Stolen, A Memoir by Elizabeth Gilpin
A gripping chronicle of psychological manipulation and abuse at a therapeutic boarding school for troubled teens and how one young woman fought to heal in the aftermath. At fifteen, Elizabeth Gilpin was an honor student, a state-ranked swimmer and a rising soccer star but behind closed doors her undiagnosed depression was wreaking havoc on her life. Growing angrier by the day, she began skipping practices and drinking to excess. At a loss, her parents turned to an educational consultant who suggested Elizabeth be enrolled in a behavioral modification program. That recommendation would change her life forever. The nightmare began when she was abducted from her bed in the middle of the night by hired professionals and dropped off deep in the woods of Appalachia. Living with no real shelter was only the beginning of her ordeal, she was strip-searched, force-fed, her name was changed to a number and every moment was a test of physical survival. After three brutal months, Elizabeth was transferred to a boarding school in Southern Virginia that in reality functioned more like a prison. Its curriculum revolved around a perverse form of group therapy where students were psychologically abused and humiliated. Finally, at seventeen, Elizabeth convinced them she was rehabilitated enough to graduate and was released. In this eye-opening and unflinching book, Elizabeth recalls the horrors she endured, the.
- Suggested age range - Adult
- Format - Hardcover
- Dimension - 5" W x 12" H x 3.6" D
- Genre - Biography
- Publisher - Grand Central Publishing, Publication Date - 07-20-2021
- Page count - 336
- ISBN - 9781538735442
Web ID: 17693652
An explosive & important memoir to read--3.5 stars
Elizabeth Gilpin’s “Stolen” is an explosive new memoir that sheds further light on the growing exposure of wilderness-based therapy programs and privately owned therapeutic boarding schools. Her story of abuse and strength falls in line with #breakingcodesilence movement that has picked up in recent years. As a daughter and as a mother to daughters, this was an incredibly difficult read to get through as page after page reveals heart-breaking cycles of abuse, miscommunication and anger between both parent and child. My heart broke for Gilpin and her family as it’s so clear that she was a pawn a school zeroed in on to make a buck and push their cult-based programs of abuse. Gilpin’s strength and bravery for coming forward with this memoir is yet another example of the importance of properly treating, recognizing and showing grace and love to teens struggling with their mental health. A triggering, emotional, and devastatingly sad read, Gilpin’s ability to rise from the ashes and be the voice for so many also makes “Stolen” a book of redemption and hope.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Page turner!
This book was such a great representation of misdiagnosis! Did not want to put the book down. I read half of the book the first day I got it, it was so great. Claire Holt a influencer I follow recommended and I am so glad she did! The first person point of view with the internal comments and thought processes were an added bonus. Being soo close to home definitely was surreal as well.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
A Powerful Read
This book is a very powerful read - it is beautifully written and an incredible story of a bright, talented teen that endured unimaginable trauma. Elizabeth Gilpin is brave to share her story in such a way that made us both laugh and cry. Bravo to her for sharing and bringing to light what is really going on in these "Therapeutic boarding schools"! I hope this book can help to educate us all and understand the importance of listening, supporting, and guiding our teens - our future.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Stunning. Harrowing. Must read memoir.
This book is stunning. Harrowing. Heartfelt. A must read. And I read a lot of nonfiction. I have to say there are only a few audiobook memoirs that I’ve had to pause at a few points and just prepare myself. We all have our triggers. Chanel Miller’s was one. This is another. I realize for me, the trigger may be when those that are supposed to be the helpers fail us. Don’t get me wrong, there is a lot of trauma in Elizabeth’s story. She narrates the audiobook with such bravery, you can still hear the pain in her voice. There were parts where I felt for her so deeply it was hard to keep listening. Yet these stories need to be witnessed and heard so that they don’t continue. It is a gripping chronicle of psychological manipulation and abuse at a “therapeutic” boarding school for troubled teens, and how one young woman fought to heal in the aftermath. This book is eye-opening and I’m grateful that the author shared her story in such an unflinching way. It is one that needs to be read and we as a community at large need to figure out better ways to help families and children/teens who are struggling or who need mental health services.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Had me at hello
I felt like I was right there with the author throughout the story. I did not see much about the book and it is one of my favorites this year.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Important Story
“At fifteen, Elizabeth Gilpin was an honor student, a state-ranked swimmer, and a rising soccer star, but behind closed doors, her undiagnosed depression was wreaking havoc on her life. Growing angrier by the day, she began skipping practices and drinking to excess. At a loss, her parents turned to an educational consultant who suggested Elizabeth be enrolled in a behavioral modification program. That recommendation would change her life forever”. If you need a cautionary tale of why you should listen to/try to understand or level with your children, this book will be vital to you. This is also a potent reminder of how much distress and harm a human can push through and how sometimes they can come out (at least mostly) on the other side of things. Stolen is also incredibly eye-opening and terrifying in the way that Elizabeth’s experience isn’t a one-of-a-kind thing. It’s harrowing to read one account of extreme emotional and physical abuse and even more so to realize that there are so many others with stories of their own. It’s a lot, but it is also essential. There was a quote that kind of stuck with me, and it was, “I suffer from depression. I'm not a drug addict, and my anger doesn't come from some unexplainable place. I just have trouble regulating my mood sometimes, just like so many other people I know. I didn't need to be sent away. I didn't need a full-time “therapeutic community.” All I ever needed was for someone to take the time to really hear me. To interpret the cry for help that was at the center of every explosive fight or drunken night. I didn't need tough love. I just needed a little extra help.” So yeah. I can't really recommend this book enough. It's four stars from me.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com