
My Story
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wish list failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy Now for $28.21
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Elizabeth Smart
-
Written by:
-
Elizabeth Smart
-
Chris Stewart
About this listen
For the first time, 10 years after her abduction from her Salt Lake City bedroom, Elizabeth Smart reveals how she survived and the secret to forging a new life in the wake of a brutal crime.
On June 5, 2002, 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart, the daughter of a close-knit Mormon family, was taken from her home in the middle of the night by religious fanatic Brian David Mitchell and his wife, Wanda Barzee. She was kept chained, dressed in disguise, repeatedly raped, and told she and her family would be killed if she tried to escape. After her rescue on March 12, 2003, she rejoined her family and worked to pick up the pieces of her life.
Now for the first time, in her memoir, My Story, she tells of the constant fear she endured every hour, her courageous determination to maintain hope, and how she devised a plan to manipulate her captors and convinced them to return to Utah, where she was rescued minutes after arriving. Smart explains how her faith helped her stay sane in the midst of a nightmare and how she found the strength to confront her captors at their trial and see that justice was served.
In the nine years after her rescue, Smart transformed from victim to advocate, traveling the country and working to educate, inspire and foster change. She has created a foundation to help prevent crimes against children and is a frequent public speaker. In 2012, she married Matthew Gilmour, whom she met doing mission work in Paris for her church, in a fairy tale wedding that made the cover of People magazine.
©2013 Elizabeth Smart (P)2013 Macmillan AudioYou may also enjoy...
-
A Stolen Life
- A Memoir
- Written by: Jaycee Dugard
- Narrated by: Jaycee Dugard
- Length: 7 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
"In the summer of 1991 I was a normal kid. I did normal things. I had friends and a mother who loved me. I was just like you. Until the day my life was stolen. For eighteen years I was a prisoner. I was an object for someone to use and abuse. For eighteen years I was not allowed to speak my own name. I became a mother and was forced to be a sister. For eighteen years I survived an impossible situation. On August 26, 2009, I took my name back. My name is Jaycee Lee Dugard. I dont think of myself as a victim. I survived...."
-
-
Eye opening
- By Cynthia Poirier on 2018-07-20
Written by: Jaycee Dugard
-
Hope
- A Memoir of Survival in Cleveland
- Written by: Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus, Mary Jordan, and others
- Narrated by: Jorjeana Marie, Marisol Ramirez, Arthur Morey
- Length: 12 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Two victims of the infamous Cleveland kidnapper share the story of their abductions, their decade in captivity, and their final, dramatic rescue. On May 6, 2013, Amanda Berry made headlines around the world when she fled a Cleveland area home and called 911, saying: “Help me, I’m Amanda Berry...I’ve been kidnapped, and I’ve been missing for 10 years". A horrifying story rapidly unfolded. Ariel Castro, a local school bus driver, had separately lured Berry, Gina DeJesus, and Michelle Knight to his home, where he kept them chained in the basement.
-
-
Heroic
- By shawn on 2020-04-19
Written by: Amanda Berry, and others
-
Freedom
- My Book of Firsts
- Written by: Jaycee Dugard
- Narrated by: Jaycee Dugard
- Length: 5 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this book Jaycee Dugard describes the life she never thought she would live to see: from her first sight of her mother to her first time meeting her grownup sister, her first trip to the dentist to her daughters' first day of school, her first taste of champagne to her first hangover, her first time behind the wheel to her first speeding ticket, and her first dance at a friend's wedding to her first thoughts about the possibility of a future relationship.
-
-
Wonderful!
- By AmyLee on 2018-02-07
Written by: Jaycee Dugard
-
Finding Me
- A Decade of Darkness, a Life Reclaimed
- Written by: Michelle Knight, Michelle Burford
- Narrated by: Maria Cabezas
- Length: 7 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
A miraculously positive story
- By Amazon Customer on 2018-09-14
Written by: Michelle Knight, and others
-
The Family Next Door
- The Heartbreaking Imprisonment of the 13 Turpin Siblings and Their Extraordinary Rescue
- Written by: John Glatt
- Narrated by: Shaun Grindell
- Length: 8 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On January 14, 2018, a 17-year-old girl climbed out of the window of her Perris, California home and dialed 911 with shaking fingers. Struggling to stay calm, she told the operator that she and her 12 siblings - ranging in age from two to 29 - were being abused by their parents. When the dispatcher asked for her address, the girl hesitated. "I've never been out," she stammered.
