The Road of Lost Innocence

The True Story of a Cambodian Heroine

By: Somaly Mam

Narrated by: Tanya Eby Sirois

Length: 5 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

Born in a village deep in the Cambodian forest, Mam was sold into sexual slavery by her grandfather when she was 12 years old. For the next decade, she was shuttled through the brothels that make up the sprawling sex-trade industry of Southeast Asia.

Trapped in this dangerous and desperate world, she suffered the brutality and horrors of human trafficking - rape, torture, deprivation - until she managed to escape with the help of a French aid worker.

Emboldened by her newfound freedom, education, and security, Mam 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 Mam's 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.

Mam 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 3,400 women and children in Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos. Her memoir, an international best seller, will leave you awestruck by the tenacity and courage of this modern-day heroine and will renew your faith in the power of an individual to bring about change.

©2008 Somaly Mam (P)2008 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"This moving, disturbing tale is not one of redemption but a cry for justice and support for women's plight everywhere." ( Publishers Weekly)

painful eye-opener

This audio book was painful to listening to but makes you look around you and wonder about the painful past of every women you see walking next to you.

A beautifully told tale of suffering

After reading "Half The Sky", I wanted to find a narrative tale to better place the faces of the trafficked women in the world. Somaly Mam's book gave me everything I needed to connect with a world I do not understand. I cried, I raged, and I felt honored to be allowed this small window into lives that hold much more suffering than mine.

Eye Opening Story

An excellent read that really makes you think about how good you have it in life.

Reality

The narrative is almost as if I was there so clear and explicit that you get to feel their sadness

Real or Lies

A terribly sad yet beautiful "true" story of overcoming a devastating life to rise and help others. Upon investigating the story, there seems many discrepancies concerning its legitimacy.

Story

My heart just broke for this girls and women, gave me bad dreams. God bless them.

Well worth the listen

One of the most honest, straightforward books I have ever read/listened to. It may make you squeamish at points, and even horrified, but I feel it was worth hearing because of how important it is to know the truth. It's not a total downer either, there is much inspiration. Narrator was fantastic and made a great story even better.

Heartbreaking and inspiring!

I listened to this book almost straight through. Hard to hear what men will do.

Unbelievable

This story is so interesting, but also deeply disturbing! The story is great and it starts out when the writer is a child and all throughout her being grown up, and how she tries to help other girls like her. This book really opened my eyes and makes me want to get involved in efforts to stop the sex-trafficking. It does make me happy that I was born in America as opposed to Cambodia!

An amazing story I was riveted to the core.

As a radio program host for over 20 years, broadcasting worldwide on my show called 'Truth From the Source' I am always looking for great inspiring stories that I hear about and talk about on my show. This book warrants major media attention. the story is phenomenal. A story that should be heard all over the world because we are all dealing with sex trafficking in most countries around the world if not all countries. This is a powerful subject and a powerful book.