The Art of Survival

I recently read two nonfiction books that really moved me. Both books were about young girls that were kidnapped and held captive for years.

Life After Darkness: Finding Healing and Happiness After the Cleveland Kidnappings is by Michelle Knight. She was 17 and had a small child when she was kidnapped and held for 11 years in a basement by Ariel Castro in Ohio. She had 5 miscarriages during captivity. Reading about the horrors she endured give me goosebumps! It seems more like a fiction novel that would be made into a horror movie, not something that could actually happen in real life.

A Stolen Life is by Jaycee Dugard. She is an 11-year-old girl lured to look at a kitten in a car when she is kidnapped and then held captive for 17 years by Philip and Nancy Garrido. She gave birth to 2 children during captivity.

After reading both of those books, I was amazed at the resilience of both of these girls. How in the world did they survive such horrors? Both lived in so much fear and lost so many years of their lives! As I read the stories, I couldn’t imagine staying alive through all the things they went through. Both of them must have had a strong will to live.

As I read Michelle’s story, I believe it was hope that helped her stay alive. She hoped that one day she would get to see her young son again. I think Jaycee had hope for her young daughters and a better life for them.

After being rescued, it was hard for both of them to be reconnected to a normal life. Both of them had been held captive for so long that they had no idea how to be independent and have normal relationships. They had to be taught how to do everything again. That would be as scary and overwhelming as being held captive by a kidnapper because you would be held captive by your own inexperience.

Having to learn new things can be scary enough but to have to learn new things after abuse and captivity would be mind-blowing!

Reading both of these books had me realizing that I’ve been blessed. I’ve grown up knowing I was loved and safe. I’ve gotten married and have a family and still know I’m loved and safe. Life has been good to me.

If you ever are feeling down in the dumps, I recommend reading one or both of these books because they will help you realize that maybe your life isn’t so bad.

If you’ve read these books, what did you think about this? Please share.