-
-
Repetitive content and the narrator is horrible
- By L1stentomysoul on 2020-10-21
Written by: John Glatt
-
Where There's Hope
- Healing, Moving Forward, and Never Giving Up
- Written by: Elizabeth Smart
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Smart
- Length: 8 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In her fearless memoir, My Story - the basis of the Lifetime Original movie I Am Elizabeth Smart - Elizabeth detailed, for the first time, the horror behind the headlines of her abduction by religious fanatic Brian David Mitchell and his wife, Wanda Barzee. Since then, she’s married, become a mother, and traveled the world as the president of the Elizabeth Smart Foundation, sharing her story with the intent of helping others along the way.
-
-
amazing
- By Donna Hartley on 2018-04-25
Written by: Elizabeth Smart
-
A Stolen Life
- A Memoir
- Written by: Jaycee Dugard
- Narrated by: Jaycee Dugard
- Length: 7 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
"In the summer of 1991 I was a normal kid. I did normal things. I had friends and a mother who loved me. I was just like you. Until the day my life was stolen. For eighteen years I was a prisoner. I was an object for someone to use and abuse. For eighteen years I was not allowed to speak my own name. I became a mother and was forced to be a sister. For eighteen years I survived an impossible situation. On August 26, 2009, I took my name back. My name is Jaycee Lee Dugard. I dont think of myself as a victim. I survived...."
-
-
Eye opening
- By Cynthia Poirier on 2018-07-20
Written by: Jaycee Dugard
-
Hope
- A Memoir of Survival in Cleveland
- Written by: Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus, Mary Jordan, and others
- Narrated by: Jorjeana Marie, Marisol Ramirez, Arthur Morey
- Length: 12 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Two victims of the infamous Cleveland kidnapper share the story of their abductions, their decade in captivity, and their final, dramatic rescue. On May 6, 2013, Amanda Berry made headlines around the world when she fled a Cleveland area home and called 911, saying: “Help me, I’m Amanda Berry...I’ve been kidnapped, and I’ve been missing for 10 years". A horrifying story rapidly unfolded. Ariel Castro, a local school bus driver, had separately lured Berry, Gina DeJesus, and Michelle Knight to his home, where he kept them chained in the basement.
-
-
Heroic
- By shawn on 2020-04-19
Written by: Amanda Berry, and others
-
Freedom
- My Book of Firsts
- Written by: Jaycee Dugard
- Narrated by: Jaycee Dugard
- Length: 5 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this book Jaycee Dugard describes the life she never thought she would live to see: from her first sight of her mother to her first time meeting her grownup sister, her first trip to the dentist to her daughters' first day of school, her first taste of champagne to her first hangover, her first time behind the wheel to her first speeding ticket, and her first dance at a friend's wedding to her first thoughts about the possibility of a future relationship.
-
-
Wonderful!
- By AmyLee on 2018-02-07
Written by: Jaycee Dugard
-
Finding Me
- A Decade of Darkness, a Life Reclaimed
- Written by: Michelle Knight, Michelle Burford
- Narrated by: Maria Cabezas
- Length: 7 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
A miraculously positive story
- By Amazon Customer on 2018-09-14
Written by: Michelle Knight, and others
-
The Family Next Door
- The Heartbreaking Imprisonment of the 13 Turpin Siblings and Their Extraordinary Rescue
- Written by: John Glatt
- Narrated by: Shaun Grindell
- Length: 8 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On January 14, 2018, a 17-year-old girl climbed out of the window of her Perris, California home and dialed 911 with shaking fingers. Struggling to stay calm, she told the operator that she and her 12 siblings - ranging in age from two to 29 - were being abused by their parents. When the dispatcher asked for her address, the girl hesitated. "I've never been out," she stammered.
