is my argument for why.
Marilyn Beers, Katies mother, was very poor, lived in a poor neighborhood, had menial jobs, and ended up not having any help raising her children. That includes child support. I have so many friends who get $40K plus a year that complain about how they get no help. I think dad's should be doing 50% of the raising of children. So, don't get me wrong. I am not defending men who pay 40k+ a year and do less than half the parenting. What I am saying is that 40k+ a year would have made a hell of a difference in Marilyn Beers' life and in the life of Katie. Marilyn had no child support on which to depend. Nor did she collect income from the state. Marilyn could have gone on welfare. She certainly could have qualified, but she was too proud. Instead of going on welfare, she worked her ass off at not one, but often two jobs. When Katie was born, Marilyn was working as a taxi driver, doing 12 hour shifts. Having no other option, she took newborn Katie to work with her on those 12 hour shifts. This is a woman who chose to work instead of collect off of the state. Even working two jobs, she couldn't afford child care. Whose fault is that? Hard working Marilyn's fault?
Marilyn's mother was in her 70s and could only help out so much. What was a single mother, who is working 2 jobs supposed to do about also raising children. How often are men stuck with having to work 2 jobs *and* raise children full time? Marilyn made some poor decisions out of desperation. She allowed her best friend to come live in her house and help take care of Katie. This was a mistake. This woman and her husband, who are freeloaders who lived off of hard working Marilyn's income, are the people who should be raked over the coals in the media, the courts, and in this book (which they are). They beat Katie, used her as a maid, and the husband sexually molested Katie for years.
Like many children, Katie didn't tell her mother about the sexual abuse. Thus, Marilyn never "allowed" Katie to be around a sexual predator. Should she have known? Maybe. Should she have invested more time in trying to find out? Yes. But you try to be a full time mom, have 2 jobs, and have to deal with the caretakers of your child being unsuitable (meaning you have to expend time and money you don't have to find a new care situation). Add on to that the fact that Marilyn's best friend and her husband were attacking Marilyn's character all the time, calling her a bad mother, which she believed. She was more interested in beating herself up than she was in calling them bad caretakers.
Marilyn's best friend is the person who allowed Katie to get in a car with a known sexual predator. Marilyn's son (Katie's brother) told Marilyn that the predator was touching him. One word from her child and Marilyn cut off all contact with the predator. When she found out her best friend's husband was a predator, she cut off contact with him. At no time did Marilyn "allow" Katie to have contact with predators. She is guilty of being unaware. She is guilty of being far too busy working to parent either one of her children. There is no question about that. But to portray her as someone who welcomed predators in her home is unfair. The predators preyed on both Marilyn and Katie. In that way, she is a victim along with Katie.
It is clear Katie, and all children, need better parenting than someone as poor and hardworking (and naive) as Marilyn could provide. Katie needed a better set of live in caretakers, a better grandmother, a better community. My defense of Marilyn only goes so far though. She doesn't seem to have been able to learn much from her experience of losing Katie. Even when Katie was grown up, with children of her own, it doesn't seem that Marilyn tried very hard to be in Katie's life. I can imagine a tone had been set, in which Marilyn realized other people could care for Katie better than she ever could. I am just having a hard time imagining myself ever voluntarily giving up trying to have a relationship with my child.
Marilyn was not the only complex character in the book. To Beers' and Gusoff's credit, they did a great job of presenting as true to life a description of the characters as possible. The main predator's mind was so hard to understand. There were times when I truly believed he imagined, in some really fucked up warped way, that he was protecting Katie from her messed up life. It makes no sense how he could believe raping a child could ever "save" her, but it seems he might have actually believe this.
The writing in this story was exceptional and gripping. So don't pick this book up unless you have time to read it cover to cover.
February 4, 2018
Ļoti labi uzrakstītas atmiņas par briesmīgu bērnību, pieaugušo nevērību un vardarbību. Lielā mērā grāmatas kvalitāti nosaka tas, ka to sarakstījusi jaunāko ziņu žurnāliste, kurai Keitija uzticējusi savu stāstu.
February 22, 2016
I was a little annoyed how much the author injected herself into the story. This book is supposed to be Katie Beer's story but much of it was about the reporter's feelings, her father's brain tumor, and what it's like to be a T.V. news reporter.
