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Patricia McCormick
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SOLD Paperback – April 1, 2008

by Patricia McCormick (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 2,987 ratings
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The powerful, poignant, bestselling National Book Award finalist gives voice to a young girl robbed of her childhood yet determined to find the strength to triumph.

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 by the co-author of I Am Malala (Young Readers Edition), this powerful novel renders a world that is as unimaginable as it is real, and a girl who not only survives but triumphs.
 
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Previous page
  1. Reading age
    13+ years, from customers
  2. Print length
    263 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    9 and up
  5. Lexile measure
    820L
  6. Dimensions
    5.63 x 0.75 x 8.38 inches
  7. Publisher
    Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
  8. Publication date
    April 1, 2008
  9. ISBN-10
    0786851724
  10. ISBN-13
    978-0786851720
  11. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Alternating lyrical imagery with precise detail, McCormick gives voice to the terror and bewilderment of a young girl robbed of her childhood but who finds the strength to triumph.
--National Book Award Finalist citation


Hard-hitting ... poignant. The author beautifully balances the harshness of brothel life with the poignant relationships among its residents.
--Publishers Weekly - starred review


An unforgettable account of sexual slavery as it exists now.



--Booklist - starred review

The writing is breathtaking in both its simplicity and attention to detail ... stunning ... this novel is not to be missed

--VOYA



McCormick's research for this novel involved interviewing women in Nepal and India, and her depth of detail makes the characters believable and their misery palpable. This important book was written in their honor.


--School Library Journal

From the Author

Q:  What inspired you to tell this story?

            A: In the past few years , the trafficking of children has gotten a good deal of media attention.  But more than five years ago, when I had a chance meeting with a photographer who was working undercover to document the presence of young girls in brothels overseas, I knew immediately that I wanted to do what no one else had done so far:  tell this heartbreaking story from the point of view of one individual girl.
 
            I believe that young adults want to know what's happening to their peers on the other side of the world, but that media accounts, by their very nature, cannot usually go beyond the surface.  To me, there is nothing more powerful- or permanent- than the impact of a book.
 
Q:  What did your travel to India and Nepal bring to your story?
 
A: I spent a month in India and Nepal tracing Lakshmi's steps- going from a poor, isolated village in the foothills of the Himalayas all the way to the teeming red-light district of Calcutta.  Trained as an investigative reporter, I took notes and photos observing the sights, smells, foods, sounds, and the customs- details to give the book authenticity.  I also interviewed women in the red-light district, girls who had been rescued, and a man who had sold his girlfriend in exchange for a motorcycle.  It helped that I was a foreigner in the busy streets of Kathmandu and Calcutta, because I was as bewildered and awestruck by these places as Lakshmi is in the novel.
 
Q:  What were the challenges of bringing Lakshmi's story to life?
 
A: Perhaps the biggest challenge was not to let the sadness of the situation overwhelm me.  When I first came home from India, I fell into a despair unlike anything I'd ever felt before- something I now understand was a delayed reaction to the suffering I'd witnessed.  Moreover, I felt inadequate to the task of doing justice to the stories the women had entrusted to me.  But when I thought about the young girls who might be recruited to take their places as the women became ill or died, what I felt was urgency- urgency that their experiences be known and understood by the outside world. And I began to write.
 
It was also a challenge to keep the book from being too grim, and to keep Lakshmi's humanity alive in a believable way.  It was important to remember that, in even the grimmest of situations, there is kindness as well as cruelty, terror as well as boredom, and even, surprising as it may seem, humor.
 
Q:  Why did you decide to tell the story in a series of vignettes?
 
A: I started writing the book in small scenes because, initially, it was too      daunting to imagine that I could tell Lakshmi's entire story.  Once I had a 
handful of these scenes, the book began to take shape.  Eventually, vignettes seemed to be the right way to tell a story that is inherently so fractured- if not shattering.  I also think the "white space" between vignettes calls on the reader to engage his or her imagination in the story-telling process to fill in the blanks.           
 
Q:  How can we help?
 
