Nine Days

Nine Days: Living with My Soul Wide Open After Violent Trauma (2023) chronicles a single mother's 4,200-mile solo road trip into the rugged terrain of the Yukon Territory and ultimately the Alaskan wilderness. Surviving on little money or food, Michelle braves the elements and confronts her dark, turbulent past on her way to return to her daughter and prepare to come face to face with one of their kidnappers... again.  

Nine Days is a memoir by Michelle Renee, whose first book, Held Hostage, was made into a Lifetime movie. Nine Days picks up where Held Hostage left off, taking place over the nine days Renee spent driving solo from San Diego to Eagle River, Alaska to get back to her daughter following their survival of a brutally violent crime. Starting with fear coursing through her veins, Renee's journey covers over 4,000 miles of mostly wide open space and rugged terrain spent sleeping in a tent or her car and forces her to face the trauma of her past while learning to live again, this time with her soul wide open. Renee's raw, vulnerable, journey highlights her ability to turn trauma into empowerment through self-discovery, forgiveness, and the determination of a mother's love.

Nine Days is a story of raw grit and determination that depicts the torment and triumph of a woman forging ahead, defying all odds on the road that terrifies, challenges, and ultimately sets her free.