The most interesting parts of the book were in Katie Beer's own voice. Katie is very strong and brave. A truly admirable survivor. She is fortunate to have had good therapy and a great foster family. One wonders how her life would have turned out if she had not been kidnapped. Sadly, the life she lived before her kidnapping is not so unusual. In bringing awareness of children in similar situations, Katie's cooperation in writing it is admirable.
I also found some of the things her therapist said to be interesting. There was a part where the therapist was concerned that Katie would have anxiety as a mother because of what happened to her as a child. I never thought about that before and it made me reflect quite a bit on my own extreme anxiety toward my children.
The most interesting parts of the book were in Katie Beer's own voice. Katie is very strong and brave. A truly admirable survivor. She is fortunate to have had good therapy and a great foster family. One wonders how her life would have turned out if she had not been kidnapped. Sadly, the life she lived before her kidnapping is not so unusual. In bringing awareness of children in similar situations, Katie's cooperation in writing it is admirable.
I also found some of the things her therapist said to be interesting. There was a part where the therapist was concerned that Katie would have anxiety as a mother because of what happened to her as a child. I never thought about that before and it made me reflect quite a bit on my own extreme anxiety toward my children.
March 3, 2013
I thought this would be a good read. I didn't care for it, but for only one reason and that was how it was written. The story did not flow. It jumped back and forth and from the various people that was involved and back and forth in time. Very hard to follow. It repeated information over and over also. I sadly have to say that I got 65% through it and skipped to the end to read the last part on Katie.
February 13, 2014
A Story Of Survival, Courage and Hope! A Must Read for Parents/People Everywhere!!! I'm not going to go into many details on the book itself. Chances are if you're here then you remember the national headlines and like the rest of us sat glued to your television set each day as the horrific events about Katie's abduction played out on an national stage. As each day progressed the world learned more and more about Katie and her awful surroundings. More light was shed on the amount of abuse, neglect and pain this poor girl must have suffered through in her short life. At age 9 she was kidnapped by a family friend who made it look like she was taken at knife point by a stranger and locked into a small coffin sized box underneath his garage. For the next 17 days she would stay there as his prisoner facing unimaginable terror but that is only part of the story. In Buried Memories: Katie Beer's Story we are taken back to hear earliest years and shown a life of neglect, struggle and very little love. We are given accounts of her horrible ordeal before and after the kidnapping and then are shown her recovery and those who came to her rescue. The system which initially failed this little girl did a commendable job of trying to atone for it's past mistakes. She was put into a loving foster home with a new family. She had a great team, an amazing psychologist and all of the authorities involved did an outstanding job of not only putting away the two vile monsters in her life but also helped to keep the media at bay so this little girl could move on with her life and go to school without being hounded each and every day.
This is one of the hardest things I've ever read but also I feel one of the most important things I've ever read. To say Katie Beer is courageous is a gross understatement. I doubt many children could have survived what she did but not only did she survive but she moved forward and prospered. She was a tough little girl who was extremely street smart and wise beyond her years. I think it's awesome that the author and reporter Carolyn Gusoff was one of those who respected this girls wishes and stayed away from her instead of trying to get a scoop after everything was said and done. She was the perfect choice to help write this book. She managed to tell Katie's story with a great deal of compassion and respect. I think every parent owes it to themselves to read this harrowing tale. Unfortunately most of the time that children are sexually abused it is not by a stranger but by a relative or family friend: someone the child knows and loves which is just a betrayal beyond words. I would urge parents everywhere to read this. To talk to their children and make sure that their children KNOW that they can come to them with anything and that they won't get into trouble. It's important that children understand the dangers of not only strangers but also family and friends, the dangers of anyone who would try to abuse them. I would definitely read this before allowing your teenagers to read it though(depending on their age). This is not an easy subject and while it handles the more sensitive matters with the utmost respect it still talks about them so you may want to read it first. Be warned that this is not an easy book to read although I think it's a very important one to read. I can only imagine Katie's pain. This book hurt me just reading it and she had to live through this.
I'm glad that there is a happy ending for Katie. I know that she'll never completely be normal or get over what was done to her in her past but it warms my heart to know that she was able to make it through all of that and still find love. Her new family deserve a lot of credit along with Katie's psychologist and everyone around her that helped her through her childhood and teenage years. Those in the law enforcement, especially those who had children made this case personal and looked after her like she was their own daughter. Katie's husband who sounds like a very special man. Most of all Katie deserves a lot of credit. Not only is she a good person but she is probably one of the strongest people I've ever had the fortune to read about. I hope that the rest of her life will be filled with happiness and kindness and that she will continue to heal. If she ever reads this I'd just like to take the opportunity to thank her for sharing her story. I do believe it will help others who have been through similar things to see that you can heal and lead a normal life and find happiness. Thank you Katie: I hope you are doing well. I pray that in finally sharing her story it has also helped her to heal. I cannot recommend this book enough!
