My Story

By: Elizabeth Smart, Chris Stewart

Narrated by: Elizabeth Smart

Length: 9 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

For the first time, 10 years after her abduction from her Salt Lake City bedroom, Elizabeth Smart reveals how she survived and the secret to forging a new life in the wake of a brutal crime.

On June 5, 2002, 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart, the daughter of a close-knit Mormon family, was taken from her home in the middle of the night by religious fanatic Brian David Mitchell and his wife, Wanda Barzee. She was kept chained, dressed in disguise, repeatedly raped, and told she and her family would be killed if she tried to escape. After her rescue on March 12, 2003, she rejoined her family and worked to pick up the pieces of her life.

Now for the first time, in her memoir, My Story, she tells of the constant fear she endured every hour, her courageous determination to maintain hope, and how she devised a plan to manipulate her captors and convinced them to return to Utah, where she was rescued minutes after arriving. Smart explains how her faith helped her stay sane in the midst of a nightmare and how she found the strength to confront her captors at their trial and see that justice was served.

In the nine years after her rescue, Smart transformed from victim to advocate, traveling the country and working to educate, inspire and foster change. She has created a foundation to help prevent crimes against children and is a frequent public speaker. In 2012, she married Matthew Gilmour, whom she met doing mission work in Paris for her church, in a fairy tale wedding that made the cover of People magazine.

©2013 Elizabeth Smart (P)2013 Macmillan Audio

Horrifying true story.

If you could sum up My Story in three words, what would they be?

Horrifying abduction memoir.

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

That it was written and read by the author, sparing almost no detail of her terrible ordeal.

Which character – as performed by Elizabeth Smart – was your favorite?

Elizabeth, of course.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The account of her initial abduction and the first days thereafter.

Any additional comments?

It's impossible to criticize Elizabeth considering the immense courage and strength in telling her story. Although the story is not a world class writing, bogging down at times in the endless suffering she experienced, the events happened as they did. And while a professional actor might have read the book "better," the book is far more meaningful when told in the author's voice. She did a nice job of conveying how her faith helped her through the ordeal without actively preaching her religion as better than others. Although shocking and disturbing, it might be an important story to give strength to rape victims and also to introduce 14+ year old children to the horrors that exist around us.

Haunting

The raw story. It was so well written, she tells the story with all the feelings that are too terrible to imagine happening. It constantly made me think of all of the girls that have been kidnapped and did not make it out alive. She desperately wanted to live, even to the point that she knew that she would out live Mitchell and Barzee and then be free. How sad, and what a fighting spirit for a young, naive, innocent girl. It would not have been the same if she had not been the narrator, the story was even more poinient by listening to her tell her own story. I also loved the strong family love and ties that kept her going. This is a story that I will not forget and I recommend to others.

Compelling and courageous

If I had not known the ending of this story it would have been unbearable to read. The fact that Elizabeth Smart was able to relive the horrow of her 9 months captivity at the hands of a demonic predator is a miracle in itself. Be brave and read it and then install securtity systems on all the windows and doors of your home.

Super honest

I love how open Elizabeth is in this book. We he whole world was watching her abduction. Most of us feel quite connected to it. I'm thrilled to know how well she healed from this. Great attitude and great lessons in here for everyone.

Such an inspiring story by an amazing young woman!

I was hesitant to read this book because I was afraid of having to face everything that Elizabeth went through. But it was so incredibly inspiring and has the best message of hope, gratitude, and maintaining our faith through the worst of trials. I highly recommend it. Thank you, Elizabeth, for sharing your story and your faith.

Interesting look into the psychology of abuse

Unforgettable insights into how trauma and fear can condition people to submit to evil, even when rescue is at hand. I am so glad Elizabeth is educating others about how to avoid and survive abuse Never shrink from asking for help in public. Make the criminal act out where there are witnesses.

I also am impressed by how familiar the psychological abuse might be to those in normal relationships where double standards and belittling, shaming and use of anger to create an atmosphere of fear and control.

The story is made even more meaningful by Elizabeth narrating herself.

Interesting, but...

Would you consider the audio edition of My Story to be better than the print version?

I did not read the print version, but I do imagine that had I read the print version I would have enjoyed it more. I admire Elizabeth Smart for wanting to narrate the audio book, but she was not very good at it.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

It is difficult to explain why I could not relate to how Smart read the book. Perhaps she just sounded condescending and did not have an enjoyable manner to how she read. The story was of course, fascinating and what she went through was a nightmare to say the least.

Any additional comments?

There were many specifics about her abduction and captivity that I did not know before listening, so the book was quite interesting. You certainly were placed in her shoes and experienced what she went through during her captivity. The problem is Smart should have left the reading to a professional.

What a story!

Elizabeth's narration is excellent. I felt she was with me while she was telling her horrific story without being sappy, I have full admiration.

Elizabeth Smart "My Story"

Would you listen to My Story again? Why?

Yes, Elizabeth's story was perfectly crafted to give enough details of her frightening experience. Her decision to survive the kidnapping and carrying out her committment was inspiring. Her faith beyond words.

What did you like best about this story?

the explicit descriptions of events only attributable to the angels that stayed by her side. The glass of water from origins unknown when she was so thirsty. I also could appreciate how intelligent she was even more so than she describes her captor.

Have you listened to any of Elizabeth Smart’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes, her grace and resolve are obvious in both her speaking and this book.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Since I knew she was found, the book did not make me cry. There were no humorous aspects to the book.

Any additional comments?

I believe Elizabeth's family had a deep impact on her survival during and after her experience. An inspiring story to say the least.

What a Brave Girl!

Elizabeth is so brave and strong for sharing her story and never giving up. She's also resilient for not letting a tragedy ruin her life and moving on. I'm so proud of her for getting her degree, become an advocate for abducted child abduction, starting her own foundation, and testifying against her abductors.