Rating: 
Summary: triumph over tragedy
Review: I heard Elizabeth say that she feels "triumphant" now. After reading this book, you'll understand how she has been able to come to that. I thank the Smarts for writing this book. It is a testament to faith, recovery and healing. Elizabeth refuses to be a victim and in doing so she emerges a hero.
Rating: 
Summary: A disappointment
Review: I found Bringing Elizabeth Home a well-written account of what Ed and Lois Smart went through when Elizabeth was kidnapped. It details their ordeals with the media and law enforcement and their frustration with the political limitations in finding lost children. It also is a continuous witness to their religious beliefs. In these areas the book is informative and may provide needed changes for our society in helping these lost and stolen children and their families. However, the book tells almost nothing of Elizabeth's ordeal, giving no more information than already reported in the media. Understandably the criminal case cannot be compromised but some testimony to what she went through and how she survived would seem to be warranted. It would be like reading the Jessica Lynch story of her captivity in Irag and only hearing about what her family thought and endured here in the states. I found the book a disappointment and still await Elizabeth's story.
Rating:
Summary: the cynical need not apply
Review: If you think that it was exploitive for the Smart's to write this book, I suggest that you not buy it or read it. That would be highly hypocritcal of you. If you havn't read it, you have no business posting here, so if you are tempted to do that, you might want to question your own motives. If you were touched by this story as it was played out in the national press, you might want to read this book. It is the Smart familie's story. There are no gritty details here to satisfy the prurient. The Smart's have attempted to put a positive face on their horrific ordeal. They have determined, wisely I believe, to speak out here to help dispell all of the real exploitive nonsense that is out there about this situation. In doing so they have shed a positive light that will help their daughter get through this without the kind of shame that the public loves to dish out. If you are one of those who can't help yourself from pointing fingers at the suffering, then shame on you. It was Mrs. Smart's humanity that made her offer a homeless person help. How very cynical it is to suggest that all homeless people are dangerous, therefore not worthy of our assistance, certainly not any personal contact. That assistance should only be offered in the form of a handout. That Mother Teresa, what a fool. Didn't she know that any of those beggars and ailing folks that she was ministering to, or the hundreds of others who worked along side her, might have been subject to kidnapping. Any of those thousands of poor souls could have followed her or her helpers home and harmed them or their families. Heaven for forbid, you ever work in a homeless shelter, somebody might get a little too familiar with you and your situation. That is why all priests and clergy have unlisted phone numbers and addresses right?
Rating: 
Summary: MONEY MONEY MONEY!!!!
Review: It is very sad to see parents use their daughter to rake in the money!!! Although the book is well written, you can see Mr. Smart running to the bank!!
Rating:
Summary: Poorly written - a disappointment
Review: Whoever edited this book must have been under the influence of something - I can't believe that he/she let such a poorly written book go to press. At the very least, a competent ghost writer should have been hired to make sense of this mess! I concur with the reviewer who couldn't believe how stupid the Smarts were in allowing homeless persons into their home. I am all for helping the homeless, but the man could have donated to a local shelter or assistance program. He's got 6 kids - what was he thinking??????? Other reviewers have noted the tense shifts, the awkward phrasing, and excessive proselytizing. I second these findings wholeheartedly. If you really must read the book, do what I did - read it at a library or bookstore. Don't buy it! I am normally an avid re-reader, and I have no desire whatsoever to read this one again.
Rating:
Summary: Walk a mile in their moccasins before you criticize
Review: The hypocrisy of people never ceases to amaze me. There are many on here criticizing the Smarts for writing this book, calling it exploitation. Yet they bought it and read it! (and if they didn't, they have no business reviewing it). I can only imagine they were hoping for the sordid details and were disappointed when they didn't come out. Many criticize the Smart family for publicly talking about this case and not sheltering Elizabeth and the rest of their family. Pretending this didn't happen will not help Elizabeth, nor will it help the hundreds of other parents who are suffering a loss of their own. This book is a testament to the solace one can find in hope and faith. If it helps one other person get through a tragedy like this, or if it prevents one child from being taken by helping parents understand the hidden dangers in this world, this book will have done its work. As for the money, we don't know how much the Smarts are being paid for this book. Nor do we know what they are doing with this money. We also don't know how much of their own money they spent trying to find Elizabeth. Most importantly, it's none of our business. Personally, I feel that if their family can receive some compensation for the horror and heartache they went through, than I'm glad. They certainly won't be compensated by the guilty parties.
Rating:
Summary: Much better than I expected
Review: I'm not really into the question of whether the parents should or shouldn't have written this book. Even after reading the book I still haven't walked in their shoes through this horrible ordeal so I'll trust that their heart's in the right place. And I see no reason to think that it isn't from what I've read here. It's a moving story, especially from the mother's point of view. There isn't so much a police drama, thrill of the chase feel to it. It's more of an emotional rollercoaster.
Rating: 
Summary: I can't believe what her parents are doing
Review: A 14 year old girl is abducted from her bed and sexually assaulted by a homeless, abusive, sexual predator. She is deeply traumatized--to the extent that when the police finally find her, she denies her own identity. And she wasn't the only one traumatized. All five of Elizabeth's siblings went through nine months of horror, with their sister missing and their family turned upside down. And Elizabeth's sister witnessed the abduction itself. It's been about seven months since Elizabeth was recovered. You'd think that her parents would be spending this time helping the children heal. Instead, only two months after her recovery, they were negotiating book and movie deals. Then, over the summer, they were busy choosing an author, writing their book, consulting on the screenplay, visiting the set, etc. Now they are busy making the media rounds. Elizabeth just returned to school in September. Imagine how hard that must be for a kidnap and sexual assault victim, whose name has been in the press so many months. Don't you think it must be hard to fit in with other teenagers now? Plus, looming over her, is the trial of her abductors and the possibility she may have to testify. It's got to be a difficult time for her. Unbelievably, her parents chose this time to have their book come out, and their TV movie as well. Even worse, they keep exposing her to more and more media. She was on the cover of People magazine! And all of her siblings were in the magazine, too--full color photos. Why would her parents do this? These are photogenic children--don't you think such exposure just puts them at risk? There are plenty of other sexual predators out there. How does it help these children to be on Oprah and Katie Couric? How does it help them to get all dressed up for a People magazine photo shoot? How does it help them to watch the most terrible trauma of their lives replayed on television for all the world to see? Then they have to go to school to face their classmates' questioning stares the next day. The parents say they wrote a book and authorized a movie because if they didn't, someone else would, and they wanted the true story out there. Well, who cares if someone told an innacurate version of the story? There will always be people writing untrue things. Why do they care so much about what other people think? Anyway, about the book. It was poorly written (the author kept changing tenses at odd moments). And despite what about protecting Elizabeth's privacy, they do share bits of their daughter's experience with her captors. I was impressed with the Smarts generosity of spirit, and their forgiveness towards others. But I think that in writing a book (and authorizing a movie) they are greatly impeding their childrens' healing process.
Rating:
Summary: Thank you for sharing your story
Review: It's an enjoyable reading experience in that you can really feel what the parents were going through. My heart aches for Elizabeth when I think about the horror she must have endured and I really hope that she continues to get the help she needs.
Rating:
Summary: Take it easy! This is a good thing
Review: Elizabeth Smart's return to her family isn't an event that has enormous historic importance (and I have to say I'm usually very resistant to media over-hype), but this story did really get to me. It's not a great book but I'm giving 5 starts because I can much better see where the parents are coming from after reading it and I actually think they've held up pretty well considering everything they've had to face. 2 stars for effort and 3 stars for a touching story. Don't be too cynical.
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