I picked up Jaycee Dugard’s A Stolen Life with real reluctance — I’m a parent, and the thought that something like this happens to children fills me with horror. I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear about her experience.
And the book is hard to read. There are details of Dugard’s kidnapping by Phillip and Nancy Garrido. There are chapters on her early imprisonment (“I hear the lock rattle and know he is coming to feed me. I can’t remember the last time I ate….The handcuffs are making my wrists raw and make it hard to use my hands.”) There’s a horrifying passage on the first time Phillip Garrido raped her, as well as descriptions of the rapes she suffered when he was high on crystal meth. She remembers the terror of childbirth (she was only 14 when her first daughter was born). And she describes the constant degradations she suffered over the years, living in either a windowless room or a tent in the backyard, with a bucket for a toilet.
Yet even as I read about her suffering, I was amazed by her resilience, the stubborn streak in her that would simply not give up and give in, no matter how bad things got. She read books. She wrote. She figured out how to homeschool her daughters. She managed to survive without losing her sense of self.
And she dealt with her rescue head-on. You might think that the day she was set free would be the end of her troubles, but you’d be wrong. For one thing, Dugard had been held captive 18 years — more than half her life. She had to rebuild and, in some cases, establish relationships with her family. Her sister, for example: “It has been hard getting to know her,” she writes. “She was a baby when Phillip took me from our family. She never knew me.” Dugard — who worked with a reunification therapist — had to learn the skills she needed to cope with the real world: driving, handling paparazzi, even summoning up the courage to send her kids to public school. She had to visit the dentist for the first time in almost two decades. In one moving scene, she visited — and confronted — Nancy Garrido in jail.
It’s interesting, though. I didn’t finish the book thinking she was damaged. I finished it feeling blown away by her courage.
I just finished reading A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard and am suggesting everyone to do the same. What a courageous young lady! If anyone deserves our admiration and encouragement it is her. What she endured from this monster for 18 years is unbelievable. Her will to survive with such horrible conditions and also have two children in a backyard with NO medical help is hard to believe! The system TOTALLY let her down but now I would like to pay tribute to her by reading her story and not buying ANYTHING that has to do with Casey Anthony, her family or anyone involved with her. “I feel the country needs a hero like Jaycee NOT CASEY!!”
I have a feeling that, if you locked Casey Anthony in a room with Jaycee Dugard and (especially) Jaycee’s mom, you might see some justice done in a very short time.
I disagree. Jaycee harbours no hate towards her captors. While as shocking and maybe as unimaginable as that is, it takes a really big person to do so.
I downloaded the book on my iPad and read it over the weekend. Yes, at times I had to turn it off because it was hard to read. But, I finished it Sunday night and to every mother and grandmother out there, read her book! When you are done, you will be as mad at the “System” as I am. So many people and systems failed her and her babies, if we can do anything to get changes made to the systems that are to keep and EYE on people like that man, then it is all of our responsibilities as parents and grandparents to speak up and at least try to make a difference. Like Jaycee is doing now!
@Brett, you’re right. She says she has NO hatred in her. That’s amazing. Her mother? Now that’s a different story…she’s full of hate, let HER at Casey!
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Hey there! This post could not be written any betetr! Reading through this post reminds me of my good old room mate! He always kept chatting about this. I will forward this article to him. Fairly certain he will have a good read. Thank you for sharing!
I agree! I’m not certain I’ll be able to read Jaycee’s book, but I will buy it to show my support. I have stopped watching any coverage of CMA and her saviors, the jurors. Interview her or them, and I’m changing the channel.
I will pick up this book. I saw her interview with Diane Sawyer and her reslience (sp) blew me away. I am cheering her & her family.
Her book was great! I rarely read but when I saw this book was coming out I pre-ordered it. I loved the book and it was amazing to hear about the courage she had all of those years. Of course it is sad, but it was good to hear the exact account from her rather than from news stations that might not get it exactly right. I read this book in less then a day which proves I was very into it! Definitely recommend this book to others!
I am looking forward to buying her book and reading it without taking any break. I would like to learn from her courage of survival so I can teach my children to be strong. Jaycee’s strong mind and will is an inspiration to all especially others whom have never experienced any hardships. However, I pray and wish that her experienced for the past 18 years will never happened to any child around the world.
