My Story

My Story Review

by Piper C and Sophie B

On the night of June 5, 2002, fourteen year old Elizabeth Ann Smart was taken from her home in Salt Lake City. Her captors were religious extremists Brian David Mitchell and his wife Wanda Barzee. She endured nine months of continual rape and abuse and lived in a constant state of horror. She was forced to defy her mormon beliefs and follow the ideas of said prophet Immanuel David Isaiah (Brian David Mitchell). She was stripped of her identity and treated like an animal, chained to a tree and starved. Mitchell would threaten to kill her family if she ever attempted to escape her imprisonment. However, never once did she give up hope that she would return to her family one day. Her sole motivation to continually endure her torture was to keep her family safe.

Her story is told in her book, My Story by Elizabeth Smart. Her story of kidnapping and eventual rescue is one of triumph. As you read the book, you begin to root for Elizabeth's survival more and more. The plot is well developed and throughout the book, she is portrayed as a heroine. You become emotionally attached to Elizabeth and her constant battle for survival. When her captors abuse her and rape her, you begin to feel angry at the people in the world who would do this to an innocent fourteen year old girl.

This is a book that is very easy to get into and you can easily finish it within a few days. It caters to the needs of every reading level. This book is worth the read! It is a beautifully written story of survival that makes you appreciate the life you lead so much more.