Customer Reviews

Held Captive: The Kidnapping and Rescue of Elizabeth Smart

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"Held Captive" is the edge-of-your seat page-turner it is because Maggie Haberman and Jeane MacIntosh, the book's authors, were clever enough to let this suspenseful tale run its inevitable course. No sugar sprinkles, no hype, no sentimentality, the entire horror tale told in such a skillful manner that the pace doesn't falter for a second.
And what a sickening tale it is! A beautiful little 14-year-old abducted from her bed in the middle of the night in full view of her terrified younger sister and --worse yet!--unrecovered for nine months!
The kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart had frightened the nation on and off since it was first revealed by the Salt Lake City police in June 2002.But to read about it, as we did then, in bits and pieces in newspapers and magazines is different from absorbing the whole stomach-churning story as step by ominous step, the search actually chugged on. The Smart family's anxiety is unimaginable, yet the authors bring it insightfully to the fore. As they do with the lunatic minds of Elisabeth's kidnappers, the bizarre, religion-besotted Brian Mitchell and his pathetic companion Wanda Barzee. A revolting pair!
"Held Captive" was written by two top-notch New York journalists, and their clear-headedness shows. Read it. You will never forget it.

This book is a detail of events, starting many years prior to the abduction, woven into a comprehensive chronology that is highly readable. The information is based on interviews with family members and previously published material. The two authors' investigative journalism background is apparent -- the book approaches the subject matter-of-factly. The authors took care to be thorough with little sensationlism. This is not a creatively embellished interpretation of persons and events. I especially liked how MacIntosh and Haberman included information from experts knowledgeable in cult practices and from missing children recovery agencies. Overall, I think the authors did a fine job piecing the story together while being sensitive toward the young victim and her family.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the investigation and events that lead to Elizabeth's joyful rescue.

Living in Utah makes this event too close for comfort which compelled me to read this book. This author's perspective was very interesting and exciting. I found the book to be full of interesting facts some of which I had not heard or read before. It also has reminded me that our society had changed in a frightening direction when we are no longer safe in our own homes.

I am a 14 year old girl, who never even really knew Elizabeth Smart was taken from her Salt Lake City home, until she was found. My family and I brought up Elizabeths remarkable rescue at breakfast one morning and it made me very interested to find out what truly happened to this young girl. Elizabeth, being only a sophmore in Highschool is my Ro-Model because she has inspired me to believe miracles do happen, if you have faith in yourself. I feel Elizabeth has gone through so much and has maintained who she is and managed to put up with all that torment for 9 months. She is truly a remarkable person and deserves to be back with her family. I think this book about Elizabeths torment and rescue is truly heartbreaking but is also a remarkable story to read. Elizabeth is truly an angel on Earth.

I read part of this book when the hardcover version first came out. What a horrific experience for that family and how miraculous that they had a happy ending!! I still remember where I was when I heard that she had been found. I didn't read the whole book because it was too disturbing and I get nightmares easily. It really bothers me when people criticize the family for writing a book and allowing it to be put into a movie. Why shouldn't they share their miracle? I would! Not a whole lot of children/teens come back alive when they are kidnapped and so I think the family are doing right to share their story. I'm sure that it will help other families to have hope. And what is the family doing now? They are presently helping another family who has a missing family member! So many others would want to just forget about it, but instead they are out there trying to help and comfort another family. That's really quite commendable. I did notice when I read what I read, that they do include a bit of information about their belief system. Although I don't agree with their theology at all, I do believe that they have every right to talk about it in their book. All of us would do that if we were in the same situation. They were sharing how they got through the ordeal and of course their faith is going to be mentioned. I was certainly praying too and I even hung light blue ribbons (her favourite colour) in a few places. There are so few miracles in the news nowadays and I'm glad that the Smarts are sharing their story. I really think the point of the book is how good is coming out of such a terrible tragedy.

When i got this book i expected it to tell me what exactly happened to elizabeth whilst she was captured, it told me pretty much nothing!! and left me a lot of questions!! all i got what how they tried to get her back and the way they lived on the streets. i had to guess by the insinuations that there had been sexual abuse, but im not sure what else! i assumed that the author researched and interviewed her and was going to tell us things we didnt know but it didnt! maybe that was the intention of the book, as the title shouldve told me that but everything it did tell me was everything the media pretty much told us. i would love to know why she didnt run, other than speculations and what all happened to her when she was gone. if you want to know media info then i suppose this book is good but if u are trying to find out what happened to her you'll be very dissapointed!it was written well though.

In deference to the family of Elizabeth Smart, and, in the best interest of a young lady who has endured a harrowing experience in her life, I feel that we, as the ever voyeuristic and pandering public that we are, should be careful of exploiting a case too much that is still pending investigation. No one has pleaded guilt or innocence, and here is the first book out before trial has even been set. I have purchased this book, and find it to be informative, and fairly accurate to the reports and findings I have observed first-hand here in Salt Lake City. I feel that the Smart case can serve as a catalyst in the prevention of further abductions throughout the country, and, in this way, the book could serve a good purpose. The Smart family's passionate persistence paid off in the passage of the Amber Alert bill in Washington, DC, with Elizabeth and her parents in attendance at the signing with President Bush. The negatives to such a book - as I'm sure others will follow - is assuring the commitment that Ed and Lois Smart have to help their daughter get reprogrammed to a normal, and essentially stabilized, life again, will be more difficult. I would hope that we can always respect the privacy of a victimized family, and support all the law enforcement officers involved so deeply in this highly profiled case, and let them do their work.

I in all honesty have not read this book but I came across a disturbing review by someone that said they think this book is just some Mormon way of getting publicity. I am angered and enraged by this statement. Myself being from Utah I am Mormon/LDS the same faith as the Smart family. I lived through the horror that SLC went through when Elizabeth was taken from her family. NO ONE has the right to say that this book was a way to get publicity for our church. This poor teenage girl will have to live her whole life with the hellish memories of her nine month captivity. Why can't some people respect this and just leave that whole family alone? Elizabeth deserves privacy and I don't think anyone should judge our church or her by a book.

My hand trembled with each and every page I read.
With each word my mind went back to when I was kidnapped, beaten, tortured and raped in Moscow in January of 1992 by early Al qeada operatives.
Maggie, you have written a spine chilling account of Elizabeth Smart's kidnapping and rescue.
I applaud you for your writing skills.

-Yvonne Bornstein, Author, Eleven Days Of Hell- My True Story Of Kidnapping, Terror, Torture and Historic FBI and KGB Rescue

This is a rather boring book...I picked it up after a friend of mine recommended it to me. Although it only took 2-3 to read it, it was boring. It took all I had to actually get through it. The writing is easy enough-but just in a vocabulary and level sense. My younger sisters and brother could read it with no problems. It's just that there's no real good flow.

What Elizabeth experienced was harrowing, and one of the reason why she's home is because of all the media coverage...