Fantastic Book Earn My Coveted - "I Dug It" Award

Happy Mother's Day.  This is my tribute to someone who was a fantastic one until...

Michelle was a young single mother when she was kidnapped by a local school bus driver named Ariel Castro. For more than a decade afterward, she endured unimaginable torture at the hand of her abductor. In 2003 Amanda Berry joined her in captivity, followed by Gina DeJesus in 2004. Their escape on May 6, 2013, made headlines around the world. 

Barely out of her own tumultuous childhood, Michelle was estranged from her family and fighting for custody of her young son when she disappeared. Local police believed she had run away, so they removed her from the missing persons lists fifteen months after she vanished. Castro tormented her with these facts, reminding her that no one was looking for her, that the outside world had forgotten her. But Michelle would not be broken.

In Finding Me, Michelle will reveal the heartbreaking details of her story, including the thoughts and prayers that helped her find courage to endure her unimaginable circumstances and now build a life worth living. By sharing both her past and her efforts to create a future, Michelle becomes a voice for the voiceless and a powerful symbol of hope for the thousands of children and young adults who go missing every year.
*****

This is the blurb that describes this book I was prompted to purchase this novel after watching Michelle Knight's interview on the Dr. Phil show.  I'm not generally interested in anything mainstream published, but something about this girl made me want to know more about her life.

I was moved to tears, yet inspired by her bravery and perseverance, and appalled that another human could be as cruel as Ariel Castro.  The one thing that kept Michelle alive were thoughts of the two-year-old son she left behind, and the irony...she was kidnapped on her way to a court hearing to try to get him back after he'd been removed from her family home because of nothing she did.  She accepted the welcome offer of a ride from Castro because she was friends with his daughter and sort of knew him. 

 To say, you have to read this book is an understatement, and I downloaded it in a few minutes onto my Kindle and stayed up late into the night because I couldn't quit reading.  I always wanted a daughter, and to think Michelle's mom had one and didn't even appreciate her makes me sad.  I would gladly raise my hand to have someone like Michelle in my life.  

The facts in this case are startling.  The man was a school bus driver with children of his own, yet devastated because his wife took them and left.  He lashed out, and the three girls he kidnapped bore the wrath of his vengeance.  Thank God, they were eventually rescued, but they didn't even get the satisfaction of knowing their captor had to endure the same incarceration they suffered for so long.  The coward hung himself.

I know I would never have the courage that Michelle displayed and held onto, but reading  her story has made me determined to live each day to the fullest and be the best person I can be.  Thank you Michelle, for sharing a horrible, horrible time in your life. There certainly is a place in heaven with your name on it.

Buy Link