Girl Hidden: A Memoir

De: Jesse Rene Gibbs

Narrado por: Lessa Lamb

Echoing among the Blue Ridge Mountains were the cries of newborn babies that disappeared into the night. The screams of children nearly drowned out by the sound of crickets. A girl, hidden and waiting to be found, terrified, and confused. The fireflies sparkling in the woods, bringing light to darkled places.

The bulk of Jesse’s memories were of growing up in the farm country of the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina. The farm folks stayed pretty much outside of town, except for visits to the feed store causing random tractors to travel down Main Street. A large family struggles to survive the chaotic nature of the family head: their mother, a blend of rage, disappointment, and religious command. Her husband follows sheepishly behind, a monster of his own kind. There were beatings and abuses, manipulation and terror carried out in spaces breathtaking in their beauty.

And then there’s young Jesse: unwanted from conception but kept as a pawn for her mother’s bidding. Her life is a tale of growing up with no one to count on but herself.

A story of southern hills, a mother’s neglect, fireflies, kidnapping, birth, death, and the taste of sweet mulberries ripened by the sun. Jesse is a girl, hidden, who becomes a woman, discovered.

©2021 Jesse René Gibbs (P)2022 Jesse René Gibbs

Read it instead

The story is really good and engaging. BUT the amount of breathy up-speak done by the narrator made it extremely difficult to stick with.

Honest reflection & unwavering courage

Finished the story in a few days. Exquisitely written (style/format/vulnerability). The best summary I have is this: Jesse - Thank you so much for sharing your story & most of all, I am glad you are happy & safe.

Freedom from narcissism

Was shocked how this memoir helped me in my recovery from a narcissist mother and how she tried to destroy not just me but all eight of us so we wouldn’t grow up and abandon her.

Wish I could get a refund

I tried to read this at least 3 times. The narration is absolutely horrible. Wish I could get a refund. Bummed that I wasted a credit on it.

just ok. not fantastic

Jumps around quite a bit. narrator was a bit over the top and sounded like a third grade teacher. I'm sorry for this person's backstory but as an audiobook, it was not the best