My Story

The harrowing true story of abduction and survival from the courageous young woman who lived it—now the subject of a Lifetime original movie, I Am Elizabeth Smart.

In this memoir, 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, fourteen-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. Elizabeth 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.

With My Story, Elizabeth 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 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. She and her husband, Matthew Gilmour, now have two children.

BUY THE BOOK

Published Sep 30, 2014

336 pages

Average rating: 7.53

34 RATINGS

|

These clubs recently read this book...

Community Reviews

Anonymous
Dec 11, 2024
10/10 stars
I absolutely loved reading her story! I've always been interested in what happened to her and was excited once she put out her own book. I really got a heart felt feel for what she went through
ljzsreadsandreviews
Oct 22, 2024
6/10 stars
Elizabeth Smart’s story is an infamous one so I find it hard to believe people don’t know the general idea of this story but if you don’t, be very cautious before picking this memoir up. This story is devastating and the fact that anyone would have to go through what she did is heart breaking. I was excited to read Elizabeth’s side of her tragedy but I ended up being a little disappointed. I don’t disagree that the story is miraculous and having the opportunity to hear Elizabeth tell it is beautiful. What I didn’t enjoy was the way it was told- It felt almost childish and although Elizabeth was a child when it happened, the retelling felt more naive than I would’ve liked. I’m not a religious person, not that I have an issue with it or don’t have my own beliefs, I just wasn’t raised religious, and with so much of this story revolving around Elizabeth’s faith in God I had a tough time relating. I’m glad she was able to lean on that for her survival but it seemed misplaced to put so much faith on someone who would allow all of that to happen to her. It was miracle based and didn’t always seem healthy or real for me. As I mentioned, not bad and is still an incredible story I think I was hoping for a bit more depth.
Shahna
Jul 18, 2024
8/10 stars
I made the mistake of reading other reviews before I did my own.
They make me angry. Nosey people expecting too much. There is no reason to pick the book apart because she didn't share in the exact details of her torture and rape. Good job humans.

She doesn't owe anyone anything. The fact that she even wrote a book for the public to read is a great leap and very brave. She doesn't need to tell us anything. Were all reading this book because were nosey, some are just more nosey then others I guess.

I see nothing wrong in her writing style. She's not a "professional" author. Never claimed to be, she can write however she wants. She was a kid when this happened, she's going to remember it like a kid.

I think the book was fine. It was written just fine. It's easy to read and understand. What she went through was horrible and I'm glad to know she lives a happy life now. And that's all people should be concerned about. Is that she's happy.
Road_Runner
Aug 29, 2023
9/10 stars
(AMIEE)
Anonymous
Apr 24, 2023
8/10 stars
Quick, clear, and concise. Elizabeth talks about her nine months of abuse in a straight and unflinching manner. She discusses what happened, what her abductor said his motivations were, and how she kept herself together during this time. She also discussed why she didn't run when "given the chance." This book mentions faith and spirituality, and while she details what her everyday lifestyle was like while kidnapped, she simply says, "I was raped" without going into gruesome and unnecessary detail.

See why thousands of readers are using Bookclubs to stay connected.