Cellar Girl

The story of one heroic woman who survived kidnap by a notorious serial rapist and killer in 1980s Philadelphia

"I stood there for a moment, silently speaking to myself: Josefina, you will survive this. You are strong. You are a fighter. You adapt."

As a young mother of three, Josefina Rivera was determined to get her troubled life back on track. But then she met Gary Heidnik and the next four months became a living nightmare. Along with five women Josefina was held captive in a cellar in Philadelphia where she was starved, beaten, and repeatedly raped to fulfill Heidnik’s desire of creating a "family" of 10 children. This book tells the shocking but ultimately inspiring story of how one brave, young woman saved herself and others from a life worse than hell.