Stolen is the debut novel of author lucy christopher. Stockholm syndrome again was brought to national attention a year after the bank robbery, when american newspaper heiress patty hearst claimed it explained her allegiance to the symbionese liberation army, an urban guerrilla group that had kidnapped her. How a sixday hostage drama inside a swedish bank christened the psychological phenomenon known as stockholm syndrome. For the original victims, it appeared that their stockholm syndrome lingered. Stockholm syndrome has never been included in the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders or dsm, the standard tool for diagnostic of psychiatric illnesses. Stockholm syndrome refers to a group of psychological symptoms that occur in some persons in a captive or hostage situation.
Highprofile cases are reported by the media although the diagnosis is not. Set in a landscape so exotic and powerful that it becomes one of the main characters in the book, this story of a boy and girl delivers one compelling scene after another. It has received considerable media publicity in recent years because it has been used to explain the behavior of such wellknown kidnapping victims as patty hearst 1974 and elizabeth smart 2002. Stockholm syndrome definition of stockholm syndrome by. Stolen, by lucy christopher written in the second person as a letter to her former captor, stolen is a disturbing book despite being pitched towards young adults. Stolen, lucy christophers debut novel, explores gemmas kidnapping by the intriguing but unstable ty macfarlane, and the fascinating response to abduction called stockholm syndrome.
Somewhere, in a sleepy rural area, an underground organization is operating. The stockholm syndrome definition of the stockholm. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. Stolen is an engrossing, well written story about a surprisingly tender relationship between captor and captive. Stockholm syndrome doesnt occur in every hostage or abusive situation. Stockholm syndrome and the strange bank robbery behind it. I just cant believe how hopeful her outlook is on life, despite all that has happened to her. The book also offers a fascinating insight into stockholm syndrome though at times the sympathy for the villain is overemphasized. What other book might you compare a stolen life to, and why.
The book makes you feel stockholm syndrome youself, and when i reached the end, i cried so hard. Tys obsession with gemma is clear from the beginning, but without the hostile or destructive tendencies of the typical stalker. We cant say for surein fact, christopher seems intent on keeping gemmas feelings for ty somewhat ambiguous. Subtitled a letter to my captor, the book is told in second person narrative as a letter. But the cleverness of this book is the sympathy that the reader starts to gradually feel towards ty as the story progresses and through this sympathy ms.
In great detail, jaycee explains what she was forced to endure physically and sexually, how the onset of stockholm syndrome was induced by her captors, her two unassisted births in a tent at the ages of and 15. As with most things, stockholm syndrome has been used by writers, often to startling effect. In such a relationship, to the amazement of onlookers, the hostage expresses empathy and positive feelings towards their abusive captor, and often they will display a desire to defend them. And yet, stockholm syndrome, wherein the victims of a kidnapping.
Im currently writing an article on mary jemison, who is one of those captives who chose to live with the natives until her old age and loved her adopted seneca family as if they were her own. Stolen book columbus metropolitan library bibliocommons. Roberts, consequences by aleatha romig, seduced in the dark by c. Definition stockholm syndrome refers to a group of psychological symptoms that occur in some persons in a captive or hostage situation. Stockholm syndrome is a term used to describe the positive bond some kidnap victims develop with their captor. Emotional bonds may be formed, between captor and captives, during intimate time together, but these are generally considered irrational in light of the danger or risk endured by the victims. Out of all captivity, stockholm syndrome stories ive read, this is the most innocent of all and i like that about it. A letter to my captor, twisted love, ya, young adult. I love stolen very much, so i decided to make this video for you see, how much beautiful it is.
The book centers around the kidnapping of a teenage girl, her eccentric captor, ty, and the psychological consequences of her captivity in the wilderness and we do mean wilderness of australia. By the end she is suffering from stockholm syndrome, but so is the reader, half wanting gemma to escape, half wanting ty to escape justice. Stolen was critically well received, and was a childrens book council of australia award nominee for older readers book of the year in 2010, and a michael l. Its hard to tell whether the emotions she feels for him are justified or symptoms of having been in captivity for too long. This book made me go on an emotional roller coaster. I knew that ty would be caught, and yet, i hoped so badly that him and gemma would stay together forever.
