Stolen Life: A Memoir

Stolen Life: A Memoir
by
Jaycee Dugard
adult autobiography

Jaycee was kidnapped by two strangers when she was 11 years old. Eighteen years later probation officers finally became suspicious enough of her captures to get her back home to her mother. Jaycee, now 30 years old, tells her own story. While she was held in a couple's back yard in two buildings she was tied up and raped for years and years as well as subjected to the husband's skewed view of the world. During that time she gave birth to two daughters who were also kept captive at times and allowed in the main house at times. They did not go to school except for occasionally working on worksheets which Jaycee was eventually allowed to download from the internet under the supervision of her kidnappers.
The book is simply written. Keep in mind that Jaycee only went to school until fifth grade. During much of her life in captivity she did have access to an occasional book, but much of her education was from watching television. She plainly states some of the horrors that were done to her and occasionally reflects on how they have affected her. Some questions are left unanswered as this is told from the victim's viewpoint. There are many things she did not know and may never know. She does not say how many years in prison her capturers received or a number of other facts that a reporter may included. I suppose that readers can turn to People magazine and other news venues for that information. There is definitely room for a sequel or another book written by a reporter telling the same story from different views - like the view of her mother or the police officers or the kidnappers. I see that my library also owns "Lost and Found" by John Glatt about this same case.
I read this book in a very short time. I can see that this will probably make its way to being on psychology and sociology reading lists as well as its current New York Times bestseller status.

Just a Guy

Just a Guy, Notes from a Blue Collar Life
by
Bill Engvall and Alan Eisenstock
narrated by Bill Engvall
adult audiobook

I was browsing the audiobook shelves when I came across this disc set. I had heard of the Blue Collar comedy tour, but only recognized Larry the Cable Guy as one of them. It turns out that this comic has been performing for more than 20 years and I have even seen a movie with him in it - Delta Farce.
This 5 disc set tells about Engvall's youth and early years of performing as a disc jockey, comedy host, then as a stand up comic. I did not find him to be uproariously funny, but I did find him to be a really good storyteller. I enjoyed hearing about his childhood antics, his wild college years, etc. I especially liked the parts about baseball. His love of the game comes through in the narration.
As he points out, he had a fairly normal childhood, so he paints a portrait of life of an American boy in the 1960's and a young man in the 1970's.
Some of the stories take a serious turn. He tells about how his wife almost died with a miscarriage. He plays this scene with the seriousness it deserves.
I would compare him to Garrison Keillor. He has some great all American stories to tell and relates them in such a way that the audience hangs on his words. I will listen to some more of his audiobooks when I get a chance.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
by
Maya Angelou
adult autobiography

I had seen this book on a number of "must read" lists for years, but did not get around to reading it until just now. Marguerite Johnson and her brother are shuffled from their mother's house to their father's house to grandma's house and back a number of times while Marguerite and Bailey are growing up in the 1930's. Overall their childhood is poor and the Black folks keep away from White people. This book is an important look at how things were in America and how they are different today.

There are some not-so-nice scenes in this book which have landed it on the Banned Book list ever since it was published 40 years ago. Since it is an autobiography, these plot points are essential to the book.

Family Storms

Family Storms
by
V. C. Andrews
(ghostwriter, V. C. Andrews has been dead for some time now)
young adult/adult fiction

Family Storms by V. C. Andrews. V. C. Andrews has been dead for some time now, so this is ghostwritten. Sasha's life is at a low - she and her mother are homeless. It sinks lower when her mother is killed by a druggie driver. Her luck changes when she is taken in as a foster child, but rich families are not all they seem and the foster mother and sister both have sinister agendas...

I have not read any V. C. Andrews' books for a while. I was disappointed that this book was not as creepy as I had hoped. There was some secret/menacing stuff, but not as bad as the incest and other topics in previous works.