Review by Jill Williamson
I can’t stop thinking about this book. First let me caution you, this book is graphic due to the subject matter, but I believe all older girls would benefit from reading it. The Road to Lost Innocence is not a fiction novel. It’s a memoir, which is a true story of an author’s life. The Road to Lost Innocence is the story of Somaly Mam, a Cambodian woman who was sold into slavery as a girl and later sold to a brothel. The village world she paints is fascinating. She didn’t know what a fork was or that running water existed until she grew up. She shares how she managed to get away from her prison and how she went back to try and rescue girls from the life she once lived.
This is a heartbreaking story. I cried more than once. Human trafficking is beyond horrifying to read about, and this book will open your eyes to a bigger world. Girls are stolen or sold everyday, and not only in places like Cambodia or the Philippines. This happens everywhere including Canada and the US. If you are brave enough, this book will hopefully spur you toward action. It does get a bit graphic in parts, and I caution younger girls to ask their parents before reading it. I also urge you all to pray for Somaly Mam, her family, her ministry, and that she might find her creator, the one who loves her more than anything.
Age Range: 16 and up
Genre: memoir
Part of a Series: no
Pages: 190
Publisher: Spiegel & Grau
Released: 2008
Leave a Reply