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    A Stolen Life
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    A Stolen Life
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    A Stolen Life
    Ebook289 pages4 hours

    A Stolen Life

    By Jaycee Dugard

    4/5

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    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    A raw and powerful memoir of Jaycee Lee Dugard's own story of being kidnapped as an 11-year-old and held captive for over 18 years

    On 10 June 1991, eleven-year-old Jaycee Dugard was abducted from a school bus stop within sight of her home in Tahoe, California.

    It was the last her family and friends saw of her for over eighteen years.

    On 26 August 2009, Dugard, her daughters, and Phillip Craig Garrido appeared in the office of her kidnapper's parole officer in California. Their unusual behaviour sparked an investigation that led to the positive identification of Jaycee Lee Dugard, living in a tent behind Garrido's home. During her time in captivity, at the age of fourteen and seventeen, she gave birth to two daughters, both fathered by Garrido.

    Dugard's memoir is written by the 30-year-old herself and covers the period from the time of her abduction in 1991 up until the present. In her stark, utterly honest and unflinching narrative, Jaycee opens up about what she experienced, including how she feels now, a year after being found.

    Garrido and his wife Nancy have since pleaded guilty to their crimes.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSimon & Schuster UK
    Release dateJul 12, 2011
    ISBN9780857207142
    Unavailable
    A Stolen Life
    Author

    Jaycee Dugard

    Jaycee Dugard is the author of the memoir A Stolen Life, which tells the story of her kidnapping and eighteen years of captivity. Her second book is Freedom: My Book of Firsts.

    Read more from Jaycee Dugard

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    Reviews for A Stolen Life

    4/5

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    • 3/5
      This was hard to listen to. I remember when Jaycee was abducted and I can't even imagine someone going through what Jaycee did especially at the age of 11. Jaycee read the book and there are times when her voice changes and you can tell it was hard for her. This is worth a read.
    • 4/5
      An amazing book. Jaycee tells the story from the day of her kidnapping up to her struggle to adjusting to real life, interspersed with memories of her childhood. It's told very matter-of-factly, not necessarily without emotion, but without pity. Jaycee doesn't want to be seen as a victim or a hero - she's just sharing her story because it's all she knew, and all she could do was live each day as it came to her. Still, it's very inspiring, especially when she shares optimistic journal entries she wrote when she was thirteen, then ones she wrote when she and her daughters were much older. It's a fascinating look at how someone can be trapped for so long, then exposed to the real world and not want to be in it. Jaycee says that she never wanted to go back to her captivity, but with the media in her face, she pretty much felt like she was still being kept from having her own life. Very sobering book.
    • 4/5
      This is the autobiographical memoir of Jaycee Dugard. Dugard was kidnapped in June of 1991 near her home by Phillip and Nancy Garrido. For eighteen years, she was a captive of the couple and forced to endure repeated sexual abuse and false imprisonment.

      Dugard was a typical eleven-year-old girl growing up in Lake Tahoe, California. While on the way to school, a van pulled alongside her. Phillip Garrido tazed her and then forced her into the van, putting a blanket over her. She was driven many miles away to Antioch, California. She was handcuffed and left in the music studio Dugard had built in the backyard of his home. Phillip's wife, Nancy, was an accomplice to this captivity, but not the most willing even though shel never freed Jaycee when she had the opportunity.

      Garrido forced Jaycee to perform unthinkable sexual acts on Him and she was regularly raped. During the worst moments of sexual abuse, Phillip would go on what he referred to as a "run;" a days-long binge on "crank" or crystal meth. In his drug-induced stupor, he would force Dugard to act out his depraved sexual fantasies. Garrido had deep psychotic problems, including pedophilia and aural hallucinations. He claimed to communicate with angels, and he tried to establish a church based upon his perceived ability to telepathically communicate with like-minded people.

