"Captive" Book Review and Giveaway

What an incredible story!

Imagine: Just as you're starting to get your life back on track, a man takes you hostage in your own apartment. "Captive" is Ashley Smith's true story of how God helped her earn the trust of a man, who just killed several people in an attempt to escape going to prison, in order to escape his captivity. 

As I read this book, I couldn't help but wonder how I would have handled the situation. I can definitely say, I likely wouldn't have done it as well as Ms. Smith. In the book, she talks about making it her goal to connect with the man, Brian Nichols, and to make him see her as a person - a mother and a recovering drug addict. She makes no bones about how scared she was or how her own sorry past allowed her an insider's view of how her captive must be feeling.

As far as the story goes, it was fascinating. As far as the book goes, I found it a bit repetitive. She talks a lot about her daughter Paige. She talks about how her daughter has lost a father, how her daughter has been through a lot because of her drug problems, how she's trying to get custody of her daughter back. Each of those sub topics was discussed over and over again until I started skimming. Throw in the fact that she also used her daughter as her main avenue for getting her captive to let her go free, and you start to lose me. I understand that Paige was pinnacle in her life struggles as well as instrumental in connecting with Brian Nichols but I started feeling like saying, "I get it. Move on." The same could be said for how often her late husband Mack is mentioned. It's not that he too isn't pinnacle to her story, it's just that she kept coming back to the same point.

Don't take me wrong, it wasn't so bad that I didn't want to finish the book. (something I quickly do if the book isn't great) Plus, as soon as I finished "Captive", my 12 year old daughter picked it up and was consumed by it. 

The movie version of "Captive" is coming out in September and I hope it does justice to such an incredible story.

I have no doubt that everyone would get a blessing out of reading this book. If you'd like your name entered in a draw for a free copy of "Captive", leave a comment below. The draw will be held Aug 27th, 2015. Good luck


Also, visit www.captivethemovie.com/followyourpurpose. 
Share your own story of overcoming what held you captive and how you are now following your purpose.