Sold by Patricia McCormick

A brilliant book about the plight of young girls who are sold into prostitution. The format is superb, a series of vignettes provide glimpses into the daily struggles faced by Lakshmi as she thought she was providing for her family back in Nepal. I especially like the fact that McCormick doesn't explain what things really are--she lets the reader experience them as Lakshmi sees them. How wondrous and unnerving and incomprehensible the journey to India (Bombay, perhaps?) must have been for her, having never seen cars and trucks before. McCormick does a terrific job of establishing Lakshmi's youth and innocence in the beginning, and layering the months of experience on her in a way that makes her far more mature than her years by the end of the novel.

This might be a difficult novel to teach in class because of the sensitive subject matter, but I do think it would be quite educational for students (and teachers!). This would probably function best as a book club selection for mature high school readers, especially girls. I think it would be important to draw parallels between the forced prostitution in the novel and the similar circumstances of child trafficking in the U.S. I would also explore the events specific to the culture and climate of Nepal and how all of that influences the decisions that are made. One could also do a comparison between this book and others like Homeless Bird or Breadwinner (or even Memoirs of a Geisha!), examining the role of girls in their families as they reach adolescence.

If nothing else, this is a must-read, and after reading this one and Purple Heart, I'd highly recommend seeking out Patricia McCormick's other novels--I know I will!