I almost picked up a copy of The Shack yesterday, but decided against it. Reading about (detailed? grotesque?) violence against a child is too heartwrenching, even if fiction. I am curious about what the fuss is all about though. Maybe I’ll read it with one eye shut.
The kind folks at WaterBrook Press sent me a copy of The Road of Lost Innocence (The True Story of a Cambodian Heroine) by Somaly Mam. From my point of view, this book has three things going for it – it’s written by a woman, it’s a memoir, and it focuses on Southeast Asia. All three tend to be reoccurring themes with my reading, so this book was a welcome addition to my bookshelf.
The Road of Lost Innocence is not just another story of a suffering victim; it’s how one woman is taking action on behalf of others, for the least of these.
From the inside cover:
Born in a village deep in the Cambodian forest, Somaly Mam was sold into sexual slavery by her grandfather when she was twelve years old. For the next decade she was shuttled through the brothels that make up the sprawling sex trade of Southeast Asia. Trapped in this dangerous and desperate world, she suffered the brutality and horrors of human trafficking – rape, torture, deprivation – until she managed to escape with the help of a French aid worker.
Somaly Mam is cofounder and president of AFESIP (Acting for Women in Distressing Situations), based in Cambodia, and president of the Somaly Mam Foundation, based in the United States. Under her leadership, the two organizations seek to save and socially reintegrate victims of sexual slavery in Southeast Asia. Mam was named a CNN Hero and a Glamour Woman of the Year in 2006.
From Amazon.com:
“The Road of Lost Innocence is unputdownable, and you read it with a lump in your throat. Somaly Mam’s story is an account of how humanity can sink to the lowest levels of depravity, but it is also a testimony of resistance and hope. She lifted herself out of a well of terror and found the determination and the resilience to save others. Somaly Mam is my candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize.”
—Ayaan Hirsi Ali, author of Infidel
“An inspiring story from the front lines of a global tragedy. Somaly Mam’s courageous fight to save women and children reminds us that one person can stand up and change the fate of others for good.”
—Mariane Pearl, author of A Mighty Heart
Links
To learn more about how you can help fight human trafficking, visit the foundation’s website: www.somaly.org. A portion of the proceeds of this book will be donated to the Somaly Mam Foundation.
You can watch Mam interviewed about rescuing children from the brothels in this 3-minute video.
I’m enjoying Tales of a Female Nomad (Living at Large in the World) by children’s book author Rita Golden Gelman. I would finish it if I could FIND THE BOOK. I hate it when I do this, put an object down somewhere in the house and lose it (is it lost or misplaced? I hope it’s not misplaced outside. It’s a library hardcover).
Tales reminds me of the Gilbert book Eat, Pray, Love because both authors lived in Indonesia, by far the most exotic place I’ve ever lived. I like comparing my Indonesian experiences with other women. If you liked Eat, Pray, Love, you may like Tales of a Female Nomad. Tales isn’t a spiritual jouney like Eat, but there are spiritual elements to it.
While searching for Gelman’s book, I found this book. I started reading it months ago and – you guessed it – mislaid it. Maybe I’ll take Anytime Playdate (Inside the Preschool Entertainment Boom) by Dade Hayes on vacation with me next month to finish it. I like the fact that it’s the baby’s Daddy who authored this look into children’s television.
These I took out of the library but have yet to start them:
