BOISE -- It's a story that's made headlines across the country for years: the 2002 kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart, abducted at 14 years old in Salt Lake City.
Smart is now an activist, advocate, and author. Fifteen years after her rescue, Smart published a new book about hope and strength. She was in Boise Thursday night speaking about "Where There's Hope" and signing copies.
The first book Smart published was a memoir called "My Story" which laid out her nine-month captivity and survival in great detail. "Where There's Hope" is about overcoming trauma, forgiveness and finding the strength to move on.
"Forgiveness is loving yourself enough to let go of the poisonous feelings inside you and allow peace and healing and love to enter," Smart said. "Forgiveness is a very individual thing and when you forgive I think it's more of a letting go of the past than saying, 'what you did is OK'. Because I look at my life, I was raped, I was sexually violated countless times, I was abused so many different ways. And as an advocate for women and survivors, there is no situation on Earth that I will ever be OK with the fact of rape, there is no circumstance that will ever justify that. But I think that to hold onto that anger, to hold onto that pain can become very toxic in your own life."
People packed a Grove Hotel ballroom to listen to Elizabeth speak; many were hanging on to her every word, curious about her experience and also eager to learn how she stayed hopeful.
As she travels the country and talks to people, Smart says she's always asked the question: How do you find the hope to go on? Through this book, she revisits her nightmare and gives answers about the healing process. Smart encourages those who have dealt with adversity or trauma to find support and explore different paths toward peace.
"Every single speech I've ever given I've had someone come up to me and share experiences with me and that - as much as anything else - is what drives me to continue doing what I do. Because it's not OK and I want other victims and survivors out there to know that they're not alone, that there are resources available to them and that there is always hope for a better future," Smart said. "One of the strongest things running throughout [my book] is that you can have hope no matter what, no matter what it is you're facing."
Smart says she's moved on and is in a place in life where she is able to talk about her experiences because of people like her mom and dad who have supported and loved her.
"I've come to a point in my life where I have gone through the emotions of anger and frustration and then I've gone on and moved on to peace and forgiveness in my own life. And now I can come back and talk in great detail about what happened to me without it re-traumatizing me because I've gone through those emotions and moved on and I know I'm in a safe place now. But I also know what my boundaries are," Smart added.
A portion of the author talk and book signing ticket proceeds went to the Women's and Children's Alliance (WCA). Smart says organizations like the WCA become family and a support system for victims and survivors in their time of need, and it's important we all give back to them.