Sold by Patricia McCormick

I was in the school's book room with two other ladies who just happen to love books, and we were literally like kids in a candy store; we were touching the books and excitedly and loving talking about them. Well, one of the ladies picked up Sold and stated "I love this book," and you know that I had to read it.

Well, I went on this lady's words, and I read this book without finding out what it was about like I normally do.....

I started reading this book, and my heart was instantly with the main character Lakshmi.

Laskhmi lives with her family in a small village in Nepal:

Laskhim has a strong compassion for her family and is willing to do almost anything to help her family to live in some level of comfort.

Laskhim's village has rain for a very long time, and it wipes out all of their crops and Laskhim was told that "your stepfather has said that you must go to the city and earn your keep as a maid." Laskhim's agrees to go, thinking about the things that she can provide for her family.

Laskhim is thirteen at this time.

However, instead of going to the city to work as a maid, Laskhim is actually taken to India and sold into prostitution.

Laskhim is thirteen at this time.

My heart went out to Laskhim and all of the other girls in this book. McCormick tells their stories very plainly but in a manner that made me feel extreme compassion for these girls.

In the middle of this book, I finally did a goggle search and learned that this book is based on research of how "every year, 12,000 Nepali girls who are sold by their families, intentionally or unwittingly, into a life of sexual slavery in the brothels of India" as stated by the author.

After reading this book, I thought about the idea that there are people who consistently, unnecessarily complain or play the victim...."somebody did me wrong, I hate my job" etc, and I thought about these young girls and many other people who believe and live by the idea that "simply to endure is to triumph." My people, many of us have a lot to be grateful for even while going through "IT!"

This is an awesome read that I highly recommend..

Patricia McCormick

My next read is Funny in Farsi by Firoozeh Duman!