'A Stolen Life' memoir mixes tragedy and triumph

Unable to speak her real name for 18 years, Jaycee Lee Dugard went by the name Allissa after being kidnapped at the age of 11. Finally, she is able to tell her story in her own words in her new book, "A Stolen Life."

When Jaycee Lee Dugard was found after being held captive for 18 years, the entire nation rejoiced along with her family. Although many people offered assistance to Dugard and her family after her return, most people cannot fathom the horrors young Jaycee had to endure at the hands of her captors Phillip and Nancy Garrido in "the backyard." What she faced during her years of captivity is truly appalling, but this book is a work of extreme bravery and hope.

I can't imagine going through anything as traumatic as what Dugard endured. Having to relive those memories through the writing of a book is one of the bravest acts I can think of. In her place I doubt I would have the courage to do the same.

Not only does it explain the events of her life from the time of her abduction to when she was found, it also includes details of her life from before she was kidnapped. This was very beneficial to the reader because it helps us get a picture of how being held captive for 18 years changed her from an innocent young girl to the strong woman she is today.

The book is written in the present tense, as if the events detailed are happening all over again. Dugard's prose is affecting, because she really brings the situations to life for the reader so that they can feel the emotions she was feeling at the time. Her mastery of the English language is amazing to me, given that her formal education ended in fifth grade.

Dugard spent a lot of her time in "the backyard" of the Garridos writing down what she was going through and how she felt about it. In "A Stolen Life" she explains how this helped her to deal with her circumstances, and in her book she includes a number of diary entries from her time in captivity.

This book is both horrible and wonderful; horrible because of the atrocities committed against her by the Garridos and wonderful because of her bravery and determination to survive.

"A Stolen Life" is a story of determination and perseverance that will provide hope to families of kidnapped children, but it is not for the faint of heart. What Dugard withstood when she was enslaved by the Garridos is revolting, so I would advise caution, as many aspects of her narrative are very disturbing.

For information on how you can help abducted children and their families, please visit the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at http://www.missingkids.com

rachelstaats@

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