How books helped me bond with my captors

Available for over a year

Growing up in rural Colombia, Professor María Antonia Garcés was obsessed by books and reading, and later on this passion would help her get through a really difficult chapter. In 1982 María Antonia was taken hostage by leftist guerrillas, who were looking for a ransom from her wealthy family. She was put in a tiny cell somewhere in the city of Cali for seven months, and needed a way to keep her sanity. María Antonia fell back on her love of reading, and soon books would become more than just a way to pass the time, they bonded her with her captors. The relationships she made this way, would help save her life. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Mobeen Azhar Producer: Harry Graham and Edgar Maddicott (Photo: Professor María Antonia Garcés. Credit: Professor María Antonia Garcés)