A: Educate yourself by visiting the Web sites for Maiti Nepal and Aapne Aap, then work to raise awareness among your friends and family members, your church or school. Write an essay for your school paper or a letter to your local paper or your congressman.  Organize a student group at your school, then show a film about trafficking, invite a speaker, and raise or donate money.  The cost of living in countries where trafficking takes place is very low; one week's allowance, for instance, could go a long way toward providing medicine, toys or books for the children of the red-light district, or could contribute to the work of organizations that stop trafficking and provide safety for victims.
 
As Eli Weisel said, "Let us remember:  what hurts the victim most is not the cruelty of the oppressor, but the silence of the bystander."

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; Advanced Reading Copy (ARC) edition (April 1, 2008)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 263 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0786851724
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0786851720
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 13+ years, from customers
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 820L
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 9 and up
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.63 x 0.75 x 8.38 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 2,987 ratings

About the author

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Patricia McCormick

Patricia McCormick

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Patricia McCormick is a two-time National Book Award Finalist whose books include "Cut," "SOLD," "Never Fall Down," and the young readers edition of "I am Malala." SOLD, based on McCormick's research in the brothels of India, has been made into a feature film. www.soldthemovie.com

Her first picture book, "Sergeant Reckless, The Story of the Little Horse Who Became a Hero," was called a rousing success by the New York Times. And her non-fiction book, "The Plot to Kill Hitler," was a Publishers Weekly Top Ten of 2016.

Her debut novel, "Cut" is a sensitive portrayal of one girl's struggle with self-injury. "SOLD," a searing novel about child trafficking and "Never Fall Down," based on the true story of a boy who survived the Killing Fields of Cambodia, were National Book Award finalists.

She worked recently with Malala Yousafzai, on the young readers' edition of "I am Malala," the story of the Pakistani girl who was shot by the Taliban for standing up for her right to an education.

For more information: http://www.pattymccormick.com/ and http://www.facebook.com/pages/Patricia-McCormick/150993641605301

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
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Top reviews from the United States

Judy K. Polhemus
5.0 out of 5 stars Now what?
Reviewed in the United States on December 25, 2007
Verified Purchase
I read the book. I read the afterword in which Patricia McCormick briefly explains her travels and findings in conjunction with the story. OK. Now what? That is what I am left with--now what?

Should I sell all and go to India to help these girls? Seems implausible, although another reviewer intends to do just that, or perhaps she finally cannot. Send money? Nope, don't trust the imploring for money. Write my own book? No time, no talent. Pray for more Mother Teresas? Seems the most likely choice, but how many women are willing to renounce world and go help the girls in the brothel districts in India? What am I supposed to do for those pitiful, trusting girls, who are treated like nothing more than trash and offal?

Lakshmi, a thirteen-year-old who follows with her eyes a boy in the village, who does likewise with her, is sold by her wicked stepfather into prostitution. His gambling habit is more important than the value of the life of his wife's child. By her own calculations, she learns early on that she will NEVER make enough money to buy her freedom.

I think the one unnerving point of the story is that Lakshmi is delivered from this life. An American missionary rescues her and takes her to learn a trade and a respectable way to live. Why unnerving? That only one at a time, only one, is rescued. Just one. How many, how many live in brothels across the world and are forced to submit without any choices or decisions?

The book is excellent. Period. There are no weaknesses in plot, character, theme. The fact (in the novel) that Lakshmi is one of uncounted thousands (millions?) explains why her story is so desperate. Because it is simple and brief, description of what happens to her can be read by 9-year-olds as long as they understand the ramifications of this kind of slavery. The worst fact is the number of times she must participate--a hundred and a hundred more. Police stories on television inform me that this kind of slavery even takes place in the United States. Buy 'em, catch 'em, take 'em to another country for prostitution.

And I ask, Now what?
13 people found this helpful
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Lisa A Reins
5.0 out of 5 stars Eye Opening
Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2024
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Wonderfully written and eye opening to the ugliness of this world. God Bless the children.
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J. Lavoie
4.0 out of 5 stars Unspeakable Child Slavery
Reviewed in the United States on April 18, 2011
Verified Purchase
I purchased this book believing that it was someone's autobiography, as it started to read as one. But it is a novel and that is the only reason I took a star away from it. However, as a Reviewer, I must help promote it as a 5 star book to all other readers.

