Elizabeth Smart’s New Book “Detours” Everything You Need To Know
“Detours is not a recap of my kidnapping it’s a roadmap for healing. We all face hard turns; this book is how I learned to keep going.”
What the book is
Elizabeth Smart’s new book is titled “Detours: Hope & Growth After Life’s Hardest Turns.” It’s a short, focused memoir-meets-guide built around recovery, resilience, and practical healing after trauma. Smart frames the journey with four “rest stops” grieving lost paths, embracing change, seeking connection, and redefining your destination translating her own experience into actionable lessons for readers.
Release details
Publisher/Distributor: Post Hill Press, distributed by Simon & Schuster
Formats: Hardcover and eBook
Street date: December 16, 2025
List price (hardcover): $28.99
Pagination: Publisher listing shows 176 pages; some retailer listings display 208 pages (common metadata variation between print/ebook)
What’s inside (themes & structure)
Smart moves beyond recounting the 2002 abduction. Instead, she distills what sustained her through captivity, reintegration, and public life. Expect concrete tools for managing triggers, rebuilding trust, cultivating support networks, and converting survivor’s guilt into purpose. It reads like a modern recovery manual: concise chapters, clear takeaways, and a steady emphasis on community and self-compassion.
How it differs from her earlier books
“My Story” (2013) — narrative memoir of the kidnapping and rescue.
“Where There’s Hope” (2018) — interviews and reflections on healing.
“Detours” (2025) — a compact field guide: less reportage, more step-by-step resilience playbook, aimed at readers navigating grief, trauma, or major life disruptions now.
Pre-orders & retail availability
Pre-orders are live across major retailers (bookstores and big-box). Listings confirm the title, date, ISBNs, and basic specs for both hardcover and eBook. Expect standard preorder price guarantees and day-of-release delivery from most sellers.
ISBNs & editions
Hardcover: 979-8895650066
eBook: 979-8895650073
Promotion, events & signals to watch
Smart has been teasing the book on her official social channels and continues a steady schedule of survivor-advocacy keynotes. Watch for December media hits (morning shows, podcasts), a likely audiobook announcement, and a limited tour clustered around child-advocacy partners and foundation events.
Sources (official pages & retailer listings)
Simon & Schuster — Official book page (publisher/distribution, specs, pub date)
Post Hill Press — Title page (overview, “Detours” description, pub date)
Amazon — Product listing (format, date, page count/ISBN metadata)
Target — Retail listing (date, pages, dimensions, catalog data)
Booktopia — International listing (description, ISBN confirmation)
Elizabeth Smart (Instagram) — Official preorder announcement
Ohio CASA — Event announcement featuring Smart (speaking tie-in)
