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Breaking Free: True Stories of Girls Who Escaped Modern Slavery
Somaly Mam was born in the forests of Cambodia in the early 1970’s and sold into sexual slavery by her “grandfather” before she was even twelve years old.
Maria Suarez came to America from Mexico when she was fifteen with her family. She went on a job interview to be a maid. When she got inside, her “interviewer” locked the door and told her he owned her body from that moment on.
Minh Dang was born in San Jose, California. Her house was always neat and there were bright rose bushes in her front yard. Nobody knew that behind closed doors her parents were raping and abusing her from the time she was three years old. Soon they started selling her body to neighbors as well.
These three women could easily have been voiceless victims, lost to the horrors of their own histories. Instead, they not only fought their way out of sexual slavery, they have each become leading advocates and activists in the anti-trafficking movement.
Somaly Mam began her work simply, by supplying condoms and soap to the enslaved girls. Soon she was taking girls into her own home and helping them learn a trade. Eventually, a foundation was born where young women, rescued from the sex trade, could begin new lives for themselves. Maria is a counselor for abused women in California and speaks all over the globe about her experiences and empowering women to speak out for their rights. She is also busy starting the Maria Suarez Foundation, dedicated to Prevention, Rescue and Restoration of survivors. Minh is getting her Master’s in social work and has worked as executive director of Don’t Sell Bodies with actress Jada Pinkett Smith. Minh writes and speaks internationally about what it’s like to be a survivor and on learning how to love fearlessly for the first time.
Breaking Free: True Stories of Girls Who Escaped Slavery, by award-winning author Abby Sher, recounts these women’s incredible journeys from sex slave to survivor to savior— but it doesn’t stop there. The book delves even deeper into the horrors of human trafficking, an issue at the forefront of global outreach and activism.
With help from Somaly, Maria, Minh, and many other survivors and counselors, Sher tells the riveting story of what it means to be liberated from sexual trafficking and find the trust and conviction to help educate new survivors.
Remarkable, timely, and incredibly inspiring, Breaking Free, will strike a chord with all young readers as it recounts the stories of these courageous young women who, instead of running from their pasts, choose to help those still caught in the system. It sends the powerful message that, even in the most tragic circumstances, the unwavering hope and compassion of the human spirit can and will shine through.
The book has already been hailed by activists and educators as a powerful tool for the classroom and beyond. Breaking Free Teacher’s Guides are available for educators to incorporate the book into their lesson plans and include questions and exercises aligned to the Common Core.
Maria Suarez came to America from Mexico when she was fifteen with her family. She went on a job interview to be a maid. When she got inside, her “interviewer” locked the door and told her he owned her body from that moment on.
Minh Dang was born in San Jose, California. Her house was always neat and there were bright rose bushes in her front yard. Nobody knew that behind closed doors her parents were raping and abusing her from the time she was three years old. Soon they started selling her body to neighbors as well.
These three women could easily have been voiceless victims, lost to the horrors of their own histories. Instead, they not only fought their way out of sexual slavery, they have each become leading advocates and activists in the anti-trafficking movement.
Somaly Mam began her work simply, by supplying condoms and soap to the enslaved girls. Soon she was taking girls into her own home and helping them learn a trade. Eventually, a foundation was born where young women, rescued from the sex trade, could begin new lives for themselves. Maria is a counselor for abused women in California and speaks all over the globe about her experiences and empowering women to speak out for their rights. She is also busy starting the Maria Suarez Foundation, dedicated to Prevention, Rescue and Restoration of survivors. Minh is getting her Master’s in social work and has worked as executive director of Don’t Sell Bodies with actress Jada Pinkett Smith. Minh writes and speaks internationally about what it’s like to be a survivor and on learning how to love fearlessly for the first time.
Breaking Free: True Stories of Girls Who Escaped Slavery, by award-winning author Abby Sher, recounts these women’s incredible journeys from sex slave to survivor to savior— but it doesn’t stop there. The book delves even deeper into the horrors of human trafficking, an issue at the forefront of global outreach and activism.
With help from Somaly, Maria, Minh, and many other survivors and counselors, Sher tells the riveting story of what it means to be liberated from sexual trafficking and find the trust and conviction to help educate new survivors.
