"SOLD"

By: Jabari Young

        Sold by Patricia McCormick is a story about a young girl named Lakshmi being sold off by her stepfather into human trafficking and her experiences day to day as she learns to navigate through her new circumstances and her new life. In many ways however this isn’t just the story of 13 year old Lakshmi but of many very real women in Nepal, India and around the world. Women that have been lied to, that have had their autonomy violated and for many the last thing they’ll know in this life. 

          The story begins with Lakshmi helping her mother patch their thatched roof dreaming of one day having one made of tin, a recurring symbol in this story, and doing numerous chores around the house. Lakshmi walks us directly through the symbol of the tin roof explaining that it is a symbol of security and financial stability something that comes into play later as she continues to reference this tin roof as her own safety and security is violated. She also lets us know that they would likely have one had her stepfather not been a gambler and an addict.

Miss McCormick endears us to the story by having it narrated in first person, allowing us to view the story from the perspective of Lakshmi either feeling like she is telling the story directly to us or for some maybe even putting themselves in her shoes if they relate to her story at all. This makes it all the moreheartbreaking when you realize the ‘chapters’ of the story are basically journal entries as this is her life. This journal entry style can lead at times to feeling like you’re learning  information unrelated to the story or can make the writing feel repetitive or simple but it makes sense as you realize these are being written by a thirteen year old.

          This medium through Lakshmi is used masterfully as MissMcCormick shows us that you don’t have have to use brutal or vulgar words to depict a truly horrific reality. As we learn more about her story the terror is shared not through vulgarity but through her confusion, desperation and eventual acceptance of her circumstances; the sheer hopelessness she feels while still somehow holding on to her thoughts of her family and of freedom. We see Lakshmi go through, trafficking, getting drugged, raped and abused all in the span of a year making and losing friends along the way but staying true to the fact that she wanted this book to be readable and digestible by a younger audience showing a level of tact but understanding of someone who has sat with the people living this reality.

         Patricia McCormick didn’t originally plan to write this book but was originally just supposed to be writing an article about this exact topic but upon meeting the victims hearing their stories and even interviewing some perpetrators she realizes this is worth more than just an article. Through spending time with the individuals was actually what made Miss McCormick decide to write the book from the perspective she did, allowing us to feel like we were having the conversation with you as they share their story. 

          Learning that her book was one of the most banned books in the US was heartbreaking to her as she hoped for her book would not only be an eye opener to the world about the realities of this modern day atrocity but that t would empower young kids in similar situations to speak up about their abuse and hopefully get the help they need. She doesn’t simply dismiss the concerns of those who take issue with the book and looks into their reasoning and while she thinks it’s a very valid to not want to expose your own children to such topics you have no right to deny other children of what could be a life changing experience for them, and I am inclined to agree.

          You may reserve the right to discern what your own child reads and learns from you cannot decide for all kids; this blocks kids from learning about the very real dangers of the world but also let’s anyone going through or may have gone through these incidents that they are heard. In banning books like these we reinforce the idea that these topics are not to be spoken about and are shameful, potentially isolating these individuals and slowing down the healing process.