I remember watching their rescue on t.v. I remember thinking, “how sick does one person have to be to lock away 3 women for over a decade?” This book answers that question and more but puts into perspective the real horror experienced within that little house. Listening to how much abuse, rape, mental anguish and mind games really showed me the power of faith and fortitude. If these amazing women can do it, so can I. These women endured unspeakable treatment by a very mentally unstable man who desperately just wanted to be loved….but because his mind was so broken the only kind of love he knew was control, egotism and maltreatment speckled with sex addiction and pure slob. It is fascinating to hear the struggle Amanda faced with having a child with this broken man and loving him for giving her a beautiful child but hating him for everything he did. The jealousy when he raped the other girls was evident and I completely understand.
My only gripe is the downplay of Michelle. It felt like this book was written trying to erase Michelle entirely from the kidnapping. So much complaining about Michelle, hey she was a victim too. I don’t know why the animosity towards Michelle but it was really tacky. She experienced everything Amanda and Gina did. She wanted to tell her story separate from Amanda and Gina. And the problem with that is? Don’t passively bully her for her decision.