This is one of the hardest things I've ever read but also I feel one of the most important things I've ever read. To say Katie Beer is courageous is a gross understatement. I doubt many children could have survived what she did but not only did she survive but she moved forward and prospered. She was a tough little girl who was extremely street smart and wise beyond her years. I think it's awesome that the author and reporter Carolyn Gusoff was one of those who respected this girls wishes and stayed away from her instead of trying to get a scoop after everything was said and done. She was the perfect choice to help write this book. She managed to tell Katie's story with a great deal of compassion and respect. I think every parent owes it to themselves to read this harrowing tale. Unfortunately most of the time that children are sexually abused it is not by a stranger but by a relative or family friend: someone the child knows and loves which is just a betrayal beyond words. I would urge parents everywhere to read this. To talk to their children and make sure that their children KNOW that they can come to them with anything and that they won't get into trouble. It's important that children understand the dangers of not only strangers but also family and friends, the dangers of anyone who would try to abuse them. I would definitely read this before allowing your teenagers to read it though(depending on their age). This is not an easy subject and while it handles the more sensitive matters with the utmost respect it still talks about them so you may want to read it first. Be warned that this is not an easy book to read although I think it's a very important one to read. I can only imagine Katie's pain. This book hurt me just reading it and she had to live through this.
I'm glad that there is a happy ending for Katie. I know that she'll never completely be normal or get over what was done to her in her past but it warms my heart to know that she was able to make it through all of that and still find love. Her new family deserve a lot of credit along with Katie's psychologist and everyone around her that helped her through her childhood and teenage years. Those in the law enforcement, especially those who had children made this case personal and looked after her like she was their own daughter. Katie's husband who sounds like a very special man. Most of all Katie deserves a lot of credit. Not only is she a good person but she is probably one of the strongest people I've ever had the fortune to read about. I hope that the rest of her life will be filled with happiness and kindness and that she will continue to heal. If she ever reads this I'd just like to take the opportunity to thank her for sharing her story. I do believe it will help others who have been through similar things to see that you can heal and lead a normal life and find happiness. Thank you Katie: I hope you are doing well. I pray that in finally sharing her story it has also helped her to heal. I cannot recommend this book enough!
March 16, 2016
This was definitively an interesting read. I thought the way the story was woven between Carolyn Gusoff and Katie Beers was really well done. For reasons that I don't quite understand I've read quite a lot of these types of books of late. Many of them have been poorly ghost written, or written by the non-writer victims. This has detracted from the story at hand. Not the case in this book.
Katie is an amazingly brave person. The abuse she endured is heartbreaking. I couldn't believe that adults could so horribly abuse an innocent girl. Her strength in over coming her abuse and having a functional, loving live is truly astounding. Its very inspirational to know that everything can be overcome.
Katie is an amazingly brave person. The abuse she endured is heartbreaking. I couldn't believe that adults could so horribly abuse an innocent girl. Her strength in over coming her abuse and having a functional, loving live is truly astounding. Its very inspirational to know that everything can be overcome.
July 11, 2024
Ärligt glad att den är över. Även om Katies historia är väldigt intressant och gripande, så kändes boken så segdraget skriven. Läste och läste men kom ingenstans. Uppskattade inte heller Carolyn Gusoffs inslag, kändes som att hon mest beskrev hur HON hade det/tänkte/kände istället för att bidra med samlat perspektiv utifrån.
Litet plus för att Katie lyckats formulera sina minnen på ett naket, "barnsligt" sätt. Tydligt att det är lilla Katies känslor och tankar som kommer fram i ljuset.
Tänker att hennes syfte, att boken ska hjälpa andra läka, förhoppningsvis uppfylls!
Litet plus för att Katie lyckats formulera sina minnen på ett naket, "barnsligt" sätt. Tydligt att det är lilla Katies känslor och tankar som kommer fram i ljuset.
Tänker att hennes syfte, att boken ska hjälpa andra läka, förhoppningsvis uppfylls!