      Dugard, frozen with fear, paralyzed with sadness and boredom, endured year after year of being confined to a small music studio room in the backyard of the Garrido's residence. She eventually earned more freedoms, but for many years she was never allowed to travel anywhere. Phillip's constant sexual and verbal abuse gave Dugard amuch skewed view of the world, but she held on to the hope that she would see her mother and her baby sister again.

      Phillip impregnated Dugard twice, once when she was fourteen and another time when she was seventeen. They delivered the babies, with the aid of birthing videos, themselves as they could not risk taking her to a hospital for fear of being discovered. The children, two girls, grew up with Dugard and she grew to love them dearly. The children came to know Dugard as a sister named Allissa rather than their mother.

      In August of 2009, a full eighteen years after her abduction, Dugard was finally freed. Phillip's mind had deteriorated to the point he went to a local FBI office to convince them he had special mental powers. Parole officers questioned Dugard separately and the truth was finally uncovered when Phillip confessed to the kidnapping.

      Dugard had a teary and joyous reunion with her mother as well as her aunt and younger sister. In the time after her release, Dugard had seen a therapist and was slowly undoing the abuse. She also formed an organization called the JAYC foundation to help victims of abuse recover.
    • 4/5
      Jaycee Dugard's story may be familiar to many. She was kidnapped by Phillip Garrido and his wife, Nancy, while walking to her school bus stop when she was eleven. She was held prisoner as a sex slave in her captor's backyard for eighteen years. Garrido's parole officer routinely inspected the premises, but did not search the area called the 'back back yard.'The first chapters describing her initiation as an eleven year old into rape and drug fueled sexual abuse were extremely hard to listen to. I almost gave the book up at this point.But, remembering her interview, I persevered onward and I'm glad I did. For me, the interesting parts came after she was rescued. I did not understand the psychological impact that being a captive can bring. For eighteen years she had it ingrained that it was her duty to protect Garrido, and initially she felt his discovery and imprisonment meant that she had failed and that she also would be going to prison. She felt her family had probably disowned her. Gradually, through therapy for herself and the two daughters fathered by her captor, she began to understand and be able to integrate herself back into a world she had seen little of and rejoice in her freedom.She also talked warmly of equine therapy, a subject I am interested in. She now has a foundation that supports equine therapy for other kidnapping and sexual abuse victims.
    • 4/5
      This is a heart-breaking story of a girl abducted at the age of eleven and held captive for eighteen years. The story of this girl is heartbreaking, the abuse, neglect and the only way of life she had come to know. Knowing that she is rescued comforted me reading and her stroy of trength and hope is encouraging.
    • 2/5
      Although the book was honest and helps to kind of understand what Jaycee went through, the editors should be fired. It's one thing to have the voice of an 11 year old, but to not even edit the spelling and grammar of the novel (outside of personal journal entries) is both irritating and lazy. Originally marked for sale at twenty-something dollars, I now understand why I found it at a used book store for three bucks. On the upside, if I ever become a parent I know never to let them walk to/from school alone (and also to teach them how to have a backbone).
    • 4/5
      I'm finding it hard to express my opinion of this book. Jaycee's story is just so terrifying and fascinating and depressing and inspiring... I love the authenticity of the book, but at the same time, I really wish an editor had gone through and ironed some things out. Jaycee's education only went up to fifth grade, and her story would have been less disjointed and confusing if a professional had helped out a bit. Then again, I can see how it was kind of a cathartic experience for her, as if she were going back to her 11-year-old mindset and journalling her experiences... I'm conflicted.One specific thing that confused me is that I've read online that Jaycee made contact with a neighbor while she was in captivity, but she didn't mention that in her book. It seemed odd to me. I would think that would be something worth mentioning in her memoir.Regardless, it's definitely a difficult, but worthwhile read.2011 Review (four stars):i really enjoyed reading this book. it is definitely both disturbing and fascinating. jaycee is not the best writer, but that made it feel more real. reading it felt like she sat down, mentally took herself back 18+ years, and wrote what she was experiencing/thinking/feeling at the time.i can't imagine going through what she went through. i'm so glad she seems to be adapting to the "real world" well. i'll definitely be praying for her and her girls. and i highly recommend this book.
    • 2/5
      I was glad to read this book, mostly because many of the stories of women and girls are ignored and silenced. Society needs to know stories such as this one, and needs to work to put an end to male abuse and violence. On the other hand, this book is poorly written, like a first rough draft, and needs an editor. I hesitate to give an important story such as this a low rating. Even the best of writers need an experienced editor. If this book had an editor, my low rating is for that person, not the author. As for the author, I am glad she survived, and I'm glad she was able to tell her story of abuse. May we all learn from these words, and take a stand against abuse in our communities and families.
    • 3/5
      "For eighteen years I was a prisoner"By sally tarbox on 30 May 2017Format: Kindle EditionJaycee Dugard was an average, happy-go-lucky eleven year old, when she was abducted by drug-taking Philip Garrido and his wife.This moving and fascinating account details the eighteen years that she lived with them; the initial horrors, the two daughters she bore Philip, the difficult, jealous relationship with Nancy. She recalls the family pets, Garrido's shifting between friendly and psychotic behaviours and the ambiguous relationship she had with the pair.Jaycee is not a natural writer, and I couldnt fully understand her feelings toward them, exactly why she didn't raise the alarm at some point in the almost two decades.An interesting story but leaves a lot of unanswered questions.
    • 4/5
      It's a tragic story, but it was good to hear that Jaycee and her girls are moving on with their lives, rather than focusing on the past. I highly recommend the audiobook version, read by the author.
    • 2/5
      I'm so on the fence about what to say about this book. It's definitely NOT the kind of thing I normally read.

