Breaking Free: True Stories of Girls Who Escaped Modern Slavery - Softcover

Sher, Abby

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1438004532 ISBN 13: 9781438004532

Verlag: Barron's Educational Series Inc.,U.S., 2014

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"Breaking Free: True Stories of Girls Who Escaped Modern Slavery focuses on how survivors of prostitution and human trafficking have become leaders of change. It is invaluable for young people to learn about not just the horrors of sex trafficking but also how victims can become survivors and finally leaders."--Prof. Ruchira Gupta, New York University, Founder and President of Apne Aap Women Worldwide "The harrowing real-life stories of three girls who turned their experiences as sex-trafficked children into a fight to destroy the practice. This set of brief biographies opens with 9-year-old Somaly Mam in Cambodia around 1979. Sold to a brothel by her ostensible caretaker, Somaly experiences rape, beatings, starvation and punishment--she is covered in snakes and sewage. Her torments may seem alien to some readers, at least partly due to inadequate contextualization of Cambodia's historical moment (the immediate aftermath of genocide). It's therefore useful that the next story is Minh Dang's in 1990s California; her parents force her into prostitution when she's only 10. Her story seems otherwise so commonplace American (she plays soccer, gets A's in school, and is expected to attend and graduate from college) that the overlap between her experiences and Somaly's seems that much more horrific. The final biography is of Maria Suarez, a Mexican immigrant who's kidnapped, forced into a sexual relationship with an older man, arrested after his death, imprisoned for two decades and nearly deported on her eventual release. The girls' stories could be too devastating to read save for each tale's conclusion, detailing the efforts these women have made to rescue girls and eliminate childhood slavery. Minh Dang is upset when people speak of her as an inhumanly brave heroine; the focus here on activism after suffering may be enough to show the women as people, not victims. Harrowing, yes--and inspiring." --Kirkus Reviews "If we want real, systemic change, we must listen to survivors. Abby Sher shares these survivors' truths with care and compassion, highlighting the courage and resilience of each woman. This is an excellent read for anyone who believes that ending exploitation is possible." --Lauren Hersh, Equality Now "These searing, harrowing stories tell us the dark truth of the lives of enslaved girls and women, our own sisters and daughters. In Abby Sher's generous, thoughtful prose, they also become tales of unbelievable courage, hope, and triumph." --Jennifer Finney Boylan, author of She's Not There. ""An eye-opening look at an all-too-pervasive phenomenon; this title should be in all public library collections and in academic libraries that support social-justice curricula."--Library Journal

Reseña del editor

Breaking Free: True Stories of Girls Who Escaped Modern Slavery, by award-winning author Abby Sher, explores the global issue of human sex trafficking from a survivor's point of view. It recounts the harrowing stories of three courageous women--Somaly Mam, Minh Dang, and Maria Suarez--who were all forced into sexual slavery as children. After escaping their captors, these three women could easily have become voiceless victims, lost to the horrors of their own histories; instead, they have each become leading advocates and activists in the anti-trafficking movement. With help from Somaly, Maria, Minh, and many other survivors and counselors, Sher tells the riveting story of what it means to be liberated from sexual trafficking and find the trust and conviction to help educate new survivors. Told with breath-taking honesty and simplicity, Breaking Free: True Stories of Girls Who Escaped Modern Slavery sends the message that, even in the most tragic circumstances, the unwavering hope and compassion of the human spirit can and will shine through. A Note from the Author and Publisher of Breaking Free: June 3, 2014 Dear Readers, Students, and Educators: Breaking Free: True Stories of Girls Who Escaped Modern Slavery recounts the harrowing stories of three women--Somaly Mam, Minh Dang, and Maria Suarez--each of whom have become leading advocates and activists in the anti-trafficking movement. Within a few weeks of the book's release, Newsweek Magazine published an article (May 30th, 2014 issue) reporting that Somaly Mam had fabricated and embellished her life story. As a result, Somaly Mam has resigned as president of her Foundation. To say the least, this news came as a complete surprise to us. These accusations are extremely disturbing and disappointing, and we sincerely apologize for any alleged fictitious content in our book regarding Somaly's story. Nonetheless, we continue to believe that the work of Minh, Maria, and other human rights activists and organizations should not be tarnished as a result of these revelations concerning one individual. The work they do to rescue girls who have fallen victim to the scourge of human trafficking can and should be respected, even in light of this recent development. The author and staff of Barron's Educational Series hope that you still find this book to be an informative and thought-provoking call-to-action for all those committed to ending human trafficking. Sincerely yours, Abby Sher The Staff of Barron's Educational Series, Inc.

Über diese Auflage

• Verlag: Barron's Educational Series Inc.,U.S.
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2014
• ISBN 10: 1438004532
• ISBN 13: 9781438004532
• Einband: Tapa blanda
• Anzahl der Seiten: 240