May 11, 2015
This book is seen through Katie Beers memories and other people who knew katie. I remember hearing the news a bit over 20 years ago. Katie Beers came up missing right around New Years of 1992. She was a couple days shy of ten years old. She was found 16 days later hid in a "bunker" under a garage apartment. the man who kidnapped her was a friend of the family.Years Later Katie Beers has decided to come out with this book the tell of her memories of the ten years that lead up to the kidnapping and her sixteen days chained to a wall in this tiny underground prison. Her memories of her childhood is heartbreaking. Not only those horrific sixteen days but the life she spend with her aunt and "uncle' she suffered years of abuse and molestation. I appreciate that she shared "what became of her' up to a year or two ago. I am glad to read that after she was found and rescued she spent the rest of her childhood with a wonderful loving foster family that became her family. there are other accounts by those who knew her one way or another. I was glad i got the chance to find out what happened to katie Beers. I remember seeing that video of that tiny little girl who was rescued all those years ago.
May 11, 2013
Buried Memories: Katie Beer’s Story is a recount of Katie Beer’s childhood. From being sexually, physically, and emotionally abused since the age of two, Katie had to learn how to be tough. Her toughness was challenged when she was kidnapped near her 10th birthday by a family friend. She was found 17 days later in an underground bunker. This 1992 tragedy hit headlines around the nation. The book is about the abuse, kidnapping and the recovery of Katie. It is told by Katie, Carolynn Gustoff (the author), and Katie’s therapist Mary. It has been 20 years since the kidnapping and Katie felt that by publishing a book that it would help with the healing process.
The pros out-way the cons very much so. The author put a lot of time and effort into describing Katie’s experiences as a child and Katie is very straight forward about what happened to her. The only con would be the how the book is organized. But it is super easy to get into! I would recommend this book to anyone. It is very sad it makes you feel angry at the world, but by the end you feel like you really know Katie and you want to give her a big hug.
The pros out-way the cons very much so. The author put a lot of time and effort into describing Katie’s experiences as a child and Katie is very straight forward about what happened to her. The only con would be the how the book is organized. But it is super easy to get into! I would recommend this book to anyone. It is very sad it makes you feel angry at the world, but by the end you feel like you really know Katie and you want to give her a big hug.
March 26, 2013
This is a very well written book about Katie's experience being kidnapped and held captive by John Esposito. The book goes back and forth from Katie telling her story to Carolyn Gusoff, a tv reporter who covered the case, telling her point of view of covering the disappearance and investigation of what happened to Katie. Carolyn's part of the book is valuable since there are some things Katie does not remember from being held captive that Carolyn covers in her chapters. It is a fascinating story of Katie's determination to overcome what happened to her and to move on with her life after she was rescued. Katie is a very strong person to have endured being kept in the underground bunker and not knowing at the time if she would ever be rescued. I highly recommend this book for people who enjoy reading survival and true crime stories.
April 3, 2017
The book was good, a fast read. It was easy to read but hard to swallow. Her story is so horrendous - to begin with. I felt the beginning of the story was written well - I feel it is typical of books in this nature to be written in a certain way/tone. The present day material seemed as if it was written different, and perhaps that has to do with feelings - there are a lot of feelings for both the authors and reader.
These types of accounts are necessary, even though they are not always the most well written accounts. To me, it seems essential to be reminded that evil can exist and to keep that possibility there - you need to know what signs these perpetrators give off in order to protect yourself and your family.
These types of accounts are necessary, even though they are not always the most well written accounts. To me, it seems essential to be reminded that evil can exist and to keep that possibility there - you need to know what signs these perpetrators give off in order to protect yourself and your family.
February 12, 2013
Wow! I remember when katie was kidnapped- I didn't realize the abuse she had suffered through- not happy with Carolyn gusoff's portrayal of bay shore- bay shore is huge and there are some lovely areas and lovely people- Carolyn should have done better research - I have lived in west bay shore for 35 years and didn't appreciate her generalizations of the area- not good reporting!i- good bless you, katie- I am so glad to know you are doing well!
January 29, 2013
Certainly not a masterpiece, but good journalistic type writing. The book doesn't promise anything more. Interesting read, hard to imagine the horrors this little girl went through. It could be about 50 pages shorter though... a lot of repetition toward the end. If you like books about human suffering, the ability to overcome odds, and true crime books, you will like this one.
