Stolen

A Memoir

De: Elizabeth Gilpin

A gripping chronicle of psychological manipulation and abuse at a “therapeutic” boarding school for troubled teens, and how one young woman fought to heal in the aftermath.

At fifteen, Elizabeth Gilpin was an honor student, a state-ranked swimmer and a rising soccer star, but behind closed doors her undiagnosed depression was wreaking havoc on her life. Growing angrier by the day, she began skipping practices and drinking to excess. At a loss, her parents turned to an educational consultant who suggested Elizabeth be enrolled in a behavioral modification program. That recommendation would change her life forever.

The nightmare began when she was abducted from her bed in the middle of the night by hired professionals and dropped off deep in the woods of Appalachia. Living with no real shelter was only the beginning of her ordeal: she was strip-searched, force-fed, her name was changed to a number and every moment was a test of physical survival.

After three brutal months, Elizabeth was transferred to a boarding school in Southern Virginia that in reality functioned more like a prison. Its curriculum revolved around a perverse form of group therapy where students were psychologically abused and humiliated. Finally, at seventeen, Elizabeth convinced them she was rehabilitated enough to “graduate” and was released.

In this eye-opening and unflinching book, Elizabeth recalls the horrors she endured, the friends she lost to suicide and addiction, and—years later—how she was finally able to pick up the pieces of her life and reclaim her identity.

Reseñas de la Crítica

“When undiagnosed depression led 15-year-old Gilpin to impulsive behavior, her parents sent her to a behavioral modification program. Abducted from her bed in the middle of the night and sent to the woods to fend for herself, Gilpin shows how not to deal with mental illness; in surviving such treatment, she also shows how strong a mentally ill person can be.”—The Washington Post

“Gripping and detailed, Stolen will linger long for readers as both a survival story and powerful testament.”—USA Today

“Elizabeth opens up her heart for the world and gives voice to the collective experience of survivors of the troubled teen industry. I am so grateful these stories are being told.”—Paris Hilton

"Elizabeth Gilpin’s memoir broke my heart. She writes in vivid prose about how, as a fifteen year old girl--an honor student and a promising athlete-- she was kidnapped in the middle of the night by strangers, sent to live in the woods for months, and finally placed at a cruel, abusive, “therapeutic” boarding school. The story is fascinating. It is also a powerful and timely examination of the consequences of misdiagnosing and mistreating mental health and trauma."—Molly Bloom, bestselling author of Molly's Game

"By confronting the ugliness of a system that almost killed her, Gilpin emerges victorious in a narrative that radiates with humanity. This unflinching account is impossible to put down.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Elizabeth Gilpin’s brave and powerful memoir pulls back the curtain on shocking practices at so-called 'therapeutic' boarding schools and how the 'troubled teen' industry often exploits parents’ worst fears for their children. Elizabeth lays bare her own experiences in a narrative that is equal parts riveting, harrowing, and hopeful. Stolen is a critical addition to the mental health conversation in America.”
—Van Jones, Founder of Dream Corps, CNN Host, and New York Times Bestselling Author

“Stolen is definitely eye-opening and memorable.”—Booklist

"Elizabeth Gilpin gives an insight into one of the most insidious industries in Stolen, a memoir that will be deemed one of this year’s most powerful & gripping books. . . Elizabeth writes with such a deft touch, allowing readers into her mind as she retells the stories and experiences in such vivid, expressive detail and frequently weaving humour throughout her prose to remind us that even in the darkest of moments, there’s always some light, too."—1883 Magazine

"Stolen is an inspiring testimony of strength, truth, and courage."—Diane von Furstenberg

“This unflinching account is an eye-opener.”—People

Compelling and Informative

Elizabeth and I went through these programs together, so, of course, I relate to the experiences she describes in Stolen. However, there are two things that I genuinely appreciate about this book: (1) she includes some of the more harrowing moments of our time there and, (2) she introduces the troubled teen industry as a whole. The latter is a critical aspect of Stolen, as the troubled teen industry is not widely known, and our school is just one among countless others. For the general public, Stolen provides insight into an unregulated industry that deserves scrutiny. For former students, it gives voice to our collective experiences in private programs like Carlbrook, as our stories are often not told, and if they are, they are not believed.

But the narration!!

I could get over her never admitting to her own mistakes, her inability to see that her parents really loved her, that the place was horrid, but I could not get over her narration. I thought she was upset? She cried but where’s the emotion between? This woman should NOT have read her own book. That was the big mistake.

Painful story, but powerful

I really liked this book. I can’t believe she survived all this. Lots of f- words, but great message of resilience.

The Narrators Voice is Monotone

This book is too difficult to listen to because the narrator’s voice is so monotone. I couldn’t even finish listening.

Riveting account of a therapeutic school

This is a riveting account of one person's experience in a therapeutic school, something I hadn't realized existed until I listened to this. Having said that, I have mixed feelings about the content. On the one hand, some of the experiences she said were horrible were things I wish I had experienced in high school, such as parts of her outdoor experience, the hiking and tent living. I also think that her negative attitude contributed to the negativity of her experience, however from my own experience I can see that this negativity was likely caused by her depression. On the other hand, the experience she describes was abusive, without a doubt, and the kind of "counseling" they often did was based on thoroughly flawed beliefs and methods. I understand the value of breaking someone down to then build them back up, which is done in nearly all brainwashing methods. It does have its use in therapy for some cases. But from what I can tell they did a horrible job of the "build you back up" part. To think that this method works for all cases is terribly misguided. The author would have done much better seeing a psychiatrist or psychologist for what she needed, not being subjected to this kind of abuse. I understand she has reconciled with her parents. I'm not sure most people would have been able to do that after all she went through. Thank goodness the school is closed.