A Stolen LifeA Stolen Life
Score Modern
What it's about
'In the summer of 1991 I was a normal kid. I did normal things. I had friends and a mother who loved me. Until the day my life was stolen.' Jaycee Dugard tells, in her own words, the story of her kidnapping and the long years of captivity that followed, and her survival.
Why it's worth reading
It spent 43 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists. It's a harrowing account of survival and resilience.
You'll love it if you liked
Educated: A Memoir
I Am Malala
The Glass CastleGood to know
It's very difficult to read, describing abuse directly.
By the numbers
- Readers48 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller47 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #89 of the 119 science and ideas books we rank
- #215 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #911 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1687 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story, Thought-provoking, Moving
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The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer
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How to Be an AntiracistExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Memoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 ranked
Science and ideas booksTop 25 · 119 ranked
Modern booksTop 25 · 1,573 ranked
Books of the 2010sTop 25 · 736 ranked
Fantasy booksTop 25 · 459 ranked
Mysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 555 ranked
Literary novelsTop 25 · 309 ranked
Science fiction booksTop 25 · 313 rankedQuick answers
Is A Stolen Life worth reading?
Yes. It spent 43 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists. It ranks #1,687 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 66.7 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is A Stolen Life about?
'In the summer of 1991 I was a normal kid. I did normal things. I had friends and a mother who loved me. Until the day my life was stolen.' Jaycee Dugard tells, in her own words, the story of her kidnapping and the long years of captivity that followed, and her survival.
How long does it take to read A Stolen Life?
About 7 hours (268 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after A Stolen Life?
If you liked it, try Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover, I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai with Christina Lamb or The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls.