Captive Bride

Through generations, stories have been told through word-of-mouth or images, passed down from generation to generation. Each story held something dear to the storyteller, enough to pass it down to their children, and from there to eventually write it down for not only their family to remember but for many others across the world. This is what Captive Bride is about; it’s a story told about the great-great-grandmother of the author. It’s a tale that has been passed down from generation to generation, now put into a book so others can enjoy her story. This is a story of a young girl who faced the impossible, from kidnapping, to rape, to facing life as a single mother as a teenager, to finding her place in the world, to overcoming many steep odds. Maria made her choices and stood by them, and she prayed to God above for guidance. This tale shows a young woman’s strength and courage in being able to survive kidnapping, brutal abuse, and rape to find the strength to stand up to her abuser and find the silver lining when things are terrible. After being betrayed and tricked by her Aunt Joaquina to board a ship for the island of Bonin, Maria fell into the hands of Matteo Mazarro. She faced repeated abuse at his hands before finding herself on the island of Bonin. Rather than weep and succumb to these events, Maria found the strength and ability to survive what was thrown at her. Through Mazarro’s abuse, she was able to find love and compassion in people she’d never known before, Hanna and Mama Henriett. Maria made her place in the world, chose what to do with her circumstances, and survived. In today’s time, stories like this–about a young woman who had the impossible put on her shoulders and defied it all–are repeated. Stories like this often fall into the background, but Captive Bride brings it to light, showing that what people faced in the 1800s is often the same circumstances that young woman face in today’s modern time. This book shows that while times have changed, not all has changed for women in society and that it is okay to cry and be upset about your situation but that through the pain you can find the strength to survive any situation life throws your way.