Pieces of Me

Rescuing My Kidnapped Daughters

By: Lizbeth Meredith

Narrated by: Suzie Althens

In 1994, Lizbeth Meredith said good-bye to her four- and six year-old daughters for a visit with their noncustodial father only to learn days later that they had been kidnapped and taken to their father's home country of Greece. Twenty-nine and just on the verge of making her dreams of financial independence for her and her daughters come true, Lizbeth now faced a $100,000 problem on a $10 an hour budget.

For the next two years, fueled by memories of her own childhood kidnapping, Lizbeth traded in her small life for a life more public, traveling to the White House and Greece and becoming a local media sensation in order to garner interest in her efforts. The generous community of Anchorage became Lizbeth's makeshift family, one that was replicated by a growing number of Greeks and expats overseas who helped Lizbeth navigate the turbulent path leading back to her daughters.

©2016 Lizbeth Meredith (P)2018 Vibrance Press

Emotional, Frustrating and Relatable Story

This story is one that my own parent warned me about growing up as a daughter of a Greek father and American mother. The way Liz tells her story invokes deep emotion, longing and a mother bear reaction from me now that I am both an adult and parent myself. I could not put this book down. What an important story to share. The only part I did not like was the consistent mispronunciation of Greek names and places-although it did not deter me from finishing the book.

You really won't want to stop listening!

While listening to the Introduction to Pieces of Me, I wasn’t sure the voice of the narrator was going to carry me through the entire book. The voice seemed too even, slow, unmodulated…at first.
But all that disappeared when Chapter 1 began.
The narrator not only varied her tones, she also aptly conveyed the voice of a small child, a foreign-born man, and any number of other characters who entered each scene as friend or foe.
Then, as it should be with an audible recording, I promptly forgot about the voice of the narrator, and was able to concentrate on the story itself.
And what a well-written story it is! One sentence flows into the next, with active verbs and images that come alive. Lizbeth describes gossip spreading “like a drop of grape juice on a Sunday blouse,” and “wobbling through the remains of childhood.”
Lizbeth is thoughtful and serious most of the time as she bravely and colorfully reveals the cards life has dealt her. Nevertheless, and in spite of the gravity of losing 2 children to a kidnapper --- Lizbeth shows an ability to look at life philosophically, and even expresses a sense of humor while doing it. “Every choice comes with its own consequence,” she writes, and “I will need to assume that the best laid plans go to shit.”
Lizbeth digs deeply to reveal the hurt of her past, and how such a life informs and affects a future. She holds back nothing, baring her soul every step of the way, to describe the “why” and “how” of events. You will come to know Lizbeth well, and will feel each emotional height and depth she feels.
I really did not want to stop listening. I needed to find out what happened in the end.
A few months after Lizbeth’s daughters go missing, her work supervisor advises Lizbeth to keep the story alive. I am so glad she did.

loved this

incredible journey honest heart breaking and captivating. hung on every word. Definitely worth it!

Gripping True Story—Couldn't Stop Listening

This memoir is everything a memoir should be—utterly honest, probing, instructive and an gripping story well-told. I cared deeply about whether the author would succeed in locating and rescuing her kidnapped children, and was appalled by how difficult it was for her to navigate the various government systems in order for her to be reunited with her kids. The narrator is mostly terrific, and doesn't get five stars only because her Greek-accented male voices weren't quite up to snuff. Her voice for the author, however, and the story itself (which will grab you and not let go) easily compensated to make this a great listen. I won't soon forget this story.

inspirational

So hard to. believe the struggle that this poor mother and children had to ho through to be reunited. I am glad she found her children and they're doing well

Monotone narration

The story was riveting and well written, but the emotionless (and often slow) narration detracted from it and made me greatly wish I had purchased the paper copy instead.

Best Book I have l’ve “Read” in a long time.

I absolutely loved everything about this book. And I’m hard to please. One thing that always trips me up is the narrator, but this narrator was fantastic, and the book was extraordinarily written. Wow, things this mom went through… Unbelievable.

Compelling story

A tortured childhood and marriage wasnt enough- the legal systems continued to fail her. Perseverance and determination was her ally. Good story but the narrator was flat IMO

Couldn't stop listening!

This is a compelling true story, so beautifully told, that is impossible to put down. Meredith's abusive, Greek husband, knew the most cruel thing he could do to the wife who'd left him to protect herself and her two young daughters, was to flee to Greece with the girls. The story is filled with emotional depth and factual details that bring it alive. As a listener I felt her anguish, her longing to bring them back, and the anger at her husband and the system that put up wall after wall for her to navigate around.

The narrator was pitch perfect. She allowed us to feel what Meredith was feeling at each moment, without overwhelming us during times of high emotion. She was also wonderfully smooth, voicing the young girls, other men and women, and Greek accents.

Clear your calendar when you start listening. This is a winner!

amazing

love this book it was amazing and such a sad story glad it had a happy ending