Girl Hidden: A Memoir

De: Jesse Rene Gibbs

Narrado por: Lessa Lamb

Echoing among the Blue Ridge Mountains were the cries of newborn babies that disappeared into the night. The screams of children nearly drowned out by the sound of crickets. A girl, hidden and waiting to be found, terrified, and confused. The fireflies sparkling in the woods, bringing light to darkled places.

The bulk of Jesse’s memories were of growing up in the farm country of the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina. The farm folks stayed pretty much outside of town, except for visits to the feed store causing random tractors to travel down Main Street. A large family struggles to survive the chaotic nature of the family head: their mother, a blend of rage, disappointment, and religious command. Her husband follows sheepishly behind, a monster of his own kind. There were beatings and abuses, manipulation and terror carried out in spaces breathtaking in their beauty.

And then there’s young Jesse: unwanted from conception but kept as a pawn for her mother’s bidding. Her life is a tale of growing up with no one to count on but herself.

A story of southern hills, a mother’s neglect, fireflies, kidnapping, birth, death, and the taste of sweet mulberries ripened by the sun. Jesse is a girl, hidden, who becomes a woman, discovered.

©2021 Jesse René Gibbs (P)2022 Jesse René Gibbs

Amazing "Hidden Gem"

I found this author on TikTok, and I immediately downloaded her memoir. It was even more heartbreaking and well written than I expected, but with an closing full of healing and hope. 10/10 recommend for anyone not easily triggered by mentions of SA and DV.

The sibling bond

I loved the story of the siblings. I did not like some of the voices that were used to depict the children. It was a little over the top.

Narrator difficult to listen to

Narrator was overly dramatic and sing-songy. Kept hoping it would get better and never did.

A lot like my childhood

This is a sad, but probably not that unusual, tale of mentally ill parents abusing their children. Jesse’s mother was not unlike our stepmother, although her abuse was never physical - only psychological. You survive it with the comrade of your siblings; but the damage is never quite healed. I don’t know what I’d do without my siblings. Even at my geriatric age of 73 I still remember, but I’ve made a great adult life. My siblings and I are still close; until death I think.

very good

I do prefer first hand accounting of people's stories but it was very good. they go back and forth in the beginning with the past and present so it's a bit confusing but the person Jesse is remarkable and a survivor. the mom is crazy. the dad could of made it better why didn't he? I was really angry with him. poor girl.

Omg

It was absolutely beautiful and amazing written as a survivor of child abuse myself it spoke to me and helped me learn that my experience can’t stop me from being amazing ❤️

It felt like a lot of snippets without the right type of continuity... terrible narration

I hate to be judgmental when it's somebody sharing a personal memoir like this. I suppose they have to tell it however they have to tell it. And it wasn't poorly written. but I felt like the continuity was weird and it just was like a lot of quirky little stories pushed together. you got an idea of the controlling nature of Dolores but not the full picture.
But it would have been better as well with a different narrator. The narrator would have been okay had she just read the book. but she tried to put all this inflection and emotion and drama into it and she just did not pull it off. the wrong inflections at every point. These ridiculous poised pauses and overacting.... I spent a good chunk of the story rolling my eyes at the narrator.

Excellent read

What a story of survival and resilience… not only of Jessie but of the bond that hold families together. inspired.

Memorable

I think that anyone who had a narcissist parent can relate. This book brought back memories of my parent and my childhood. My heart goes out to all the abused children being robbed of there childhood.

Read it instead

The story is really good and engaging. BUT the amount of breathy up-speak done by the narrator made it extremely difficult to stick with.