October 28, 2016
This is my first memoir I had read and I truly enjoy it. The book has a lot of emotion involved and was had a good lay out of chronical order of events Katie has gone through from her first abuse at two years old to when she is grown women living with a husband and children. The book has me at the edge of my chair with all the up and downs Katie ahs gone through and overcame at such a young age.
March 10, 2013
Really amazing. Compelling and real. Her abduction and sexual abuse comes on top of an entire childhood of trauma and abuse, so then she has to figure out not just how to get back to a functional life, but what one is.
January 2, 2018
Child abuse in the extreme
Excellent read that was heart-wrenching and terrifying all at once. Very glad the author finished the way she did so readers can have closure for the horrific abuse Katie Beers suffered.
Excellent read that was heart-wrenching and terrifying all at once. Very glad the author finished the way she did so readers can have closure for the horrific abuse Katie Beers suffered.
January 25, 2013
Whew, this one is slow going. Interesting story in its entirety, just longer than it needs to be.
January 17, 2013
True story of Katie Beers, who was kidnapped in 1992. I didn't really like the writing style, but the story was interesting and emotional.
January 29, 2013
Narrated from two perspectives. A captivating story about a life of abuse and neglect. And how one overcomes such tragedy to live a full and meaningful life.
April 6, 2025
Wow , this book brought me to tears on several occasions through out the horrible story of Katie Beers. I grew up on Long Island and was the same age as Katie at the time of abduction and could not possibly have been so strong as her . I am beyond joyous that she has made herself a life and has learned to have solid and honest loving connections with family and friends and even vital members in her recovery . I did not give this book 5 stars as there was many typos and repeating of sentences and even paragraphs that’s cause confusion and I felt that the story was hard to follow at times as they jumped from different ages of Katie. My heart goes out to her and the tears shed at the end of this book for you Katie was from the bottom of my heart !
October 13, 2020
This is book tells Katie Beer’s story. It talks about all the traumas she had in her childhood. The things she went through has a child made me sick to my stomach. Some part were hard to even read because they were true words.
May 3, 2018
There is a lot of gut wrenching and shocking information in this story.
Katie Beers was kidnapped just before her 10th birthday by a family friend and held in an underground bunker for almost 3 weeks where she was sexually abused and raped.
Unfortunately her story leading up to that moment was hardly pleasant either. She was neglected by her mother, physically abused by her "aunt", and physically and sexually abused by her "uncle".
Luckily her story after the abduction is one of recovery and love with a foster family (not that everything is perfect, but it her life has vastly improved).
It's an amazing story and the details are shocking without relying on overly detailed descriptions.
However, the structure of the novel is a little out of whack. It doesn't quite follow a timeline. Instead it's based on Carolyn Gusoff's interviews with Katie, the lead detective, Katie's therapist, Katie's mother, and Gusoff's own experience reporting on the case. It would've been nice to have everything put together chronologically even if it meant breaking in to smaller chapters.
Finally, Katie suffered a lot, but she was one giant idiot moment near the end of the book. When originally promoting the book she went on the Dr. Phil show and was amazed and disgusted by the ridiculous shock-and-awe tactics he used. Look. Before you agree to go on a show, maybe you should watch a few episodes. Maybe her publisher pushed her in to it, but I felt Katie was partially at fault for putting herself in that situation and she took none of the blame for the incident when she spends most of the novel complaining about how her abusers refused to accept any of the blame for their actions.
These are somewhat minor annoyances in the overall book. It's an interesting and compelling story.
Katie Beers was kidnapped just before her 10th birthday by a family friend and held in an underground bunker for almost 3 weeks where she was sexually abused and raped.
Unfortunately her story leading up to that moment was hardly pleasant either. She was neglected by her mother, physically abused by her "aunt", and physically and sexually abused by her "uncle".
Luckily her story after the abduction is one of recovery and love with a foster family (not that everything is perfect, but it her life has vastly improved).
It's an amazing story and the details are shocking without relying on overly detailed descriptions.
However, the structure of the novel is a little out of whack. It doesn't quite follow a timeline. Instead it's based on Carolyn Gusoff's interviews with Katie, the lead detective, Katie's therapist, Katie's mother, and Gusoff's own experience reporting on the case. It would've been nice to have everything put together chronologically even if it meant breaking in to smaller chapters.
Finally, Katie suffered a lot, but she was one giant idiot moment near the end of the book. When originally promoting the book she went on the Dr. Phil show and was amazed and disgusted by the ridiculous shock-and-awe tactics he used. Look. Before you agree to go on a show, maybe you should watch a few episodes. Maybe her publisher pushed her in to it, but I felt Katie was partially at fault for putting herself in that situation and she took none of the blame for the incident when she spends most of the novel complaining about how her abusers refused to accept any of the blame for their actions.