Gemma is a sixteen year old girl who is stolen by ty, a young man who has an unsuspecting past with gemma. Gemma is kidnapped from an airport, drugged by a handsome man named ty, and wakes up tied. At first i thought id like this story, because im deeply interested with stockholm syndrome and the conflicts between kidnapped victim and the kidnapper. After he hit the floor, two women picked him up and physically held him up to the window for another shot. We spoke to mats peterson, owner of stockholms centralantikvariatet in stockholm and president of the swedish association svaf. Its a treasure for a reader like me, fascinated by crazy and sick. And, no one who discusses these captives ever seems to mention stockholm syndrome. The puzzling white indians who loved their abductors.
The place of stockholm syndrome in narcissistic victim. The premise was right up my alley a psychological thriller, an exploration of stockholm syndrome, a story about a kidnapped person who finds herself emotionally attached to her captor. He is arrested and whilst receiving treatment for her ordeal she is told that any feelings she had for ty were due to the stockholm syndrome. But so far the author had failed to get the job done.
A letter to my captor by lucy christopher goodreads. Interview with teen reads about stockholm syndrome, tys mental state, and the role of setting in the book. Gemma is a typical teenager, and while she has vast inner resources and strength, she is no physical match for ty and no emotional match for the situation she is. A stolen life is my story in my own words, in my own way. On saturday 17th march, the 2018 edition of the annual stockholm antiquarian book fair will open its doors. I read stolen in a ya lit class in college and it absolutely messed me up, haha.
It has received considerable media publicity in recent years because it has been used to explain the behavior of such wellknown kidnapping victims as patty hearst 1974 and elizabeth. Gemma, a british cityliving teenager, is kidnapped while on holiday with her parents. Stolen is a beautiful novel, which will pick up your world and shake it so hard that you can never be sure of anything again. They are then reprogrammed to succumb to the will of their vile captors for their sick games and sold for the highest price. While this book hints at stockholm syndrome, i fell like i am the one who developed it, not gemma. But, it definitely romanticizes being kidnapped another reason why this is more appropriate for older teens and adults. Reviews complicated and beautiful this novel left me doubting my. Why lucy christophers stolen is the best ya novel you havent read.
I hated ty and then i wanted so bad for gemma to love him and hook up with him. With jason senior, eddie benevich, lisa marano, todd humes. A letter to my captor by lucy christopher, comfort food by kitty thomas. The memoir dissects what she did to survive, and cope mentally with her. On the morning of august 23, 1973, an escaped convict crossed the streets. Stockholm syndrome is a psychological term used to describe the paradoxical phenomenon of the relationship that develops between a captor and its hostage.
A memoir is a true crime memoir by american kidnapping victim jaycee lee dugard. Christopher is also demonstrating the psychological phenomenon stockholm syndrome feelings of empathy towards ty, even to the point of defending his actions are classic symptoms. Here are six novels that explore kidnappings that turn into something more. Months pass, and in tys compelling, complex company, gemma begins to lose sight of the line between captivity and love, obsession and relationship. Sometimes, she says, it frustrates them that their mother did not put up more of a fight, but this book goes a long way toward making ms. Printz honor book, a 2011 usbby outstanding international book. But somehow stolen didnt move me in any significant way. It was published in the uk in 2009 and is the story of gemma toombs, a 16yearold girl who is kidnapped by a 24yearold man named ty and taken to the middle of the great sandy desert in the australian outback. Hope you like your stories twisted because thats simply the best way to describe stolen, lucy christophers awardwinning 2010 debut novel. As stolen worked to explore the effects of stockholm syndrome, i found myself completely captivated by its subtlety and surprisingly touching moments between.
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