The story of Elizabeth Smart was national news for a lot of 2002. Her abduction and rescue became a national phenomenon. At the time I lived in Georgia and I still heard about the young Mormon girl from Utah who was kidnapped from her bed. I may have heard more about it because I am also Mormon though, not sure.
I have been excited (not exactly the right word since I have also been terrified, maybe anxious?) to read this book since it came out. I read this entire book in 4 hours. I could not put it down, mostly because I needed to get to the happy ending. I cried a lot. I have read a lot of reviews of this book and am completely shocked at how negative they were mostly citing her childlike writing style and naivety. I think most of these people don't understand her religious beliefs and the strength that gave her through her 9 month ordeal.
I thought Elizebeth's book was deeply inspiring. Her choice to tell the story as if from her 13 year old self made the story more real. Her level of detail was amazing. Her captors did everything they could to take away her religion, her identity, and her pride. She was raped daily, chained to a tree, starved, and treated like a slave. Her Captor did everything in "the name of religion."
The most amazing thing to me is that despite the personal hell she was living through, she never once blamed or lost faith in God. She continually prayed and saw the blessings in her life. She has come home and lived an incredibly productive life (she graduated from BYU, served an LDS mission, testified in trial against her abductors, established a foundation, has been instrumental in a variety of legislation on abduction, gives speeches around the US, and has gotten married).
My favorite part of the book is a quote from her mother the night she returned home. She said, "You be happy, Elizabeth. Just be happy. If you go and feel sorry for yourself, or if you dwell on what has happened, if you hold on to your pain, that is allowing him to steal more of your life away. So don't you do that! Don't you let him! There is no way that he deserves that. Not one more second of your life. You keep every second for yourself. You keep them and be happy. God will take care of the rest.”
I can't imagine ever having to go through what Elizabeth went through. Her story has inspired me to remember that I can get through anything if I keep my faith in God. I am so grateful she was brave enough to share her story with the world.
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