      For sure, it's inspiring and the girl is courageous and thoughtful. I imagine the writing of this was a helpful process for her because she does seem pretty good at the self care.

      It's probably also extremely useful for anyone who has gone through a similar experience, especially one where survival dictates that they form a bond of sorts with their abuser.

      For me, though, reading this felt very voyeuristic and intrusive.

      thejaycfoundation.org
    • 5/5
      What can anyone say after reading a book like this? I'll do my best.This book is about the hell JAYCEE LEE DUGARD went through in a sick bastard's backyard for 18 years. She had to endure things that no child should ever go through. She was stolen, raped, humiliated, & abused. All these things could have been prevented had the court system done their job the first time this sicko did his sick things to an innocent female. But no, the court system fails to protect the little Jaycees' of America as they will continue to fail & protect innocent children.To JAYCEE: You are a remarkable young woman. You went through this because you had to, but you made it. You survived. You're strong, & unstoppable. Now, you help children & families going through the same thing you and you're family went through. You deserve the moon. You go girl, and you will. :)One last thought: I strongly believe in the death penalty.
    • 4/5
      Well, this was intense. Craziness!
      18 years is a long ass time.
      I can not imagine what I would do in the same situation.
      Just blows my mind.
      I clap my hands to Jaycee, for sticking it out and taking care of her kids, and for living a pretty good life afterwards.
      It's good to know there were so many people willing to help her. Gives hope that if more kidnapped victims were found, that there would be an abundance of help for them too.
    • 2/5
      A Stolen Life was such a hard book for me to not only to read because of the subject matter, but to rate. I really wanted to give her 5 stars - for a victim to be able to come forward and tell her story is so courageous, but I just couldn’t get past the writing. Her voice in the story was so childish and I don’t know if this was done on purpose to project how innocent she was, or because of the fact that she only had a grade 5 education, but it was very distracting for the reader. There were narratives that contained vocabulary well above what the average reader would encounter and I felt like her editor actually did the book a disservice by introducing these words that clearly are not the authors. There were also many inconsistencies with tense and timelines that were confusing when going from past to present so frequently in such a short book.

