First published 2014
Michelle Knight opens her story as a young single mother fighting for custody of her son when school bus driver Ariel Castro abducts her. For over ten years, Castro holds her prisoner and subjects her to brutal treatment. In 2003, Amanda Berry arrives as a second captive, followed by Gina DeJesus in 2004. Police assume Michelle ran away and remove her from missing persons lists after fifteen months. Castro uses this abandonment to break her spirit, telling her repeatedly that nobody searches for her. Michelle refuses to surrender. She draws strength from her thoughts and prayers to survive circumstances that would destroy most people. On May 6, 2013, the three women escape and their story captures global attention. Michelle writes about the childhood trauma that preceded her kidnapping and her estrangement from family members. She describes how she builds a new life after freedom and transforms her pain into purpose. The memoir reveals how someone forgotten by society can reclaim their voice and become an advocate for other missing people.
Genres: abuse, crime, autobiography, non-fiction, biography-memoir, true-crime
Vibes: dark, emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, overcoming-adversity, resilience
Setting: Cleveland
Period: 2003, 2004, 2013
252 pages · Hardcover · Grand Central Publishing
Content warnings: abuse, child-abuse, kidnapping, physical-abuse, sexual-assault