, symbols (a bhgrit moon which was oft shared with her mom), a commitment to two children sired by her deranged, porn and drug addicted, sex offender captor (no one will hurt these children, they are mine), dreams of a better future (detailed in her hidden journal), love, and hope. A Stolen Life is told with unflinching detail. Readers will be unnerved by the failure of a Justice system designed to prevent predators like Garrido from abusing our children, and enraged by what the Garrido’s did to Jaycee losing her life and identity (she could not say or write her name but had to use a given name, Allisa) and to her mother who never lost hope. Jaycee can still hear the lock of the door of the soundproofed building she was forced to live in behind the Garrido’s house and the squeaky bed on which she was repeatedly raped by Garrido the demon angels let him take her so he could cure his sexual problems. Society had ignored him. Now, he did not have to go out and molest other little girls. The sounds and smells of her existence don’t leave they continue to haunt her Jaycee says her greatest fear was uncertainty, not knowing what was going to happen next. Garrido threatened `more’ things would happen if she did not behave. She was never sure what `more’ was. She promised to do it better, to be good. Unknown of the future was more terrifying than what she had to do. Jaycee wrote the book to provide a precise account of ordeals inflicted on her by the Garridos with the hope that her story might help people facing difficult situations that they can endure and survive; and to share what victims of sex offenders feel and let other victims know that the shame is not theirs. Another goal was to inspire people get their head out of the sand and to speak out when they see something amiss. Finally, she wrote this for judges, prosecutors and law enforcement officials whose job is to protect the public from people like Phillip and Nancy Garrido. A Stolen Life is a courageous book and may prove to be the 9/11 for how the justice system monitors sex molesters after release from prison.
I saw the interview and picked up the book a few days ago. The best word I can think of to describe Jaycee is inspiring. She is an amazing young woman. Homeschooling her two children with only a fifth grade education herself. Her mother deserves a lot of credit for instilling her with such hope and courage.
Seek therapy. Please.
I am a therapist; we have limits…evil/ignorant can’t be treated.
ik rite
Yes, I’m sure the whole thing was “a sex fantasy come to life for her.” I know when *I* was 11, I dreamed about being hidden in a backyard tent and having babies with no medical assistance. HAWT.
I’m pretty sure “Bill” is writing to us from the comfort of his prison cell. I’ve taken the liberty of reporting his comment to EW.com.
thank you portia, i was about to do the same myself
I completely agree. I have reported his comments as well.
Why have they not removed this yet? Come on, already.
Bill-you should go to hell, you prob are anyways. And EW, someone remove this ignorant bastards post before he infects others with his stupidity and crass attitude
I disagree. Don’t remove his post. People should know that there are people like Bill out there that are filled with bitterness and stupidity.
hmmmmm, exactly the same thing “Bill” wrote….must be two different people having the EXACT same thoughts, couldn’t possibly be the same lame @ss person seeking attention through whatever pathetic means they can muster
Law enforcement my ass–What a sick pig–probably the type of cop who tries to get blow jobs from speeding women so they do not get tickets. What a sick pig and it makes me ashamed to be breathing the same air–she wanted it? I bet you are a rapist as well
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I doubt that Bill has read the case files. Bill is a PIG in every sense of the word and just a sad pathetic person who hides behind a computer screen. He never saw the case files and his comments are ridiculous. She was brain washed you idiot. How did she get caught? Oh yeah, because she was withdrawn as were her kids. If she did not want to leave why would she tell the cops who she was by writing it on paper? And hearing her complain after the fact—true—becausethere was no one to talk to as a captive except that sick couple, her younger kids and a cat!
Mr. Bill is just trying to get a rise out of people. Just ignore him.
Go read a book, imbecile. You’re as dumb as a bag of nails.
I don’t know if I could handle reading this. Makes me think of all the women and men who may be locked away right now by some madman/woman.
Does EW have any sort of comment moderator? I agree that this should be removed.
i am in the process of reading Jaycee Dugard’s A Stolen Life. It blows my mind to think that anyone could do any of the things she endured when she was little and growing up.But the stregth and courage she has now is unbelieveble,how she can go back to those time of “hell” and in a way relive them to tell the world what a horrible man Phillip truely was. she is an amazingly strong women and i give her the up most respect.her book at time is very hard to read in ways where you try to put yourself in her shoes, and i just cant imagine doing any of it.not one second! she encourages me to not dwell on the ” problems” i have in my life that to me seem so big, but in the BIG picture, are so small….and to live life with no regrets and truely to the fullest. i wish her and her family many moments of happiness and joy