The book that I would like to introduce, however, is not a journey for the faint- hearted.
It was a book I had not planned to buy. It was simply in the 3 for 2 stash in Borders. I had bought it because I thought maybe one day I would need to read it. Indeed that chance presented itself and I finally read The Road of Lost Innocence by Somaly Mam.
Taken from the Somaly Mam Foundation site:
"A riveting, raw, and beautiful memoir of tragedy and hope."
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, and deprivation - until she managed to escape with the help of a French aid worker. Emboldened by her newfound freedom, education, and security, Somaly blossomed but remained haunted by the girls in the brothels she left behind.
Written in exquisite, spare, unflinching prose, The Road of Lost Innocence recounts the experiences of her early life and tells the story of her awakening as an activist and her harrowing and brave fight against the powerful and corrupt forces that steal the lives of these girls. She has orchestrated raids on brothels and rescued sex workers, some as young as five and six; she has built shelters, started schools, and founded an organization that has so far saved more than four thousand women and children in Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos. Her memoir will leave you awestruck by her tenacity and courage and will renew your faith in the power of an individual to bring about change.
My thoughts on it:
When I first read the book, I was a little apprehensive. I had just read another memoir that had been less than beautifully written despite an interesting story.
This is a book that does not seek to impress with flowery writing. After all, the content itself is enough to keep the reader occupied. I wish I knew French so that I could read the book in its original text. However, I don't so I would have to be content with the English version
And contented I was.
I found my heart being wrenched at many points and at some, I could feel the tear ducts being squeezed. There are things that people like us, who have the fortune of living in peace and have access to material comforts, can never understand. There are horrors that we will never be able to imagine even if we tried. How can we possibly understand what is like to be sold like livestock and tortured like a slave
The book begins with:
"1n 1986, when I was sold to a brothel as a prostitute, I was about sixteen years old. Today there are many far younger prostitutes in Cambodia. There are virgins for sale in every large town; to be sure of their virginity, the girls are sometimes as young as five or six.
In Cambodia, and throughout South-East Asia, tens of thousands of children are forced into prostitution each year. They are raped and beaten. Many are killed."
And that's only the beginning. It is merely the miniscule tip of the iceberg that is the story (or should I say, stories?)
It is easy to be indifferent. I won't say more but I greatly recommend this book if you are ready to open your eyes to another kind of life, another side of this world we live in - one that is full of injustice, darkness and terror. I am sure this is not the only one of its kind but it will shake you.
It shook me, for sure.
"A riveting, raw, and beautiful memoir of tragedy and hope."
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, and deprivation - until she managed to escape with the help of a French aid worker. Emboldened by her newfound freedom, education, and security, Somaly blossomed but remained haunted by the girls in the brothels she left behind.
Written in exquisite, spare, unflinching prose, The Road of Lost Innocence recounts the experiences of her early life and tells the story of her awakening as an activist and her harrowing and brave fight against the powerful and corrupt forces that steal the lives of these girls. She has orchestrated raids on brothels and rescued sex workers, some as young as five and six; she has built shelters, started schools, and founded an organization that has so far saved more than four thousand women and children in Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos. Her memoir will leave you awestruck by her tenacity and courage and will renew your faith in the power of an individual to bring about change.
My thoughts on it:
When I first read the book, I was a little apprehensive. I had just read another memoir that had been less than beautifully written despite an interesting story.
This is a book that does not seek to impress with flowery writing. After all, the content itself is enough to keep the reader occupied. I wish I knew French so that I could read the book in its original text. However, I don't so I would have to be content with the English version
And contented I was.
I found my heart being wrenched at many points and at some, I could feel the tear ducts being squeezed. There are things that people like us, who have the fortune of living in peace and have access to material comforts, can never understand. There are horrors that we will never be able to imagine even if we tried. How can we possibly understand what is like to be sold like livestock and tortured like a slave
The book begins with:
"1n 1986, when I was sold to a brothel as a prostitute, I was about sixteen years old. Today there are many far younger prostitutes in Cambodia. There are virgins for sale in every large town; to be sure of their virginity, the girls are sometimes as young as five or six.
In Cambodia, and throughout South-East Asia, tens of thousands of children are forced into prostitution each year. They are raped and beaten. Many are killed."
And that's only the beginning. It is merely the miniscule tip of the iceberg that is the story (or should I say, stories?)
It is easy to be indifferent. I won't say more but I greatly recommend this book if you are ready to open your eyes to another kind of life, another side of this world we live in - one that is full of injustice, darkness and terror. I am sure this is not the only one of its kind but it will shake you.
It shook me, for sure.
