Lakshmi is a 13-year-old girl living in Nepal with her mother and stepfather. When her stepfather gambles away the family’s income, Lakshmi must take a job in the city as a maid. Dozens of cities and strange tour guides later, Lakshmi realizes the maid job was a cover: she is in India and has been sold into sexual slavery, with little hope of ever returning home. Written in short vignette style chapters, this novel tells the heartbreaking story of a young girl attempting to survive with only the memory of happiness to keep her afloat.
This book continues to give me chills. It is sad, disturbing, and horrifyingly true. My heart is completely broken for these young girls who live everyday not knowing if they will ever see their families again who experience the violation of their innocence on a regular basis. Written with incredible care and seemingly impossible lyricism, this novel is a much needed dose of reality. Although undeniably harsh, the story McCormick tells is one that cannot be ignored and is an important novel for teen and adult readers alike.
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