Freedom: My Book of Firsts

By Jaycee Dugard

Freedom: My Book of Firsts, a memoir by Jaycee Lee Dugard, the bestselling author of A Stolen Life, whose widely acclaimed account of being kidnapped at age 11 and remaining a prisoner for 18 years became an international bestseller in 2011.
  The kidnapping of Ms. Dugard occurred on June 10, 1991 in South Lake Tahoe, California, as she was walking from her home to her school bus stop. She was 11-years-old at the time.  She remained missing for 18 years, until 2009, when her captor, a convicted sex offender, was arrested.
  In her new book, Ms. Dugard will tell the story of her first experiences after years in captivity: the joys that accompanied her newfound freedom and the challenges of adjusting to life on her own. “There is life after something tragic happens,” Ms. Dugard said. “Life doesn’t have to end if you don’t want it to. It’s all in how you look at it. Somehow, I still believe that we each hold the key to our own happiness and you have to grab it where you can in whatever form it might take.”

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
• Release date: Jul 12, 2016
• ISBN: 9781471158537

Jaycee Dugard

Jaycee Dugard is the author of the memoir A Stolen Life, which tells the story of her kidnapping and eighteen years of captivity. Her second book is Freedom: My Book of Firsts.

Reviews for Freedom

[susan.macura · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It is a testament to the human spirit that Jaycee Dugard not only survived her ordeal, but came out it a strong, resilient and amazing woman and mother. She talks about some of the new experiences she had once freed, most of which we all experience but do so at a younger age and take more for granted than she does. It was wonderful to think about these things again with these thoughts brought forward through her perspective. It was also wonderful to see how much compassion and love she had for others and especially for animals, who are also dear to my heart. I enjoyed reading about how her life is unfolding and wish all the best for her and her family.

[akblanchard_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Former captive Jaycee Dugard's second book (after A Stolen Life) is all about her travels, her foundation work, and her human and animal entourages. She comes across as a nice (and very resilient) person, and her writing skills have improved a bit since her first effort. However, her new, post-trauma lifestyle is not compelling enough to bear another self-penned title. Recommended only for readers who require a follow up to A Stolen Life.

[librarycin · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is a follow up to kidnap (and rape) survivor Jaycee Dugard’s first book “My Stolen Life”. She was kidnapped at 11-years old and imprisoned for 18 years and had two daughters when they were found. This book tells of many things she did for the first time after she was free… things like her first plane ride (though she had been on a plane when she was younger), her first shopping trip to a mall, her first horse (she also had a dog and cats – some of the cats came with her from where she’d been imprisoned), and more. It was good, but she does sound very young, in more ways than one. I did listen to the audio, which she read herself, and her voice sounds young (she must also still look quite young, as she is often mistaken for much younger than she is). But also in the book, she uses a lot of sort of “catch phrases”. I can’t think of the correct term, but young, slang-sounding phrases/sayings.