      This book is an astonishing account of a shocking act of cruelty and violence to a child/young woman. The fact that she remained and continues to remain so positive after everything that happened to her is a testament to the human spirit and is incredibly moving.
    • 3/5
      Interesting and horrible. I've heard about this story on the news when she got found, and it was interesting to read her story with her own words. It's hard to imagine, spending 18 years in captivation. So many years wasted, not to do what you want with.

      The book is not too long, which I found good. It doesn't need to be any longer. Her narrating voice really seemed to fit the psychophysical state of her, it seemed a bit childish but not in a bad way. It made it all more real. It's was also fascinating to read how the mind copes with situations like this, the survival instinct.

      I would give it 2½ stars, but rounding it up to 3.
    • 4/5
      Jaycee Dugard was only 11-years old in 1991 when she was snatched from the street while she walked to school one morning. She was raped and imprisoned for 18 years before she got out with her two daughters, born to her at ages 14 and 17. How horrifying! I can’t even imagine. I vaguely remember hearing the name somewhere along the way, but don’t remember hearing what actually happened. (But then (sadly), there seem to have been a number of these, so I may also be confusing some of them). This book is not for the faint of heart, as it does go into detail on the sexual abuse – at least to describe the first time Philip did each of these horrible things to her, though later in the book, it wasn’t mentioned as much... certainly wasn’t described in detail later. And Philip’s wife, Nancy, was a party to all of this, right from helping him the day they kidnapped her!Jaycee mixes what she remembers from when it was happening with reflections (at the end of many chapters) to describe what she thinks/feels as she looks back, and with journal entries from the time - one journal focusing on one of the many cats that she had while in captivity and one journal that goes through some of the last decade or so of her captivity. Some of the writing was simple – Jaycee only had a grade 5 education before she was kidnapped – but that didn’t detract from my interest to keep reading and find out what happened and how she got out. The end does focus on some of the recovery and reunion with her mom, sister, and aunt after she got out with her daughters.
    • 3/5
      A Stolen Life was an interesting read. I knew very little about her life before I began. It sent me on a roller coaster of emotions - from anger to joy to frustration and back again. I tried to put myself in her position, but it was impossible. The total control that Phillip had on her was difficult to imagine, but I truly believe that that is what he did to her. It definitely showed how much she missed including learning to be an adult. The middle of the book (during the excerpts from her diary) bogged down for me, but I pushed my way through that. In the end, I am glad that I did. Once done, I found myself wanting to find out more - from different perspectives.
    • 4/5
      Jaycee was kidnapped when she was eleven years old and held captive for eighteen years. When you read about what goes on during those years you'll be disgusted, you'll be angry, and you will be sad. When she becomes free, you will be extremely happy. I wish her nothing but the best.
    • 4/5
      This was a good book. I give Kudos to Jaycee for having the courage to write it. Something tells me that the book is incomplete because there may be details that her memory has repressed and may come out in years to come. And this is perfectly OK.

      I am amazed at the courage she had shown during her captivity. I feel so bad for her in that indeed, her life was stolen. I am curious as to why Phillip kidnapped her for such a long time. True, his sick and twisted and demented mind had an obsession to have sex with Jaycee, but what confused me was that after the sex was kind of over because of the myriad of reasons, such as her being older, them having two children and not being able to afford it. If he truly was this child molester-sex offender, why didn't he just let her go and kidnapp another young girl?

      It is a very interesting read in that it left me with many more questions that I am sure Jaycee couldn't answer and probably didn't want to answer. More questions on the psychology of the whole thing. I would have liked to have seen notes from her therapist and from the police as well. It would have completed a bit more of the picture, I think.

