Stolen Innocence: The Jan Broberg Story

I expected far more from this book but still support its importance. Without spoilers, key/important facts were left out of this book, most notably the Broberg parents' individual personal relationships with the molester, Robert Berchtold (I recommend the documentary 'Abducted in Plain Sight' on Netflix be viewed for deeper info) which are a huge factor and should not have been eliminated from the book. With all due respect Jan Broberg's mom and dad are both responsible (as also stated by the Judge who wrote the foreward and epilogue) for what happened to Jan -- NEVER should they have allowed a 40 year old man get that close to any of their children. Style-wise, it was completely unnecessary and highly annoying to have certain portions of the book italicized -- there was no reason for it and it was a poor choice by the editors to allow it. My heart goes out to Jan Broberg and all of the Jan Brobergs in the world who have had to endure a monster like Robert Berchtold -- he was truly an awful person. But Jan's parents were far too forgiving, far too lenient, far too naive, and sadly just far too ignorant which easily allowed this horrible experience happen to their daughter, scarring her life forever. Their endless, incredibly bad choices made me want to scream. Regardless, I still recommend this as a read for any parent who does not consider themselves 'in charge' enough of their lives to stop a pedophile in his/her tracks by immediately recognizing the abnormalities of sick individuals who prey of children.

Jan Broberg Felt is my cousin and Mary Ann Broberg is my aunt. I was a small child when Jan was abducted and my memories and knowledge of the abductions were vague. This book told me so much that I didn't know about Jan's story. I was amazed and horrified by all of it.I encouraged both of my teenage daughters to read this book and am telling everyone I know about this story. It's so well written and were it not true would be almost unbelievable. This book really is a must read!

The day I received this book and started reading it I did not stop until I had finished all 300+ pages in one sitting. From the first pages, I was completely drawn into the mystery, deception, and heartbreak of this shockingly true story. I was amazed at the insanity of the situation and then touched by the victim's and her family's ability to overcome years of pain and suffering at the hands of someone whom they considered a close friend at one time.This book is a great read for people of all ages and life situations and may be especially helpful for parents who want to learn how to keep their children safe from predators. It would be an excellent read for teenage girls because it gives such an excellent illustration that not all people who show loving actions are good people acting in their best interest- a message hard to get across to young girls at that age.Lastly this book is a messenger of hope for victims of abuse and families of abuse victim's who may see themselves in these pages and know they are not alone and that all is not lost. I know many people who have read this book and every one has found themselves absolutely engrossed from the first chapter and glad they'd read it. It's a great selection for book clubs because you really have to talk about this book with people after you've read it. I very much recommend this book to other readers!

This spell binding true story has so many unusual events that were created by the perpetrator and so many hardships for his victim and her family. I felt the courage of the young innocent child to protect her family from destruction was inspiring even though she didn't realize she had been brainwashed. I think that every girl over the age of 12 should read this book and certainly every parent in the country. I read the story in one sitting because I could not put it down. It reads like a Grisham crime novel only it is true and more fantastic than any fiction I have ever read. Well written, compelling and I would recommend it to any one looking for a great story to read and learn from. It had a great forward and afterward written by Superior Court Judge Charles Gill which really legitimized this unbelievable story for me. I was entertained and I learned a ton as well! Great read!!!

You absolutely can't put this book down once you start reading! The events are amazing, and even more compelling when you remind yourself that they are true!! Every parent, neighbor, aunt, uncle, friend, social worker, psychologist, police officer, teacher, and citizen should read this book. Writing from both the perspective of the victim of a kidnapping and her mother was unique and truly insightful. It is a heartbreaking and inspirational story all wrapped into one. I was extremely moved by this family's story.