Everyone knows when Elizabeth Smart disappeared...the story touched everyone. Awesome, touching story of what the family went thru during the time Elizabeth was gone & after she returns home. Highly recommend this one.

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The nation watched this story in horror, and grieved for these parents for months before Elizabeth Smart was found. The audio book is well-read, with a male and a female narrator alternating the stories of Ed and Lois. The story was interesting but somehow flat. I can't really pin it down - this very emotional event just lacked passion in the retelling, somehow. I wasn't holding out for gory details of Elizabeth's experience, it was just... not what I wanted somehow. Perhaps the next person will be a better match.

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This is the story of Elizabeth Smart's parents. I live in the same city as Elizabeth Smart and her family and it was a shock when she was kidnapped. The police did little to solve this case.Even refusing to make Sunday house calls when a man called in and said that he had just seen Elizabeth. The Smarts are Christian people.They prayed constantly for Elizabeth and set up a web site to keep the public interested in the case. The kidnapper turns out to be a homeless man that the Smart's offered yard work to help him in Christian Charity. He cut their screen and came into their house under the cover of darkness and kidnapped Elizabeth. This is Lois and Ed Smart's amazing story of "Bringing Elizabeth home", it was indeed a journey of Faith and Hope.

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This story reads like a testimony to the Mormon Church. Other reviewers have mentioned that it was written by the parents and tells of their experience, not their daughter's, which is fine. However, most chapters quote heavily from the Book of Mormon, with chapter and verse noted by the narrator. If this interests you, you will enjoy their retelling of the search for their daughter. If not, steer clear.

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My teenager chose this as our next listen during our long commutes, then after only a few tracks, just could not listen any more. I finished it out alone, but we both agree the Smarts repeat themselves ad nauseum in this book. Calling it "a journey of faith and hope" should have been a clue. They are more interested in beating us over the head with their faith than anything else. I have no problem with faith, but they just kept talking about their faith, saying they have faith, talking about teaching their children faith, etc. We got it the first time. Don't be mistaken, this isn't Elizabeth Smart's story, this is the story of the parents...and their faith. At one point I wondered aloud to my daughter if they'd self-published this book or if they'd lacked an editor. It is that repititive. At the end, they thanked their editor. Their editor needs a new profession, because editing isn't her forte.

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At 3:58 am in the morning of June 5, 2002, Ed and Lois Stuart awaoke to the sound of their nine-year-old daughter Mary Katherine's frightened voice. "She's gone. Elizabeth is gone." At first they thought she was having a bad dream about her older sister, but Mary Katherine's "bad dream"would quickly become their worst nightmare. Their daughter Elizabeth was truly gone.

After their daughter was kidnapped she became the whole world's daughter. After 9 months of a strange and painful journey, Elizabeth was miraculously returned to them. Million across the world celebrated her safe return.

Ed and Lois share the pain of every parent's worst fear. They also share their hope and strong faith and trust in God. Unabridged edition.

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