As regular readers of my blog will know, I made an exception a couple of months back and wrote a review for a YA book, rather than the books for younger children I normally review. This was because the book, SOLD, by Patricia McCormick touched me deeply, as someone who knows the region and a little of the issues she wrote of. I am truly thrilled to discover that SOLD is being made into a movie and you can see a short trailer here:
With the worldwide issues of human trafficking I can only extend my grateful support to books and movies such as thèse which help to reveal the extend of these issues to more people.
Patty speaks briefly Interview with Patty McCormick about the movie, but you can find out more by liking her Facebook page.
The major forms of human trafficking include:
• Forced labour
• Sex trafficking
• Bonded labour – where a worker’s debt is exploited. it doesn’t have to be current, the report highlights South Asia where “it is estimated that there are millions of trafficking victims working to pay off their ancestors’ debts”
• Forced child labour and sex trafficking
• Forced domestic servitude
• Child soldiers: many children are forcibly abducted to be used as combatants. Others are unlawfully made to work as porters, cooks, guards, servants, messengers, or spies. Young girls can be forced to marry or have sex with male combatants. Both male and female child soldiers are often sexually abused and are at high risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases.
Just last week I read in the Guardian development network of the fate of Somalian refugees fleeing to Kenya. The photo is of Somali girls in Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya. According to reports, Somali women and children are being trafficked into Kenya and sold into prostitution. (Photograph: Sipa Press/ Rex Features.)
This human slavery did not die out with Wilberforce, but exists in every nation. The one thing we can all do, is help raise awareness by our support of projects like Patty’s. If you have other books that you have read that cover similar issues, please do recommend them below. A beautiful one I read about child refugees a couple of weeks ago, suitable for upper primary and older, is A Long Walk to Water, by Linda Sue Park.
Yes — I am so happy to see a movie is being made! Great review and information on such an important topic. It’s always fun to do a follow up when a book you’ve been inspired by is being made into a movie. She wrote such an accurate account of what is happening, Her research was relentless.
Lisa Ling did a story on her program “Our America” (Oprah Winfrey Network) about human trafficking in the U.S. She focused on the D.C. area and it was very shocking that this is happening in America and few are doing so little about it. Like in SOLD, the girls who bring the highest price are the 12-year-olds. Heartbreaking. Thanks for sharing.
Pat, thank you for the enthusiasm. I am sure the movie will have the same level of accuracy and compassion that we see in the book, if Patty is involved.
One of the results of the opening up of Eastern Europe has been the trafficking of adults and children to the West!
A topic that surely needs and deserves attention! Thanks for mentioning SOLD. I hadn’t heard of it, but now it’s going on my (very long!) TBR list.
Susanna, the cool thing is it is a short, though not easy, read! It is in beautiful poetic verse!
Hi Joanna, I just recently watched the Alejandro González Iñárritu film entitled Biutiful which starred the profoundly talented actor Javier Bardem while I was on the plane back to Singapore – also spoke of human trafficking and the beautiful tragedies of life, loss, and forgiveness. I have a feeling you’d enjoy this movie as well. 🙂
I love getting film recommendations. I’m on a long haul flight in December, maybe I’ll get lucky. Thanks, Myra.
Joanna, Thanks for posting this-I will have to read the book and see the movie. Pat also mentioned a book by Patricia McCormick called Purple Heart that I want to read. We just got A Long Walk to Water in our last library book order. These authors tackle the tough issues that are both timely and heartbreaking.
Kelly, Patricia McCormick is a wonderful author and you can’t go wrong with any of her books. She tackles some pretty hard issues, but with amazing grace and sensitivity.
Glad to see this is being made into a movie. One I would certainly go and see.
Thanks for sharing Joanna.
Yes, I am hoping it will be released in Europe, too!