This week's Pick is beautiful...
And horrifying...
And for most of us, a pretty major reality
check.
When we first meet 13-year-old Lakshmi, it
seems as though she's a girl from another
era.
She lives a simple subsistence existence,
raising goats and harvesting rice.
But actually, Lakshmi's story takes place
in the present day.
This is life in rural Nepal—difficult and
hardscrabble, but full of simple pleasures.
All that changes when the monsoon rains destroy
the harvest, and Lakshmi's no-good stepfather
sells her off to pay his debts.
Lakshmi thinks she's being sent to work as
a maid for a reputable family.
But the truth is horrifying: She's been sold
into modern-day slavery in India—as a prostitute.
Lakshmi's story is jarring, not just because
of her transition from rural to urban life,
but because of the cruel reality of her tale.
Today, there are thousands of girls like Lakshmi,
living out lives of quiet desperation inside
India's brothels.
So what can you do?
Start by reading this book.
Getting educated about modern-day slavery
is the first step toward finding a way to
eradicate it completely.