Remarkable, timely, and incredibly inspiring, Breaking Free, will strike a chord with all young readers as it recounts the stories of these courageous young women who, instead of running from their pasts, choose to help those still caught in the system. It sends the powerful message that, even in the most tragic circumstances, the unwavering hope and compassion of the human spirit can and will shine through.
The book has already been hailed by activists and educators as a powerful tool for the classroom and beyond. Breaking Free Teacher’s Guides are available for educators to incorporate the book into their lesson plans and include questions and exercises aligned to the Common Core.
240 pages, ebook
First published June 1, 2014
23 people are currently reading
1136 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
June 2, 2014
In my quest to read more nonfiction, I stumbled across BREAKING FREE. It tells the stories of three women who escaped sexual slavery - Somaly Mam, Minh Dang, and Maria Suarez - with an additional section detailing more facts about sexual slavery, what to read next, and what to do to stop human trafficking.
I really appreciated that Abby Sher focuses on what Mam, Dang, and Suarez did after they escaped their captors and how they went on to help other women in sexual slavery. She's very clear about what happened to them, but refrains from prurience. There are none of those magazine descriptions of rape that go into every little detail. However, I felt that Sher's writing was too simplistic. This is a book about sexual slavery for teens, but the style often made it seem like a book about sexual slavery for children. I preferred the quotes in BREAKING FREE taken directly from Mam, Dang, or Suarez.
The majority of the book, slightly over one third, focuses on Mam. She has saved innumerable Cambodian girls from sexual slavery through her foundation AFESIP. However, she resigned from her foundation after the May 21, 2014 Newsweek article "Somaly Mam: The Holy Saint (and Sinner) of Sex Trafficking" by Simon Marks. This article revealed that Mam lied about parts of her history and coached other girls to lie about theirs. It casts a pall over this section of the book, and the depth of Sher's research. (There have been previous, less complete and publicized reports, of the inconsistencies in Mam's stories.)
I think others might stumble upon BREAKING FREE and be inspired by the stories of survival and activism within. But I can't recommend it as an introduction to the topic of sexual slavery. I do recommend that people look into the stories of Maria Suarez and Minh Dang. They will be particularly eye opening to some readers, because both women were held captive in the United States. Trafficking is a problem everywhere.
I really appreciated that Abby Sher focuses on what Mam, Dang, and Suarez did after they escaped their captors and how they went on to help other women in sexual slavery. She's very clear about what happened to them, but refrains from prurience. There are none of those magazine descriptions of rape that go into every little detail. However, I felt that Sher's writing was too simplistic. This is a book about sexual slavery for teens, but the style often made it seem like a book about sexual slavery for children. I preferred the quotes in BREAKING FREE taken directly from Mam, Dang, or Suarez.
The majority of the book, slightly over one third, focuses on Mam. She has saved innumerable Cambodian girls from sexual slavery through her foundation AFESIP. However, she resigned from her foundation after the May 21, 2014 Newsweek article "Somaly Mam: The Holy Saint (and Sinner) of Sex Trafficking" by Simon Marks. This article revealed that Mam lied about parts of her history and coached other girls to lie about theirs. It casts a pall over this section of the book, and the depth of Sher's research. (There have been previous, less complete and publicized reports, of the inconsistencies in Mam's stories.)
I think others might stumble upon BREAKING FREE and be inspired by the stories of survival and activism within. But I can't recommend it as an introduction to the topic of sexual slavery. I do recommend that people look into the stories of Maria Suarez and Minh Dang. They will be particularly eye opening to some readers, because both women were held captive in the United States. Trafficking is a problem everywhere.
April 22, 2014
There are more people trafficked and held captive as slaves today than there were over the course of the transatlantic slave trade.
This book was very difficult to read, but I couldn't put it down. It is filled with hard, ugly truths and amazing strength. Reading these women's stories made me angry and depressed but also left me with hope, and a great desire to do something, anything to help end modern slavery.
The stories are all very well written and all of the women come from different situations. This book does a good job of opening your eyes to slavery. Breaking Free: True Stories of Girls Who Escaped Modern Slavery educated me so much and dispelled many stereotypes that I thought I knew about sex trafficking.
Everyone needs to read this book and spread the word. It is hard to read but we owe it to the survivors of these terrible crimes to hear their stories.
