Room by Emma Donoghue

Ever wonder why we don't hear much about Jaycee Dugard and her children?  I've often wondered how they are integrating into the real world after the kidnapping and abuse.  After reading Room, I have a better understanding of the hardships of acclimating to the real world after such an experience.

The book Room is about a 5 year old boy and his mother who are living in a "room" and have no contact with the outside world except through their captor. The room is an eleven by eleven foot space and the mother has created a life for her child out of these unusual circumstances.  Jack and his mother look forward to Sunday "treat" which is nothing more than necessities. Although the captor is aware that he has a son with the mother, he has little interaction with the little boy.  The mother hides him in the closet each night in case they get a visit from their captor.  Often the little boy is awake when the captor "visits" his mother.  They have a TV but the mom explains to Jack that everything on TV is make believe.  The world is simply their "room" which is actually a storage shed in the captor's backyard. When the room can no longer contain Jack's curiosity, the mother plans a daring escape and Jack becomes a hero.

What struck me the most was how hard it was for both Jack and his mom to adjust to life outside the room. That's when I thought of Jaycee and how hard it must be for her.  This is a great book and I highly recommend reading this book.  It will certainly stick with you for a while.