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Amanda Berry, kidnapped at sixteen, is one of the most impressive people whose story I’ve heard, in person or through literature. From the moment of her abduction, her resilience and problem solving skills shone. The little things she did to maintain hope from the beginning of captivity are skills I wish everyone had. From keeping a journal on scraps of paper to making a photo album held together with chewing gum, she constantly found ways to nurture herself and eventually her daughter. How a young woman captured as a teenager thought to homeschool her child is nothing short of ingenious.
Berry’s resilience takes nothing away from Gina DeJesus’ story. The youngest kidnapped and the glue that held the women together, had the empathy and communication skills of a healthy adult from the moment she was taken. She constantly reached out to Berry, whom their captor tried to play against the others. DeJesus also assertively, yet gently, confronted Berry when she was unkind.
Michelle Knight chose to write her own book and I’ve seen a lot more of her in the media. More damaged than the others before her kidnapping, i can easily see why she’s had a more difficult time since her release. I wish she could speak more kindly about DeJesus and Berry.
I didn’t like the male narrator who filled in the gaps. I wasn’t interested in Castro and would have preferred his sections be omitted.