-
-
Repetitive content and the narrator is horrible
- By L1stentomysoul on 2020-10-21
Written by: John Glatt
-
Where There's Hope
- Healing, Moving Forward, and Never Giving Up
- Written by: Elizabeth Smart
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Smart
- Length: 8 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In her fearless memoir, My Story - the basis of the Lifetime Original movie I Am Elizabeth Smart - Elizabeth detailed, for the first time, the horror behind the headlines of her abduction by religious fanatic Brian David Mitchell and his wife, Wanda Barzee. Since then, she’s married, become a mother, and traveled the world as the president of the Elizabeth Smart Foundation, sharing her story with the intent of helping others along the way.
-
-
amazing
- By Donna Hartley on 2018-04-25
Written by: Elizabeth Smart
-
Counting the Cost
- Written by: Jill Duggar, Derick Dillard - contributor, Craig Borlase - contributor
- Narrated by: Jill Duggar
- Length: 7 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jill and Derick knew a normal life wasn’t possible for them. As a star on the popular TLC reality show 19 Kids and Counting, Jill grew up in front of viewers who were fascinated by her family’s way of life. She was the responsible, second daughter of Jim Bob and Michelle’s nineteen kids; always with a baby on her hip and happy to wear the modest ankle-length dresses with throat-high necklines.
-
-
Interesting to hear Jill’s story
- By Kelly Colson on 2023-09-18
Written by: Jill Duggar, and others
-
Unspeakable
- Surviving My Childhood and Finding My Voice
- Written by: Jessica Willis Fisher
- Narrated by: Jessica Fisher
- Length: 9 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Using the written word as her witness statement, Jessica Willis Fisher tells a lacerating story of finding her voice after two decades of silence and an unforgettable story of risk and faith.
-
-
Another tragedy hiding behind religion
- By marcia on 2025-02-20
Written by: Jessica Willis Fisher
-
The House of My Mother
- A Daughter's Quest for Freedom
- Written by: Shari Franke
- Narrated by: Shari Franke
- Length: 7 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Shari Franke’s childhood was a constant battle for survival. Her mother, Ruby Franke, enforced a severe moral code while maintaining a façade of a picture-perfect family for their wildly popular YouTube channel 8 Passengers, which documented the day-to-day life of raising six children for a staggering 2.5 million subscribers. But a darker truth lurked beneath the surface—Ruby’s wholesome online persona masked a more tyrannical parenting style than anyone could have imagined.
-
-
Finished quickly
- By Chris Dalgleish on 2025-01-27
Written by: Shari Franke
-
3,096 Days in Captivity
- The True Story of My Abduction, Eight Years of Enslavement, and Escape
- Written by: Natascha Kampusch
- Narrated by: Jennifer Scapetis-Tycer
- Length: 10 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On March 2, 1998, 10-year-old Natascha Kampusch was kidnapped and found herself locked in a house that would be her home for the next eight years. She was starved, beaten, treated as a slave, and forced to work for her deranged captor. But she never forgot who she was, and she never gave up hope of returning to the world. This is her story.
-
-
Very well done!’
- By Traveling Momma on 2018-02-24
Written by: Natascha Kampusch
-
Love as Always, Mum xxx
- The true and terrible story of surviving a childhood with Fred and Rose West
- Written by: Mae West, Neil McKay
- Narrated by: Julia Barrie
- Length: 10 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The true story of an abused childhood, of shocking brutality and life as the daughter of notorious serial killer and master manipulator Rose West. You're 21 years old. Police arrive on the doorstep of your house, 25 Cromwell Street, with a warrant to search the garden for the remains of your older sister you didn't know was dead. Bones are found, and they are from more than one body. And so the nightmare begins. You are the daughter of Fred and Rose West.
-
-
Sooo interesting!
- By Elizabeth gosling on 2025-02-21
Written by: Mae West, and others
-
The Bad Room
- Held Captive and Abused by My Evil Carer. A True Story of Survival.
