A Stolen Life - Jaycee Dugard

I don't want anything in this review to diminish the horrifying ordeal that Jaycee Dugard survived. I believe she showed strength and courage in writing this book and should be commended on raising what seem to be two well-adjusted daughters and for keeping her own sanity during 18 years of captivity and maltreatment. That being said, it's really too bad that she didn't have an editor to work with her on writing this memoir. It would have given it some structure to fall back on. At first she starts with writing about the past and then has sections called "reflection" where she discusses how that portion of the story has evolved in her thinking. This drops off midway through the book and becomes jumbled with the "in time" narrative. If you're not familiar, Jaycee was kidnapped as a teenager and held for ten years by a man and his wife. She was repeatedly raped and bore two of her rapists children while in isolation. She was eventually rescued and is trying to now live her life after the trauma. Again, I think she's a champion for surviving, and hopefully she can find a fulfilling career and life beyond her ordeal. She and I are very nearly the same age (within months) and I can't imagine going through what she has been through. Also being pregnant now, I can't imagine how scary it must have been to give birth without modern comforts with two people who are intent on using and abusing you for their own sick pleasure. I hope the paparazzi leave Jaycee and her daughters alone to grow and adjust to life on the outside. It's tough out there enough for regular people. 2/5 Stars.