These are somewhat minor annoyances in the overall book. It's an interesting and compelling story.
June 1, 2015
PUBLISHING INFO: Beaufort Books, 4/2015
ORIGINALLY PUB: Titletown Publishing, 2/2013
GENRE: Nonfiction/Memoir/True Crime
SETTING: New York & Pennsylvania
MY GRADE: A
What a disturbing read. I like that the narration shifts from Katie to Carolyn Gusoff, who was a television reporter who actually covered Katie's case. We get more than one person's perspective on the story. One chapter will be written by Carolyn and will be about her experiences with reporting on this case at the time it was happening, and the next chapter will be written by Katie, and so on throughout the entire book. The revised edition has a few extra chapters with both authors. I thought it was very well written and informative, honest and very sad. There were many black and white photos of most of the people talked about in the book, peppered throughout the book.
The only thing that could have made this book better is if Katie's mother, brother, and piece of sh!t godmother had been interviewed for this. I really would have liked to hear what her brother had to say about his own childhood. A pretty brief summary on this case can be found at Wikipedia. You can see interviews with Katie on Youtube.
This case is similar to one from the 1970's involving a fourteen-year old boy named Paul Martin Andrews.
I received this from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
October 14, 2013
Buried Memories: Katie Beer's Story, authored by Katie Beers with Carolyn Gusoff is a true story about Katie's kidnapping and childhood abuse. The story is told in alternating chapters by Katie or Carolyn. This results in some confusion as to who is narrating at the start of chapters.
As with many true crime books I have read, there is a lot of repetition.
Katie was held in an underground dungeon or bunker. I studied the photos of the dungeon and am still confused as to what this looked like.
Katie was chained in a "coffin-like" box. In her kidnapper's absence she found a key, unlocking her chains when he left her prison-home. Yet she did not want him to know this, thus, would not use the commode which had nothing in it except a trash bag. When she could no longer hold her bladder, she slid down to the end of her coffin bed urinating under the TV that was left on 24/7.
In the photographs, the TV appears to be across the room from her cubbyhole. I also wondered what the box was underneath her coffin which also has an opening as if able to crawl inside it. Likewise curious as to what appears to be a hose in Katie's coffin.
Buried Memories is a good read (if one does not mind reading about child physical, mental, sexual abuse) that could have been a little bit better.
As with many true crime books I have read, there is a lot of repetition.
Katie was held in an underground dungeon or bunker. I studied the photos of the dungeon and am still confused as to what this looked like.
Katie was chained in a "coffin-like" box. In her kidnapper's absence she found a key, unlocking her chains when he left her prison-home. Yet she did not want him to know this, thus, would not use the commode which had nothing in it except a trash bag. When she could no longer hold her bladder, she slid down to the end of her coffin bed urinating under the TV that was left on 24/7.
In the photographs, the TV appears to be across the room from her cubbyhole. I also wondered what the box was underneath her coffin which also has an opening as if able to crawl inside it. Likewise curious as to what appears to be a hose in Katie's coffin.
Buried Memories is a good read (if one does not mind reading about child physical, mental, sexual abuse) that could have been a little bit better.
May 27, 2013
This book was really good, which is interesting to say because the events it describes are so incredibly horrific. All of this terrible stuff happens to a little girl, who's so neglected and so abused that being kidnapped isn't much of a difference in her life. The reason why this book was good was the hope that stems from it. Katie grows up to become a relatively well adjusted woman, who graduates from college and gets married and then has two children. None of this is spoilers either, it's all told in the beginning of the book and on the back cover. It's this hope that made the terrible things that happen throughout the book, the entire first ten years of her life, endurable. The reader knows from the very beginning that Katie gets adopted into a loving family and comes out even better than before due to her kidnapping. She's able to fight back against these people and what was done to her by telling her story and letting everyone know the horror that was her life. She's a very strong woman, to be able to tell the story of her life so openly in order to help everyone who might be afraid to speak out. It was well written, by a reporter that worked in 1992 when the original case came out.
April 8, 2014
Katie Beers was born into an unfortunate life in a broken home to a mother without the life skills to raise her properly, protect her from harm, or even provide her with basic needs.
