Sold

By: Patricia McCormick

Narrated by: Justine Eyre

Length: 3 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's summary

Audie Award Finalist, Package Design, 2014

Lakshmi is a thirteen-year-old girl who lives with her family in a small hut on a mountain in Nepal. Though she is desperately poor, her life is full of simple pleasures, like playing hopscotch with her best friend from school and having her mother brush her hair by the light of an oil lamp. But when the harsh Himalayan monsoons wash away all that remains of the family's crops, Lakshmi's stepfather says she must leave home and take a job to support her family. He introduces her to a glamorous stranger who tells her she will find her a job as a maid in the city. Glad to be able to help, Lakshmi journeys to India and arrives at "Happiness House" full of hope. But she soon learns the unthinkable truth: she has been sold into prostitution.

An old woman named Mumtaz rules the brothel with cruelty and cunning. She tells Lakshmi that she is trapped there until she can pay off her family's debt - then cheats Lakshmi of her meager earnings so that she can never leave. Lakshmi's life becomes a nightmare from which she cannot escape. Still, she lives by her mother's words - simply to endure is to triumph - and gradually, she forms friendships with the other girls that enable her to survive in this terrifying new world. Then the day comes when she must make a decision - will she risk everything for a chance to reclaim her life?

Written in spare and evocative vignettes, this powerful novel renders a world that is as unimaginable as it is real, and a girl who not only survives but triumphs.

©2006 Patricia McCormick (P)2012 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Hard-hitting...poignant. The author beautifully balances the harshness of brothel life with the poignant relationships among its residents." ( Publishers Weekly Starred Review)

Horrible and a good read

It was hard to get though, only because this is reality. 14 year Olds are worried about cell phones and boys not trying to support their families in such painful ways.

Tragic

So sad because it is factual. The narrator does a fantastic job of bringing the character alive. Easy to keep listening non-stop.

A hard listen but we need more books like this

Incredibly shocking and honest story. I wish there were books like this one so people could be more aware of what is going on in the world.

A MUST READ!

The author gives a telling portrayal of one of the most inhumane realties of our day while allowing its main character to maintain her personal dignity in the telling. Hope triumphs as the true survivor despite all odds. A MUST READ!

A Timely Topic

I decided to read this now, given the headlines about the Nigerian girls who they think could be sold into the sex slave trade. This dealt with a young girl from Nepal, who was sold by her step-father for around $300. She ends up in India, where she is placed into forced prostitution. The cultural references were quite interesting to me, and I would have loved to read more about the Nepal culture. I had also recently finished reading Memoirs of a Geisha, and although that story happened in Japan, I was struck by the similarities: both books refer to the older more powerful women as "Auntie" and both had to work to pay off their debts to the person who bought them. You can't help but relate to the young heroine of this story and how terrified she must have been at age 13 and 14 to go through this horrific experience.

The narration was also good and the accents were well done

A story that needs to be told.

I read a lot but seldom review a book because for the most part they are just entertainment,
A thing you pick up for a few hours and forget in a couple of days. You will not forget this book. If you think this tale could only happen in a foreign country you are wrong. Human trafficking is happing in our country. It is not on the scale you would find in a third world country but it exist. I wish I could honestly say I have always spoken up when I saw a wrong committed. I only know that going forward I will try harder.

Heartbreaking, Beautiful Story

Where does Sold rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is one of the best audiobooks I have listened too, albeit one of the most difficult to stomach. Lakshmi's story is fictional, but is also a representative for the thousands of girls who get trafficked each year. The books is written from the perspective of a 13-year-old Nepalese girl, and the language and narration reflect this. It makes for a very powerful story.

What does Justine Eyre bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Justine Eyre does an excellent job bringing Lakshmi to life. It is read with a Nepali accent, which would not have translated had I read the book.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes. It is only about 2 hrs and 45 minutes. I listened to it on a 3-hour road trip.

Heartbreaking and Emotionally powerful

Would you listen to Sold again? Why?

This is one of the rare audio books that I would listen to again. Beautiful, simple, poetic prose, a compelling story and perfect narration.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Sold?

The early scenes of the simple joys of a young girl in spite of her hard life in Napal.

What does Justine Eyre bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I thought her accented interpretation was excellent. Hearing the first-person narrative read in an Indian voice added to the story's authenticity.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The entire story has a tremendous emotional impact. It is heartbreaking to know that this story could be what thousands of young girls have endured.

The ending killed it for me!

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

um not so sure but it could be interesting to explore it.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

Interesting: desire to survive, desire to win. Least interesting: constant whining, the Americans who are always there to save the world apparently from itself.

Which scene was your favorite?

When she was crossing the border and the guy asked her to call him husband. She referred to him since then as uncle-husband.

Could you see Sold being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

I guess so since the Americans are heroes and saviours.

Any additional comments?

What I didn't get is why one of the American was set to save this one girl that he happened to be alone with and completely forgot about the other girls. The ending could have been better. It made absolutely no sense to me.

A bit slow for my taste

Originally thought this was a non-fiction book so take that as you will. I thought the book provided good detail and visual elements to bring you into the book and helped to capture the story. There just wasn’t a lot happening. I think there could have been more but still a good book. Saddened to know this is all to uncommon in the real world.