      However, again, I enjoyed reading this book as it brought awareness of some of the sick individuals we live with. I would recommend this book to anyone just for the fact that you come away with appreciating what you have. You think you have it rough now? Get in a time machine and trade with Jaycee...I am sure she would not mind at all...
    • 5/5
      A true story of imaginable 18year journey.
    • 4/5
      At the age of eleven Jaycee Lee Dugard was abducted on her way to the bus stop to catch the school bus. She was forced to live in the back garden of her captors who raped, manipulated and forced her to give up her name for 18 years. This is Jaycee's story of her anguish, pain and suffering that she had to live until her eventual release at the age of 29.I don't know what I was expecting when I read this book. I already knew a bit about Jaycee and her life during those 18 years from the TV and the googling I did after seeing her on the news. The $20 million she was awarded as compensation, by the State of California, for the multiple times she was failed is the least she and her daughters deserved. Garrido had multiple parole officers during her imprisonment and none of them noticed anything untoward going on.The book was slightly disjointed, and, yes, at times repetitive, but considering her formal education ended at fifth grade, and what she was forced to endure - which lets face it would be confusing for a lot of us - is totally understandable. No-one, especially an eleven year old who has yet to develope their character, should have had to endure what she did, the frequent rapes, the manipulation, the isolation and on top of that two pregnancies. It would have been nice to have known a bit more about the life she lead: how she raised her kids? (yes, I know she was their "sister" during that time), how they managed to why she didn't reach out for help during outings, the Internet or when his parole officer visited? How they managed to remain so well adjusted? How she managed to maintain a sense of sanity during those years? Yes, there are deep-seated psychological answers for the questions I want to know, but it would have been nice to have heard it from her.It's hard to even begin to imagine what she suffered at the hands of the Garridos although she claims they were mainly pleasant that was just their way of manipulating her. She suffered immense Stockholm Syndrome and only began to see her captors for what they were come her release and her eventual therapy. I feel she might have wrote her story a bit too soon after her release. It seems she has yet fully adjusted to her new found freedom. I could be undermining her strength but I, personally, think she should have waited a few years and just let everything settle and for her to adjust more.
    • 4/5
      A very in-depth look into Jaycee Dugard's life after she was kidnapped. One of the greatest tragedies is the fact that she was seen on more than one occasion by law enforcement yet no one questioned who she was or why she was in the home of a sex offender. And while there is no question Philip Garrido is mentally ill there is no excuse for his wife Nancy. These people should be executed for what they did to this child. This is a story that touches the heart but also enflames the reader. Somehow we need to find a way to keep our children safe from predators like the Garridos. If there is a message in this story it seems to be that we are ALL responsible for the children. If it doesn't look right, if you think you are seeing a child in danger take action. Better to be wrong and embarassed that look the other way and leave a child to suffer.
    • 4/5
      This book is very spooky and can easily impress someone because has some very real and explicit scenes.
      I still don't believe that a human being was able to do this to another human being, especially the second being a little innocent girl.
      This book has opened my eyes for some situations and has taught me to never trust a stranger.
      I hope that some countries governments read this book so they can see why they have to promote law enfforcement eficiency and why they have to closely wath anyone with priors to major crimes (without deleting their records).
    • 4/5
      This book is heartbreaking, uplifting, disturbing and shocking all at the same time. I was gripped by the book from the outset. Some people have complained that it was very muddled in its writing style and confusing as a result. Well for someone who was taken away from school and all social interaction at the age of eleven I was not surprising and perhaps the story benefitted from this as it truely felt like we were reading her thoughts on her experiences and not some ghost written account. For all the awful experiences detailed in the book I found the parts towards the end which dealt with her adjustment to life outside captivity the most moving. She highlight the difficulties of doing normal things stuff we take for granted and also the value in the simple things that we usually take for granted like eating a proper dinner around a table with her children(something denied her during captivity). I finished the book hoping that she and her family have finally been allowed to live the 'normal' family life that Jaycee must have craved so much during those years in captiviy. Well worth the read.
    • 3/5