Soon Katie finds herself living with her "Godparents" Linda and Sal Inghilleri. The sexual abuse by Sal Inghilleri began when Katie was only two years old and escalated as she got older. Linda, who was disabled and in a wheelchair, was also abusive, making Katie do all the chores and errands at a very very young age.
Then, on December 28, 1992, two days before her tenth birthday, Katie is kidnapped by a family friend, John Esposito, and hidden away in a coffin sized bunker underneath Esposito's garage. He kept her there for 16 days, raping and molesting her and providing her with only the basic needs to survive.
Finally, Esposito turns himself in to authorities and Katie is found. She was adopted by her foster family and went on to college, married, and has children. Katie has adapted well to life after her ordeal but her scars are far from healed.
Soon Katie finds herself living with her "Godparents" Linda and Sal Inghilleri. The sexual abuse by Sal Inghilleri began when Katie was only two years old and escalated as she got older. Linda, who was disabled and in a wheelchair, was also abusive, making Katie do all the chores and errands at a very very young age.
Then, on December 28, 1992, two days before her tenth birthday, Katie is kidnapped by a family friend, John Esposito, and hidden away in a coffin sized bunker underneath Esposito's garage. He kept her there for 16 days, raping and molesting her and providing her with only the basic needs to survive.
Finally, Esposito turns himself in to authorities and Katie is found. She was adopted by her foster family and went on to college, married, and has children. Katie has adapted well to life after her ordeal but her scars are far from healed.
January 24, 2016
“Remembering is healing. I’m sure of that now. No matter how hard it is to talk and write about the embarrassing details, they must be brought to light. And then, once they are revealed, they can be shed, like an old skin. And buried. That’s why I never want to hear the tapes. I have remembered enough” (236).
Katie’s story as a 10-year-old child who was missing for 17 days and held captive in an underground bunker is finally brought to light in all its sordid details, told from Katie’s perspective along with reporter, Carolyn Gusoff, who frequently (and in my opinion unnecessarily) inserts herself into the narrative. I’m sure the writing of her story was indeed therapeutic for Katie, my only critique is the writing style of Ms. Gusoff. I found the writing to be disjointed and lacking in flow – perhaps this is due to her training as a journalist. Nevertheless, this is a story of unbounded resilience as a young child endures a horrific upbringing and manages to make something of her life.
Katie’s story as a 10-year-old child who was missing for 17 days and held captive in an underground bunker is finally brought to light in all its sordid details, told from Katie’s perspective along with reporter, Carolyn Gusoff, who frequently (and in my opinion unnecessarily) inserts herself into the narrative. I’m sure the writing of her story was indeed therapeutic for Katie, my only critique is the writing style of Ms. Gusoff. I found the writing to be disjointed and lacking in flow – perhaps this is due to her training as a journalist. Nevertheless, this is a story of unbounded resilience as a young child endures a horrific upbringing and manages to make something of her life.
September 2, 2018
Must Read life Journey
Thank you, Katie Beers for sharing your utterly astounding and uplifting story, and to Carolyn for helping you tell it.
Though this is a story filled with the darkness of child abuse, neglect, and sexual abuse, it will leave your spirits soaring on that thing called hope.
I am so glad to have met Katie Beers and the members of her team. These slayers of dragons. These people of faith and belief in standing up and doing the right thing thing, and in the protection of children.
You will be hard-pressed to find another heroine like Katie, for that is what this courageous young woman is. A heroine with a darkness of heart even for those who have so terribly wronged her.
Simply and carefully written from alternating points of view of the two women, the violence is never sensationalized as Katie's story unfolds.
Do not miss this book.
I surrendered two days to it exclusively and I will never forget this story of the people in it.
Thank you, Katie Beers for sharing your utterly astounding and uplifting story, and to Carolyn for helping you tell it.
Though this is a story filled with the darkness of child abuse, neglect, and sexual abuse, it will leave your spirits soaring on that thing called hope.
I am so glad to have met Katie Beers and the members of her team. These slayers of dragons. These people of faith and belief in standing up and doing the right thing thing, and in the protection of children.
You will be hard-pressed to find another heroine like Katie, for that is what this courageous young woman is. A heroine with a darkness of heart even for those who have so terribly wronged her.
Simply and carefully written from alternating points of view of the two women, the violence is never sensationalized as Katie's story unfolds.
Do not miss this book.
I surrendered two days to it exclusively and I will never forget this story of the people in it.
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