- Written by: Jade Kelly
- Narrated by: Caro Clarke
- Length: 8 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Jade Kelly met her new foster mother, she thought her prayers had been answered. Kindly Carol Docherty was everything her violent, drug-addicted mother was not. Loving and nurturing, she fed and clothed 10-year-old Jade and offered a life free of fear from near constant abuse. Or so Jade thought. As soon as social workers in Lancashire stopped their regular checks on Jade’s progress, Carol turned. Over the next six years Jade and three other girls were effectively kept prisoner in a bedroom she called the ‘bad room’ and subjected to unrelenting physical and mental abuse.
-
-
Determination
- By Suzanne on 2024-11-01
Written by: Jade Kelly
-
Out of the Shadows
- A Memoir
- Written by: Timea Nagy, Shannon Moroney
- Narrated by: AJ Bridel
- Length: 11 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Timea Nagy was 20 years old when she answered a newspaper ad in Budapest, Hungary, calling for young women to work as babysitters and housekeepers in Canada. Hired by what seemed like a legitimate recruitment agency, Timea left her home believing she would earn good money to send back to her family. What she didn't know was that she'd been lured by a ring of international human traffickers - and her life would never again be the same.
-
-
Times Nagy is a hero!
- By Julia on 2020-07-06
Written by: Timea Nagy, and others
-
On the Farm
- Robert William Pickton and the Tragic Story of Vancouver's Missing Women
- Written by: Stevie Cameron
- Narrated by: Erin Moon
- Length: 25 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Verteran investigative journalist Stevie Cameron first began following the story of missing women in 1998, when the odd newspaper piece appeared chronicling the disappearances of drug-addicted sex trade workers from Vancouver's notorious Downtown Eastside. It was not until February 2002 that pig farmer Robert William Pickton would be arrested, and 2008 before he was found guilty, on six counts of second-degree murder. These counts were appealed and in 2010, the Supreme Court of Canada rendered its conclusion.
-
-
Narration is bad. “You know, Like really bad ‘eh”
- By k on 2022-08-24
Written by: Stevie Cameron
-
Stolen Innocence
- My Story of Growing Up in a Polygamous Sect, Becoming a Teenage Bride, and Breaking Free of Warren Jeffs
- Written by: Elissa Wall, Lisa Pulitzer
- Narrated by: Renée Raudman
- Length: 15 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In September 2007, Elissa Wall, the star witness against polygamous sect leader Warren Jeffs, gave captivating testimony of how Jeffs forced her to marry her first cousin at age 14. This harrowing account proved to be the most compelling evidence against Jeffs, showing the harsh realities of this closed community and the lengths to which Jeffs went in order to control the sect's women. Now, in this courageous memoir, Wall tells the incredible story of how she emerged from the confines of the Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints and helped bring one of America's most notorious criminals to justice.
-
-
Heart wrenching tough read.
- By Adele on 2020-08-14
Written by: Elissa Wall, and others
-
Escape
- Written by: Carolyn Jessop, Laura Palmer
- Narrated by: Ann Marie Lee
- Length: 15 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When she was 18 years old, Carolyn Jessop was coerced into an arranged marriage with a total stranger - a man 32 years her senior. Merril Jessop already had three wives. But arranged plural marriages were an integral part of Carolyn's heritage: She was born into and raised in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), the radical offshoot of the Mormon Church.
-
-
I love memoirs! This is one of the best !
- By Claire on 2020-04-28
Written by: Carolyn Jessop, and others
-
If You Tell
- A True Story of Murder, Family Secrets, and the Unbreakable Bond of Sisterhood
- Written by: Gregg Olsen
- Narrated by: Karen Peakes
- Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After more than a decade, when sisters Nikki, Sami, and Tori Knotek hear the word mom, it claws like an eagle’s talons, triggering memories that have been their secret since childhood. Until now. For years, behind the closed doors of their farmhouse in Raymond, Washington, their sadistic mother, Shelly, subjected her girls to unimaginable abuse, degradation, torture, and psychic terrors. Through it all, Nikki, Sami, and Tori developed a defiant bond that made them far less vulnerable than Shelly imagined.
