Since we’re all currently under house arrest, to some
extent, I thought some of you might appreciate a few good captivity stories,
which, if nothing else, might help put things into perspective for you.
The Diary of Anne Frank
If you didn’t have to read this in school or have been
avoiding it so far, you have no excuse not to read it now. It may not have a
happy ending, but Anne Frank always believed people were good at heart. This
book is filled with tension, romance, and warm affection for your family (even
if they do get on your nerves when you’re forced to spend an inordinate amount
of time together). Also, having visited (almost 20 yrs ago) where her family hid out in Amsterdam certainly gave me more of an appreciation for their
situation.
Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon
Unless you’re a teenager or young adult, this book probably
hasn’t been on your radar. I read it several years ago after it was recommended
by a coworker with a teenage daughter. It was later made into a movie, but I
definitely suggest reading the book first (and it’s a pretty good adaptation).
The plot revolves around what life is like if you’re a bright and talented
teenage girl with a rare and extreme immunodeficiency disorder which forces you to avoid
all human contact lest you get sick and die. There’s humor, romance, and I can’t
really say anymore without a spoiler, but this is a real page turner.
The Collector by John Fowles
I had to read this in my Brit Lit class back in my college
days. Although it’s far from cheerful, it certainly made for interesting
reading and definitely held my attention. It was also only marginally less
depressing than In Cold Blood, for what it’s worth. Basically a man kidnaps a
young lady and holds her captive in his basement. Not a happy ending, but a
classic piece of literature (or at least I’m assuming so since my professor
made us read it). Apparently this too was made into a movie.
A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard
I read this several years ago out of pure curiosity, because
who doesn’t like to know what life would be like in captivity if you were
kidnapped? “The kidnapping of Jaycee Dugard occurred on June
10, 1991, in Meyers, California. Dugard was eleven years old when she was abducted from a street while
walking to a school bus stop.” (Wikipedia summary) Unlike two out of the three above
books, this does have a happy ending as eventually Jaycee was freed, though 18
years had passed and she had two daughters with her kidnapper (though this is
no case of Stockholm syndrome).
The Lost Girls by John Glatt
The True Story of the Cleveland Abductions and the
Incredible Rescue of Michelle Knight, Amanda Berry, and Gina DeJesus
In the same vein, this is another famous kidnapping case
that especially hits home for me as my mom and uncle grew up in a neighborhood
only a few miles away from there, not to mention that the infamous Christmas
Story house is only a short distance as well. I guess you really never know
what your neighbors are up to, do you?
Anyway, what happened is a man by the name of Ariel Castro
systematically kidnapped a trio of teenage girls between 2002 and 2004 until one
of the girls finally escaped in 2013. Like Dugard, she too had a daughter with
her kidnapper.
According to my dad, to whom I gifted this book, he said
Ariel gave each of the girls a journal to record their time in captivity. Apparently
they took him up on this and dutifully jotted their thoughts as time
passed. This certainly made it a lot easier on their biographers (and
themselves as they also wrote autobiographies). I haven’t actually read it,
because, like I said, this one kind of hits home since it was so close,
literally. However, I think I’m ready, so once I polish off a few more books I’ve
started, I might jump in.
Lest you think these are depressing choices for reading, be
glad I’m not recommending Pandemic movies (Outbreak, Contagion, etc.) and I’ll
save my Zombie Apocalypse and EMP stories/movies for another day.
Stay safe and healthy out there and may God be with you all.
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