Batuk, the protagonist, was a real child prostitute living in Mumbai, India, and this book is her journal, translated into flawless and engrossing prose by Dr. Levine.

I found it very hard to finish this book, but thankfully, it's only 200 pages. I had to skim most of it for the vivid descriptions of child rape, sexual mutilation and unspeakable torture were just a bit much to visualize. At times, especially towards the end, I had to put the book down to catch my breath!

Reading this story will literally give you physical pain the next time you read or hear about child prostitution, molestation, abuse or human trafficking in India or anywhere in the world for that matter. Batuk's story is the story of all these children we hear about in the news. Reading this book will make their stories real to you, and not just sad, impersonal news items towards which we've become desensitized.

Batuk was enslaved at the tender age of eight (EIGHT!) when her father sold her to Mr. Ghali, who quickly sold her innocence to the highest bidder before sending her off to "The Orphanage" where her heart-wrenching story nosedived into visceral horror.

At "The Orphanage," Batuk is raped by the Yazaks (i.e. guardians; you believe it!) all the while witnessing other children go through harrowing accounts of unbelievable torture and even murder. She writes about a boy who was caught hiding twenty rupees from his Yazak:

"Justice was immediate and occurred in the open. Using his right hand, the Yazak lifted the child, age eleven or twelve, by his hair off the ground and with his left hand cut his throat with a Damascus blade. Before the second spurt of blood had shot from his neck, the Yazak had thrown the boy to the ground just as you might throw away a sweet wrapper."

It was also at "The Orphanage" that Batuk met Puneet--a frail young boy with delicate features and effiminate mannerisms--for the first time. Both were lucky enough to be given to Mamaki (a woman as vile physically as she is morally) to work in her brothel in Mumbai's red-light district. It's there where most of the story's heartbreak takes place.

Batuk and Puneet's relationship is yet another devastating account of lost innocence, damaged souls and shattered dreams. Depressing as it is, I was glad to know that these two had glimpses of happiness along the way.

The last thirty pages of the book were the most painful to read. In the end, I was distraught by the story and by the fact that this horror is still going on today, at this moment, in India and elsewhere. One thing I hope you get out of this book is a renewed zeal to do whatever you can to fight child exploitation and abuse of any form here at home and worldwide.