Customer Reviews

A Stolen Life: A Memoir

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is so heartbreaking I could not keep the tears from coming and I didn't want to put it down. With such little education, she did an amazing job raising her kids (in such a condition) and made sure all three of them survive. I could not imagine living through such a ordeal, even though at time in the book I felt like I was living this nightmare with them. Excellent job and I highly recommend this book to anyone that could handle it.

This story is absolutely gutwrenching and what happened to Jaycee is such a terrible tragedy. I'm not a parent but I could not imagine the devastation that losing a child like this would bring - this story is so captivating and sad. Jaycee has only a grade 5 education at the time she is stolen, and the way the book was written really reflects that. I understand that she didn't have an education, but the simple words and short thoughts took away from the story sometimes. I don't feel like I ever really got to know the narrator that well because the language is too juvenile and she has a hard time expressing herself through words. I thought the story was incredible, but the writing left me wanting for more.

Written simply and gut wrenchingly truthful, I could not put this book down. Jaycee's courage and determination to survive is an inspiration to everyone.

This book has kept me captivated for the last days, first by reading it in one day and now it still being very much on my mind. It is a simple and honest account of those terrible years. No need for a literary masterpiece! The book accomplishes what it should: giving the reader some understanding what Jaycee Dugard went through and how she was able to survive, especially mentally, such ordeal!

Jaycee Dugard has written this memoir after having been kidnaped at age eleven and kept hostage for eighteen years. The state of California paid Jaycee twenty million dollars as settlement acknowledging the mistakes made by parole officers responsible for monitoring her kidnapper, Phillip Garrido.
This is a true story, and because it is what sells nowadays, it became a hit, of course.
I actually remember seeing the news and being appalled that someone age 29 could live in a backyard and consider herself 'kidnapped' whilst going shopping at Wal-Mart, having police come into the house, no real supervision or handcuffs or' the list is actually incredibly long.
Of course I realised what I am actually listening to about half way through. I would be untruthful if I did not admit that Jaycee reads her book well, it helps that she lived the story, so she gets to be better at narrating than many professionals I've heard.
My heart goes to the eleven year old who went through the atrocities half described in that book. I bet you many pedophiles and perverts of all sorts use it as their bible. But I just cannot shake the feeling: she did not struggle, she did not scream, fight, nothing. I was ten and the guy was my parents' friend and still I escaped, then I had to protect myself for seven more years until I left for University because my parents did not believe me, I can tell you that I would have ripped that guy's skin off with my bare hands and teeth, one of us would not have made it alive had he tried again' Well, I guess that is what it takes, and Jaycee did not have it. So she stayed there with the rapist and his wife and mother, had two daughters with him, raised cats and dogs, behaved like a little obedient whatever and waited it out until the rapist, check this out: turned himself in.
The language is puerile and not worth mentioning. I listened to the whole thing as it related to me and I wanted to remember the terror of what could have happened, but this is not the type of literature I would pay money for. Yes, beware, your kids can be kidnapped, terrible things can happen to them if you loosen your watch, things that will affect the rest of their lives permanently, be scared; but also teach them to defend themselves, show them what self-respect means, explain the dangers out there: 'stranger danger' is not a joke; for crying out loud, to take so much abuse as an obedient punching bag for eighteen years?! I still cannot take that in' and maybe this feeling of incredulity is worth paying for'
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I adored this book. It is so hard to imagine how people can do that to a child...Had to remind myself this wasn't fiction. Jaycee Dugard is a strong and powerful woman who i admire greatly. Highly recommend this book.

Wow doesn't really began to describe my feelings

Wow--what a courageous woman to have endured such indecencies...
Wow--what an amazing woman to have loved and still loves life...
Wow--what a fantastic and nurturing mother in those circumstances...

WOW--JAYCEE LEE DUGARD you survived and have a loving family and
many others in this world who will continue to watch over you and
your daughters...

This is absolutely one of the most telling tales of a strong little girl/woman. She tells it all in detail. She is a woman/mother who persevered on hope and the love of her children. I am so glad to finally know the true story and know that she won her hope of freedom.

I was recommended this book from a friend. I read the book in almost one sitting. Jaycee is descriptive in the words she writes about her experiences since her kidnapping when she was 11. Sad story from Jaycee but definitely worth the read.

Very interesting book,I couldn't put it down.It was sad,hard to read at times.
I am happy that she OK now,not many kidnapped children are found.