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bubblewombat's review
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
4.0
I read My Story last year and have been meaning to read this as well, finally sat down to do it. I read Elizabeth's first book by myself, but decided to listen to the audio version for this one which is narrated by her (My Story might also be, not sure).
We get snippets here and there of Elizabeth's story, how she dealt with her trauma and the role horses played in it, but the majority of the book is focused on her conducting interviews with people who've also gone through something traumatic, and how their faith (occasionally different from Elizabeth's own) helped them along the way.
It was an insightful and interesting read, albeit not what I was expecting. I do get what she was trying to do here though, showing us that no matter how horrible things get, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, you just have to keep pushing and find what's right for you.
I actually really liked that she didn't say therapy is the only answer, because therapy never helped me. I'm not saying it can't help others, but just like Elizabeth, I also need something different to help me through hard times and there's no shame in that.
She mentioned a book here, one written by her uncle, and I do believe it's the same one I read after reading My Story. I had no idea that she didn't give him permission to write it, and that they didn't get along for years because of it.
I don't know if I would've been as strong as Elizabeth to forgive him for it, because if someone had done that to me...
Anyway, if you're interested in a condensed version of her story, or the stories of other trauma survivors, you can read this without having read her other book. I'd also recommend the Elizabeth Smart: Autobiography documentary, it only has two parts so you can watch them in one go.
We get snippets here and there of Elizabeth's story, how she dealt with her trauma and the role horses played in it, but the majority of the book is focused on her conducting interviews with people who've also gone through something traumatic, and how their faith (occasionally different from Elizabeth's own) helped them along the way.
It was an insightful and interesting read, albeit not what I was expecting. I do get what she was trying to do here though, showing us that no matter how horrible things get, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, you just have to keep pushing and find what's right for you.
I actually really liked that she didn't say therapy is the only answer, because therapy never helped me. I'm not saying it can't help others, but just like Elizabeth, I also need something different to help me through hard times and there's no shame in that.
She mentioned a book here, one written by her uncle, and I do believe it's the same one I read after reading My Story. I had no idea that she didn't give him permission to write it, and that they didn't get along for years because of it.
I don't know if I would've been as strong as Elizabeth to forgive him for it, because if someone had done that to me...
Anyway, if you're interested in a condensed version of her story, or the stories of other trauma survivors, you can read this without having read her other book. I'd also recommend the Elizabeth Smart: Autobiography documentary, it only has two parts so you can watch them in one go.
angelamichelle's review
4.0
In this book, Elizabeth Smart interviews people who have overcome great adversity. All inspiring and insightful stories. But for me the real gem of the book is Elizabeth herself. Her plain spoken, simple strength of character—her ability to focus on character—a marvel.
kimball_hansen's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. This book was decent. I would have liked if she could better distinguish who was talking during the interviews. Oftentimes her interviewee would be telling a story and I would think it was Elizabeth speaking.
How do the lawyers who defended her captors live with themselves. So dumb. Another reason to hate lawyers.
I loved when she put that guy she went out with on blast. When I write my book it is going to be an S-storm. I'll be the net Takashi 69.
She said that now she's a mother and has her own daughter, she thinks the abduction was harder on her mom than it was for herself. That's wild.
God is in control and mindful of what we are going through. He's not sadistic and doesn't want us to be miserable. Faith is knowing you'll live through something even if you don't know how. Good thing I read this book when I did. Right after my fun, enchanting week with Holly. I was smitten and fell into a quick, deep depression afterwards from not knowing when or if I'd see her again. Like Elder Hales said in General Conference Oct 2000, "Dark moments of depression were quickly dispelled by the light of the gospel as the Spirit brought peace and comfort with assurances that all would be well." And today I had a very goof scripture study. Loved it.
I want to learn more why her uncle defamed her and wrote that book.
How do the lawyers who defended her captors live with themselves. So dumb. Another reason to hate lawyers.
I loved when she put that guy she went out with on blast. When I write my book it is going to be an S-storm. I'll be the net Takashi 69.
She said that now she's a mother and has her own daughter, she thinks the abduction was harder on her mom than it was for herself. That's wild.
