When this book came out I didn't really even think about reading it at first--but then I kept hearing about it and decided that I would. It isn't a book to take up lightly, because obviously the story that she tells is terrifying and depressing to the core, all the more so because you know that it is real. We all lived through Elizabeth Smart's kidnapping, and I was at BYU at the same time as her (even lived in the same dorm building our freshman year!). And reading about her experience made me so impressed that she has overcome the horrors she went through, at such a young age. She comes across as a very solid, mature narrator with the benefit of hindsight to help her make sense of everything that she went through, and she refers again and again to her testimony and shows how much that sustained her through the nine months she was held captive. Her testimony, her belief in God and his goodness, and her love for her family are themes that she strongly emphasizes throughout the book as the reasons why she was able to survive and why she has been able to recover emotionally and spiritually from her experiences. As the reader of this book, I felt strengthened by HER strength and amazed by her maturity as a fourteen-year-old able to hold onto her beliefs in such a situation. As I read, I thought about who her audience might be, and it seems like this book could really introduce many people to the core, most fundamental beliefs of our Church, because Smart focuses so strongly on our belief in God, our love of God, and our reliance on the Atonement to help us get through trials and to recover from them.
All in all, I really enjoyed this book. It was a page-turner in some ways, because I couldn't help but keep going to figure out how and when all of it would end for her. And it was nice because it only took a few hours to get through. After reading this, I admire Elizabeth Smart even more, for how she survived and for the work she has done since.
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