      I give Jaycee all the credit in the world for being able to speak out about what she went through. However I don't feel like I learned anything about her ordeal that I couldn't have guess for myself. She didn't get into a very detailed account about anything. I was very disappointed I thought this book was going to be a lot better.
    • 3/5
      Jaycee Dugard’s account of her abduction and imprisonment is a testimony to the resilience and survival of the human spirit and soul. At age eleven, tasered into unconsciousness and kidnapped by a sexual predator and his wife, Jaycee is kept under his control for eighteen years. Jaycee lived a life of unthinkable horror, deprived of the many of the basic necessities of life and abused daily in horrible ways. Dependent on her kidnappers, she is not only physically abused but also mentally and emotionally, so much so that when she is about to be rescued, she really cannot say who she is or what has happened to her. This gripping tale is a difficult one to read, but Jaycee makes it clear that she is a survivor first and foremost. We may see her as a victim, but she doesn’t present herself that way. Good has come to her through the two daughters she bore while in captivity. She is thankful to be reunited with the mother she has always loved and she will not let the horror she lived through taint the life she has now. And that she had the courage to tell her story to the world illustrates her mettle and strength of mind and character.
    • 3/5
      I remember first seeing Jaycee Dugard's face on a rerun episode of Unsolved Mysteries as a young kid and I could never get her face out of my head. Years later I saw the news of her being rescued.
      I was so intrigued when this memoir was released because I desperately wanted to know what had happened in her point of view, not just what was in the media.
      The book was interesting and kept my attention for the most part. The writing was heartfelt even though it was really simplistic.
    • 4/5
      I can't even begin to wrap my head around what Jaycee Dugard, her daughter's and her family went through, but what really shines through in this book is her authenticity and amazing strength. So many memoirs and stories of strength are so heavily edited that the real sense of the person that lived through the moments is lost. A Stolen Life is all Jaycee Dugard and that makes it so powerful.
    • 4/5
      I wanted to read this book ever since I saw it on display in Costco. However, I didn't have time to read much then and I soon forgot the book. A few weeks ago I was hunting down interesting looking memoirs in my local library and stumbled upon the book once more. Immediately I snatched it up and checked it out. It took me two days and several sittings to get through the book. Not because it was bad or poorly written. (I mean yes, the sentences and thoughts are not overly complex but at the same time Jaycee didn't have much of an education due to her circumstances). It was hard to imagine that a little girl had to go through this for eighteen years. It's harder to imagine that this isn't the only case and that there are many more children (boys and girls alike) taken advantage of every day. And scarily enough, it isn't just kids that get kidnapped.Though, I feel it was important for me to read it, to get an understanding, to let her know that her voice isn't silenced. That we can read and hear what she went through, that people are on her side and rooting for her and I most definitely am. The book is obviously personal and Jaycee shared more than she had to. I know reading some reviews by others they wanted to know more about how she raised her kids or what not. I think it was somewhat implied that she was mostly on her own until her captor quit his job and his wife and he helped her. They also forced her to be her kids' sister, so it feels like maybe she wasn't fully allowed to help raise them. I think she gave us just enough because she wanted to keep her childrens' privacy intact, something I commend her for. I do not blame her for this as the media today is ruthless.Beyond that people didn't want to know as much detail about what happened. You know what? Too bad. It's something real that she went through and sharing the details, not that she went too in depth in reality, was a method of healing. It's a way of saying that she's silent no longer. She isn't the only victim of sexual abuse and some of the reviews further my opinion that it is a silent crime. People don't want to talk about it, hear about it. People want to believe that it doesn't happen. Jaycee's raw truth is astonishing for people. People want to know what happened but then it comes to a taboo subject and they want to plug their ears and scream.I find the book a decent read. Make sure you're able to handle the subjects of abuse and kidnapping before you delve into it though. Her bravery and continued optimism is something most people don't have and I think it is truly wonderful the things she has managed to accomplish and is still accomplishing today.
    • 2/5
      The book was shocking and very disturbing and I recognize that the Author is writing about her tragic past but I just didn't like the disjointed writing style. I didn't feel as much for the things Jaycee went through because it was hard to follow. I'm in awe that she survived the ordeal and is willing to share it with the world but I wish she co-authored it with someone who could help her work out the best way to tell her story.