The content is extremely well researched and the story flows quite easily.
The author did a fine job describing who the young, uneducated, pre-adolescent girls are, coming out of their isolated, poverty stricken villages in so many Asian countries (though she stuck to a one area in particular). All it takes is 'living a life of daily poverty' for a young girl to willingly take a chance at an available job offer (as a maid) even though she must move to a far away land. Her mind floods with ideas of what she can provide her family with...daily necessities such as food, warm clothing, and in this case, a reliable roof top for their hut, which is in desperate need of repairs. This fictional job opportunity is how she arrives into accepting (unbeknownst to her) an illicit job.

In this story, the young teen does not know that a family member has been deceptive by selling her into the sexual slave industry, which thrives in her actual place of employment. This traitor brings home a positive situation whereas the girl can provide for her family, knowing that they
are deprived, needing and wanting for even the basic of necessities.
The wife (Ama/mother)does not know her daughter is being deceived. But her daughter soon finds out once she is thrown into her new jail and explained of her demise for following years to come. How chilling this deception must be for a 13 year old girl?

The author presents the contents of this story in a different way than creatively writing chapter after chapter as per the norm in most books; yet the story flows along very well. It is a great book for anyone wanting to read exactly how young women in the poorest of circumstances live, and by trying to help their family out of daily struggle, they can very easily find themselves ...SOLD.
5 people found this helpful
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Andrea Rudolph
5.0 out of 5 stars heartbreaking and important
Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2024
Verified Purchase
The narrative of this young girl sold into prostitution opens one’s eyes to the cruelty that poverty and desperation can bring. When one is considered an object not a human anything can happen as history has so well exemplified. Motivates me to get involved in some way to raise awareness of this terrible crime!
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Polish Princess
5.0 out of 5 stars An important book
Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2016
Verified Purchase
This is a very good book but also a pretty disturbing one. In terms of a choice for a middle schooler, I would really hesitate to recommend it. A lot would depend on the young adult's maturity and reading level. Whereas I have a 7th grader reading this book, the terms have occasionally stumped her and she comes back to me frequently for explanations of terms of vocabulary issues for Arabic names and terms...some of which are difficult to understand via context. I found it useful to Google certain things, like a tea shop and a house with a tin roof in Nepal, so she can see photos and better relate to the text.

Other than that, the way the book is written, in first person, but in a passive voice...a writing style that takes a while to get used to. But for an adult or middle schooler who successfully navigates those little hurdles, the book is a quick and fascinating read. I couldn't put it down. The subject matter is very, very mature. There is not anything overly graphic, but again, this is a novel about a girl sold into prostitution at a very young age. After the first third of the book, it does address the fact that she is forced to sleep with many, many men and there are a few horrifying sections regarding the punishment of girls who don't obey the brothel's madam.

This is an important book regarding the treatment of young girls sold into prostitution in India. I learned many things while reading it. Again, I recommend it for all, but unless your child or student is ready to handle things like the subject matter, I believe that girls and women over maybe 14 years of age should be the target audience.
10 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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amy leong
5.0 out of 5 stars Good condition
Reviewed in Canada on June 6, 2023
Verified Purchase
Received the book the next day and in excellent condition
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jose coyoli
5.0 out of 5 stars Crudo e impactante, en pleno siglo XXI
Reviewed in Mexico on May 6, 2018
Verified Purchase
Una muy impactante historia que refleja la terrible realidad de las mujeres en buena parte del mundo. Excelente historia, refleja una realidad que el mundo insiste en ocultar, despreciando a las mujeres.
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KATHARINA
5.0 out of 5 stars Molto bello e emozionante
Reviewed in Italy on November 18, 2019
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Emozionante - bellissimo
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jillG
3.0 out of 5 stars Disturbing
Reviewed in Australia on April 24, 2021
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A very sad tale of life in a third world country and the treatment of women
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars It will change you...
Reviewed in India on November 9, 2016
Verified Purchase
Everyone should read this. Just because you are paying doesn't mean you have consent of the girl. This novel provided the insight of how exactly the daily life goes of a girl who is forced into prostitution. It made me think how lightly we take this problem. The misery of the little girl laxmi made me re think on my shallowness about their pain. I cried my heart out in the end. This novel gives you chills, goosebumps, tears of pain and joy. It changes how you think, how our life is so easy and how much we owe to them being a human being. Please read this novel.
3 people found this helpful
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