God is in control and mindful of what we are going through. He's not sadistic and doesn't want us to be miserable. Faith is knowing you'll live through something even if you don't know how. Good thing I read this book when I did. Right after my fun, enchanting week with Holly. I was smitten and fell into a quick, deep depression afterwards from not knowing when or if I'd see her again. Like Elder Hales said in General Conference Oct 2000, "Dark moments of depression were quickly dispelled by the light of the gospel as the Spirit brought peace and comfort with assurances that all would be well." And today I had a very goof scripture study. Loved it.
I want to learn more why her uncle defamed her and wrote that book.
aubreewillden's review
2.0
I liked some of the stories, but was a little bored for most the book. There were some great messages though.
jenniferstringer's review
3.0
3.5 stars, maybe? In this book, Elizabeth Smart looks back on her own traumatic experience and seeks to explore how she was able to move past it with the desire that doing so may help others. Throughout the book she interviews other victims with traumatic backgrounds and probes their recovery to discover what it takes to go forward. To her, every instance begins with hope; with the fundamental belief that it can get better. One of the more profound statements for me was, that there are two kinds of survivors: those who did not die and those who live. In every interview the survivor had some measure of faith or religious belief (even those who suffered, as she did, from an attacker acting out of religious belief). It would have been interesting to include a survivor without a belief system among her interviews. Would recommend to anyone looking for an uplifting read in overcoming trauma.
bmpicc's review
4.0
I thoroughly enjoyed this. It was a quick read, but a necessary reminder that hope (and inner-strength) can often be found in unexpected places. I tend to be an optimist, but even I need to recharge my mindset sometimes. What a beautiful human being she is...
lhunt54's review
5.0
I read and loved her first book, My Story, so I picked this up as soon as it came out. It might even be better than the first book. She interviews other victims of tragedy or people who inspired her and asks them how they got through their personal hell or what makes their lives so worth living. The book is incredibly positive and hopeful. Its overall message is overwhelmingly motivating, that life is good, that terrible things can happen and that there can be hope and healing and goodness yet to come. I flew through it and would recommend it to anyone.
camichristine's review against another edition
5.0
Five Star read! I listened to this on audiobook and was captivated from the beginning. This brave young women's story and courage and willingness to move past what happened to her and help others find hope and strength in their struggles is just inspirational to say the least. In this book, Elizabeth meets with several individuals who have endured unspeakable hardships and asks them what it took to overcome their obstacles. Hearing their stories through her words is wonderfully poignant. I can't say enough good things about this book. It is for anyone who wants to be inspired and hear how others have survived and the hope that kept them moving forward. Elizabeth is clearly a woman of strong faith and the people she interviews also have a deep connection with their faith and that is one thing they all share that helped them through their struggles. She talks with individuals who have found a way to move past anger and resentment and find forgiveness and peace. It's really moving and I highly recommend!
chelse34's review
3.0
I didn't gain a whole lot from this book. I feel it's for people who are going through a hard time or have had something tragic happen. For them it may be inspirational. But for me, who am happy with my life and liking where I'm headed, it didn't have a lot of punch.
Just note, this book if full of interviews that she did with people who went through something tough. Things like- his family dies in car crash with a drunk driver, lady had hands chopped off, survivor of human trafficking, daughter committed suicide, etc. It does have little bits of Smart's life, but the focus is with the interviews.
One thing I didn't like was all the extra fluff regarding how and when she did her interviews. They didn't seem to matter at all or fit with the message she was trying to convey. Why do I care that her dress flew up before she knocked on the door, or that her daughter played with the dogs while she conducted the interview? Those parts I wish were cut out. The interviews themselves were interesting, but not all the set up for them that she included in her book.
Just note, this book if full of interviews that she did with people who went through something tough. Things like- his family dies in car crash with a drunk driver, lady had hands chopped off, survivor of human trafficking, daughter committed suicide, etc. It does have little bits of Smart's life, but the focus is with the interviews.
One thing I didn't like was all the extra fluff regarding how and when she did her interviews. They didn't seem to matter at all or fit with the message she was trying to convey. Why do I care that her dress flew up before she knocked on the door, or that her daughter played with the dogs while she conducted the interview? Those parts I wish were cut out. The interviews themselves were interesting, but not all the set up for them that she included in her book.