Jaycee Lee Dugard releases new book about life after captivity

Long time residents of South Lake Tahoe remember the date June 10, 1991 very clearly. They remember what they were doing when they heard, and the national focus the community got in the following days. This was the day Jaycee Lee Dugard was kidnapped as she walked up Washoan Blvd. on her way to her bus stop.

The community of South Lake Tahoe rejoiced along with the world 18 years later on August 26, 2009 when she was found and her kidnappers, Phillip and Nancy Garrido were arrested.

In July, Simon & Schuster will publish Freedom: My Book of Firsts, Jaycee Lee Dugard's memoir. Dugard's bestselling book, A Stolen Life, was her widely acclaimed account of being kidnapped at age 11 and remaining a prisoner for 18 years. It sold over 1.5 million copies in the United States alone after being released in 2011.

In "My Book of Firsts," Jaycee Lee will tell the story of her first experiences after years in captivity: the joys that accompanied her newfound freedom and the challenges of adjusting to life on her own.

“There is life after something tragic happens,” Dugard said in an interview released by her publisher. “Life doesn’t have to end if you don’t want it to. It’s all in how you look at it. Somehow, I still believe that we each hold the key to our own happiness and you have to grab it where you can in whatever form it might take.”

“Jaycee Dugard is a remarkable woman,” said Jonathan Karp, publisher of Simon & Schuster. “Her strength has been an inspiration to millions, and her story is a remarkable example of resilience and spirit. Readers of this book will gain a new appreciation of how joyful freedom can be.”

The work will be published in hardcover, ebook and audio on July 12, on the fifth anniversary of the publication of A Stolen Life, by Simon & Schuster.