Sold

McCormick, Patricia, Sold. New York: Hyperion Books for Children 2006

Annotation: Sold into the sex slave industry by her gambling step father, Lakshmi must endure unspeakable horrors for a thirteen year old girl. Her only hope is work off her step father’s debt so she can return to her mountain village in Nepal and see her mother again.

Justification for nomination: This book is written in free verse by the main character, Lakshmi.. It is raw and real as the author Patricia McCormick details the horrific nightmare this young girl must endure. She is drugged and beaten into submission until she gives in and lives a life of a prostitute. McCormick traveled to India and Nepal, where she interviewed the women of Calcutta’s red light district. Sold is based on the reality of the lives of many young girls and women who are told they are going to the beautiful cities to work as maids in homes where they will be treated wonderfully. These women endure cruelty beyond words just to survive. McCormick depiction of the life and struggles of Lakshmi is creative and skillful. Her depth of detail makes the characters believable. Sold was also a National Book Award Finalist. I recommend everyone to read this book to get a sense of looking through a vivid window into the harsh, cruel existence suffered by so many in India.
Genre: Multicultural/Memoir