“I’ve always believed that the best way to create a healthy future is to face your past and allow God to heal the places in you that have been broken. Lauren has done a masterful job of that in writing Stolen. It is a beautifully written testimony of God’s faithfulness in the wake of unfathomable circumstances. You will find yourself fully absorbed in every moment of this incredible story of redemption, resilience, and restoration.”
Description
A true crime memoir of international abduction, miraculous rescue, and the long road from trauma to forgiveness and redemption.
At seven years old, Lauren Burns was abducted by her father and taken from her home in Texas. She was flown to the Middle East and thrust into a life she did not recognize with a future she could not understand. What followed was an extraordinary international rescue by a small team of former military operatives and a mother who, refusing to give up, was guided by faith when all legal options had failed.
But Stolen is not only the story of a daring rescue; it’s the story of what came after.
Returning to the US did not end the fear. Lauren and her mother lived in hiding, changed names, and rebuilt their lives under the shadow of betrayal. Told from the rare perspective of the child at the center of the crime, this memoir explores the lasting impact of trauma, the struggle to reclaim identity, and the painful journey toward forgiveness.
As Lauren grows from a frightened child into a woman searching for peace, she reveals what true healing requires—and how redemption can emerge from even the deepest wounds.
Gripping, intimate, and ultimately hopeful, Stolen will resonate with readers drawn to true crime, memoir, and stories of faith and resilience.
Includes a foreword by Miranda Lambert.
Reviews
“Stolen is a powerful story that follows Lauren as she unpacks her box of memories, hurt, and healing. With the tension of a thriller and the heart of a deeply personal memoir, Lauren shares not only how she was kidnapped—but how she found her way back to hope, faith, and forgiveness. Her story is both haunting and beautiful. It brought me to tears in the best way.”
“Wow. Stolen is thrilling but also incredibly poignant. And the women in this story! Their faith and courage are so inspiring! From a childhood abduction in Jordan to a daring rescue and the emotional aftermath that followed, this story grips you with suspense and leaves you changed by its honesty and grace. A remarkable true story of courage, loss, and redemption.”
“This captivating tale of Cathy and Lauren’s journey, narrated in the manner of an internationally intriguing novel, is no work of fiction. And we know, because we were there. Lauren meticulously documented the trials and turns of being stolen and rescued through the love of a mother, heroism of strangers, tenacity, and Christian faith. Truly a spellbinding effort from a freshman author.”
