Help me figure out what book this is (1 Viewer)

[ChuckDeLa]

It was a true crime book about a woman who was abducted by a married couple and kept as a slave. The really unusual thing about it was that after a while they unchained her, even let her go out and get a job, and she kept coming back instead of going home. Eventually she took off, but she stayed with them for a really long time. A lengthy part of the book was about the subsequent trial.

Does anyone remember this case, or the name of this book? I read it about 5-10 years ago.

 

[Mark Frank]

I know exactly the case you're talking about and it was fascinating to read. I have no idea where I came across it though. I'll do a little searching when I get a chance.

If I remember correctly, the couple told this girl that her family had sold her into slavery basically and produced bogus documentation to that effect. Can't remember how old she was when she was first kidnapped. Eventually she ended up being like some sort of live-in maid/nanny and didn't try to escape even when she could.

Is this the story you're thinking of?

 

[Mark Frank]

I think I found it:

Perfect Victim

 

[ChuckDeLa]

That's it, I'm 99% sure! Thank you, Mark!

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

Thanks for finding that Mark, this was starting to drive me nuts. I've never read the book (looks interesting) but I know I've seen at least two TV documentaries dealing with the case, one of which was rerun within the last couple of weeks. (I saw it while flipping around the dial, but kept going because I'd seen it before.) I could remember many of the details of the case, but not one single name associated with it, so I had no way of searching for info on the Court TV, A&E, TLC or other likely websites.

BTW, A&E is selling their American Justice episode on the case, "The Girl in the Box" on their web site, if anyone's interested. (Only - yech - VHS, but I thought I'd mention it anyway. )

Regards,

Joe

 

[Mark Frank]

Took me awhile to find it, Joseph. I think I finally hit searching on "Slavery True Crime" in Google. It's been a long time since I read the book, I may have to check it out again.

Now that you got me thinking, I think I'll start a new thread on good true crime books - one of my favorite subjects.

 

[ChuckDeLa]

I think I'll start a new thread on good true crime books - one of my favorite subjects.

That'd be cool, I'd like to read some more. I also really liked The Shoemaker by Flora Reita Schreiber (author of Sybil).

Not that I have any time to read these days....