Finding Me

A Decade of Darkness, a Life Reclaimed

By: Michelle Knight, Michelle Burford

Narrated by: Maria Cabezas

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.

©2014 Lillian Rose Lee (P)2014 Recorded Books

This story really makes you look at your own life

Any additional comments?

This story really makes you look at your own life and examine the priorities you have. This story touched me so deeply, it's even hard to put into words. If you ever find yourself thinking, "how can I go on when life is this hard?" then you need to read/listen to this book, because the key to surviving, and even thriving, in difficult times in contained within. It is a story of hope and courage, even in the midst of an absolute hell. Michelle's life was an absolute living hell, and yet she never gave up, and wants to share with others what kept her hanging on, so that they can too.

The narrator really made the story come alive too, I really felt like she connected with this story on a personal level, and that showed through in her narration; I think she did a phenomenal job.

So dad

its very sad story that I will not forget .no one deserve a life of pain

Inspiring woman!

Reading this book opened my eyes as to appreciate the little things and be grateful. Michelle is a true warrior and survivor! I admire your courage and perseverance to live! Wish her nothing but the best to you. God bless

Love it!

Thank God for you holding on and being strong for yourself and the other two ladies. Dude is rotting in hell for what he did! Sick- can't describe him! I hope that you can at least come into some kind of contact with your Joey:) I'll still keep praying for you all:)
Well read audible, I enjoy this site at the salon and my down town. When I'm too tired to hold a book, it's nice to hear one read to me:) Thank you

Finding Me

The sadness of what happen to this girl and the other two is hard to imagine!!I am so glad they made it out alive....but they didn't survive without many tragic things they must overcome! I hope to hear one day that Joey is reunited with his Mom!!

Great book!

Very good writing. It was hard to put down. Heartbreaking story. Michelle is so courageous. I

Great book

Michelle is a very courageous woman. May she be blessed with so much love and happiness.

Thanks for sharing your story. Hopefully it will help others that have endured pain, suffering, and heartache.

Sad story...

This is a very sad story, but I think it could have used more detail!! The other book written from the Cleveland abduction by Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus had much, much more detail. Still I think both could have used a bit more, but this book definitely could have used more detail and more about her life there and then after she was free. Not so much about before the kidnapping. Yes, I understand some of her life beforehand, but I just think it was a bit too much. If it was a life story that'd be one thing, but it was 'A memoir of the Cleveland kidnappings'. I just felt that a little less then half was about other things. But as these three girls went through this awful heart wrenching terrible thing, I feel for them all. The two book, although similar, had very different sides to what happened for certain things. I'm ought to be more to think that the book written by two of the three was more on point then this book that was written by only one of them. The book was greatly narrated, and I do prey for Michelle. So glad all three of these girls were found alive and got their lives back, and so much help from others!! So that they could live on their own and make their own choices finally after a decade!! The. Only they received help them, so they could take time to readjust to life out of that hell hole, before going to work. God bless you, Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus, and Michelle Knight! -xoxo-

Extremely sad, but not quite what I expected

First off, the narrator got under my skin a little. The dialogue was way more dramatic than it was probably written. Her voice was whiney, I’d probably never listen to another book she narrates.
I was expecting the whole book to be about the kidnapping, but unfortunately the first 8 or so Chapters were about her life up until that point. I think they could have summed that up in 1-2 chapters. Felt very very dragged out.
As far as the story itself, I don’t know how Michelle had the will to make it 11 years in those conditions. That has got to be the strongest willed women I’ve ever seen. Her entire life had been sexual and physical abuse over & over by a couple men. I’d rather die myself. It’s a tough story to listen to. Makes you angry beyond belief. And frustrated, as well, that they didn’t gang up and try to attack him even once.

Gripping

I had this book in my library for over a year before I gathered the courage to listen to it. It's heartwrenching but filled with hope. I'm thankful that Michelle, Gina and Amanda were finally freed from their captor. I'm also thankful that Michelle has been able to find the measure of healing she's found and I pray that the same is true for Gina and Amanda.