For more information on human trafficking and how you can help visit these sites.
www.somaly.org
www.sagesf.org
www.polarisproject.org
www.gems-girls.org
www.halftheskymovement.org
www.fairgirls.org
www.equalitynow.org
Note: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
April 22, 2016
This book is compiled of three, true, inspiring stories of three girls who escaped sex slavery. One of the girls, Somaly Mam, was sold into the sex industry by her “grandfather”. She was sexually abused every day, and she was in a horrible living condition in Cambodia. One day she found a nice couple who gave her education, and her “grandfather” let her go to school at their house. From this education early on in her life, she was able to use it when she escaped the sex industry a few years later.
Another one of the girls, Maria Suarez, moved to America with her family when she was 13. She was offered a job with little description, and excitedly (and naively) she took it. As a result, she was raped at this “job” every day for a week. When the police finally found out about what was happening, somehow the rapist turned it around on Minh to make it look like her fault. She was sentenced to jail, until the real story finally came out. She was set free and started the MSD foundation. The last victim, Minh Dang, was sold to different men every night by her own parents. Also, her own father raped her every night and her mother blamed it on Minh. When Minh got to 18 years old, she convinced her parents to let her attend college. They agreed, and there she cut herself off from their control, and freed herself from the psychological bonds that had been formed for her whole life. She snow speaks to large crowds all over the world and inspires people to never give up.
Anyone who is interested in hearing inspirational stories of strong women who have endured harsh conditions and made it out alive would enjoy this book. Breaking Free is a biography, so anybody who enjoys biographies would like it as well. Also, it’s non-fiction. People who aren’t too bothered by extremely heart wrenching TRUE stories would find it interesting. I definitely wouldn’t recommend it to anybody under the age of 13, as the author uses some rough graphics in her description of many of the girls’ situations. It’s very sad, so if you’re looking for a happy book to read, this one is not the one for you. However, I feel it is extremely important for everyone in the world to be aware of what goes on to so many people every day. Especially since it’s between the ages of 11 months to 17 years. A broad range of kids get trafficked in the sex industry in every country every day, and there needs to be awareness spread. So really everyone should read this book, over the age of 13.
This book was satisfying to me, because all three of the girls who's stories were shared, ended positively. Although they all still struggle with anxiety and mental / physical abuse from their parents, pimps, or rapists, they all come out alive and able to make a difference in the world. Each of the girls I read about started their own organizations, which target other girls who have been effected by sex slavery. Reading that they all help in a huge way around different parts of the world (California, Cambodia, and Mexico) to give girls safe places to rehabilitate and get themselves back to a normal state of living was really inspiring and satisfying to read about. As for the author’s writing style, it was nothing out of the ordinary. It was easy to read, and it was a fairly quick read.
Another one of the girls, Maria Suarez, moved to America with her family when she was 13. She was offered a job with little description, and excitedly (and naively) she took it. As a result, she was raped at this “job” every day for a week. When the police finally found out about what was happening, somehow the rapist turned it around on Minh to make it look like her fault. She was sentenced to jail, until the real story finally came out. She was set free and started the MSD foundation. The last victim, Minh Dang, was sold to different men every night by her own parents. Also, her own father raped her every night and her mother blamed it on Minh. When Minh got to 18 years old, she convinced her parents to let her attend college. They agreed, and there she cut herself off from their control, and freed herself from the psychological bonds that had been formed for her whole life. She snow speaks to large crowds all over the world and inspires people to never give up.
Anyone who is interested in hearing inspirational stories of strong women who have endured harsh conditions and made it out alive would enjoy this book. Breaking Free is a biography, so anybody who enjoys biographies would like it as well. Also, it’s non-fiction. People who aren’t too bothered by extremely heart wrenching TRUE stories would find it interesting. I definitely wouldn’t recommend it to anybody under the age of 13, as the author uses some rough graphics in her description of many of the girls’ situations. It’s very sad, so if you’re looking for a happy book to read, this one is not the one for you. However, I feel it is extremely important for everyone in the world to be aware of what goes on to so many people every day. Especially since it’s between the ages of 11 months to 17 years. A broad range of kids get trafficked in the sex industry in every country every day, and there needs to be awareness spread. So really everyone should read this book, over the age of 13.