-
-
Good Narration, Terribly Depressing Story Arc
- By Kerissa Marie D on 2020-10-02
Written by: Gregg Olsen
-
Enslaved
- My True Story of Survival
- Written by: Emily Vaughn
- Narrated by: Janine Cooper Marshall
- Length: 9 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Emily has always felt like an outsider, so when a family friend takes her under his wing she is delighted. But soon it becomes clear that his motives are not all they seem. At the age of 11, Emily is groomed into being a ‘county lines’ drug trafficker. It is the beginning of a vicious cycle that sees her become prey to one abuser after another, involving a huge child-sex-trafficking gang. The scale of the abuse—at the hands of hundreds of men—is sickening, and at times it feels like there will never be an escape. But then, in the darkest of moments, a ray of light shines....
-
-
Harrowing Story
- By Victoria on 2022-03-19
Written by: Emily Vaughn
Featured Article: 20 Best True Crime Audiobooks for Your Inner Detective
There is nothing more thrilling than the unfolding tale of a true crime story. Whether an unsolved mystery, a deep dive into a criminal mastermind, or a look at an infamous serial killer, true crime is gripping, captivating, and engrossing. The best true crime audiobooks will have you on the edge of your seat, anxious for more. Add to that an emphatic and powerful narrator, and you simply won't be able to stop listening. Here are the 20 best true crime audiobooks to satisfy your inner detective.
What listeners say about My Story
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Marianne
- 2021-10-12
repetitive
though my heart goes out to her and her family for the horrors they survived.... the story was long and repetitive.
I found myself skipping through the chapters about half way through.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jacob Berg
- 2018-12-02
never heard anything like it
what a crazy experience. very well read and written. I was completely enveloped the whole time
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 2024-02-29
Riveting and Honest!
An unbelievably honest portrayal of her 9 months of horror, at the hands of pure evil.
What a strong woman, with so much to teach us all about our reactions to life experiences.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- NM
- 2021-02-12
Strongest woman
Love her strength, and courage. Just enough details to get the idea, without being too graphic.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Roberta W
- 2019-04-07
Simply inspiring
I remember Elizabeth Smart's abduction when it happened, as well as the startling revelations when she was rescued, that she had spent time on the streets in her home town, behind a veil, controlled by her captors. Elizabeth tells the story of her kidnapping, her captivity and rescue with courage and unapologetic honesty. Its a compelling story, made especially meaningful by the telling in her own voice. How one moves on after such incredible trauma is fascinating to me. I am endlessly curious about why some crumble and stay in the grips of their trauma, while others ultimately emerge strong, resolute and determined to embrace their second chance at life. The latter certainly describes Elizabeth, and she tells it well.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Lindsay6
- 2020-05-06
This really moved me
I was hesitant to read this book because I thought it would be horrific. The story is one we all know as well as the ending. What impressed me was Elizabeth's resilience, if she can cope with what happened to her and thrive in her life now that left me both impressed and inspired which is not what I expected reading this book. She is very forthcoming about everything but keeps some details private which was a good decision. Bless you Elizabeth.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Chandy
- 2023-12-10
Detailed and sad
It's a sad story and Elizabeth details all of it. She is extremely brave and I hope this writing was cathartic for her.
Elizabeth was able to tell a terrible story with occasional humor thrown in the mix which balanced the horror of her story.
However, there were some areas that showed a very judgemental side. When they were in California, walking around on Thanksgiving, she commented that "there seemed to be a lot of homeless people walking around. Or maybe Mitchell just attracted people like him." There is a huge difference between someone who is down and out or struggling with mental illness and a kidnapping pedophile POS.
At a party, a boy, aged 19, with blue hair and piercings said she had "beautiful eyes." Elizabeth is clad in a robe with a veil covering her head to toe. This party goer cannot tell her age but she says "did he even know I was 14? Judging from the looks of him, I would say it wouldn't have made a difference."
As we know, Elizabeth is a mormon. Throughout the book she repeats that god didn't get her kidnapped and god would never allow a child to go through this, but god WAS going to get her home. The magic glass of water was humorous but not in the way she intended.
Overall, it was a read I enjoyed because she doesn't lack details. I'm always left wanting more details with most true story books and this is where she doesn't disappoint. She is a very good narrator too.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!