This book was satisfying to me, because all three of the girls who's stories were shared, ended positively. Although they all still struggle with anxiety and mental / physical abuse from their parents, pimps, or rapists, they all come out alive and able to make a difference in the world. Each of the girls I read about started their own organizations, which target other girls who have been effected by sex slavery. Reading that they all help in a huge way around different parts of the world (California, Cambodia, and Mexico) to give girls safe places to rehabilitate and get themselves back to a normal state of living was really inspiring and satisfying to read about. As for the author’s writing style, it was nothing out of the ordinary. It was easy to read, and it was a fairly quick read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 16, 2015
This shocking, unflinching and very readable book tells of three women in particular as representative of all the young girls and women sold, beaten or forced into slavery and sexual abuse today.
We read of a girl in Cambodia who was sold over and over to pay other people's debts and who was bought by a Swiss aid worker who frequented her pimp's brothel.
That couldn't happen here? A girl in California was abused by her own parents, a seemingly respectable Vietnamese couple, who brought her to a brothel to earn for them every night throughout her school and university days.
A legal Mexican immigrant in America was kidnapped then enslaved as a house maid and sexually abused for six years, before her captor was killed by another member of the household who left the girl to take the blame. Jailed for twenty-five years, she was released after twenty.
These brave young women have gone on to campaign on behalf of girls like themselves - blogging, speaking at meetings or starting a sewing workshop, school and safe house - and have received international awards.
BREAKING FREE shows not only that girls are being enslaved and tortured on a daily basis, but that we can all help to fight this behaviour and support the organisations which campaign for change. Abby Sher repeatedly stresses that all money earned by the girls goes to their abusers and the girls have no choice in the matter. Sweden makes the purchasers of sex the criminals instead of the prostitutes, and Abby Sher says that more governments need to consider this move. I recommend this read.
We read of a girl in Cambodia who was sold over and over to pay other people's debts and who was bought by a Swiss aid worker who frequented her pimp's brothel.
That couldn't happen here? A girl in California was abused by her own parents, a seemingly respectable Vietnamese couple, who brought her to a brothel to earn for them every night throughout her school and university days.
A legal Mexican immigrant in America was kidnapped then enslaved as a house maid and sexually abused for six years, before her captor was killed by another member of the household who left the girl to take the blame. Jailed for twenty-five years, she was released after twenty.
These brave young women have gone on to campaign on behalf of girls like themselves - blogging, speaking at meetings or starting a sewing workshop, school and safe house - and have received international awards.
BREAKING FREE shows not only that girls are being enslaved and tortured on a daily basis, but that we can all help to fight this behaviour and support the organisations which campaign for change. Abby Sher repeatedly stresses that all money earned by the girls goes to their abusers and the girls have no choice in the matter. Sweden makes the purchasers of sex the criminals instead of the prostitutes, and Abby Sher says that more governments need to consider this move. I recommend this read.
December 11, 2014
Breaking Free
Abby Sher, NY, Barron’s, 2014, 170 pages
Abby Sher’s latest book is about three untold stories of young women facing modern slavery. Breaking Free is a shocking and heartbreaking non-fiction novel about Somaly Mam, Minh Dang, and Maria Suarez’s childhoods. As young girls, Somlay, Minh, and Maria grow up in poverty, which made living difficult. But poverty was not the only problem; being sold for their bodies was the other problem. Constantly having sex with people either from family relatives to complete strangers, these girls faced rape throughout their whole childhoods.
Somaly was abandoned as a baby in northeastern Cambodia and was raised by a different family that called her their own. Everything in Somaly’s life was going smoothly until she was old enough to go to school. The family realized how expensive her education would be and decided to sell Somaly to man who said to be her uncle. From that very moment on, Somaly’s life went downhill. Minh Dang’s life also went downhill, but she lived in San Jose, California with her mother and father. Minh never thought of them as her parents because they always hit and yelled at her even when she was not doing any harm. The only person who was really doing harm was her father. Late on night, her father would come to Minh’s room while she was asleep and aggressively rape her. Minh felt trapped in her home, but she was not alone. Maria was trapped in a stranger's home in California while trying to start a new life and leaving Mexico behind. Maria was trapped with a man who constantly raped her and treated worse than an animal.
These young women facing modern slavery were mentally and physically trapped. Readers would want to support Somaly, Minh and Maria as they find their ways out and discover their voices. Be prepared to face the truth about modern slavery and the tragic situations that come along, as well.
Abby Sher, NY, Barron’s, 2014, 170 pages
Abby Sher’s latest book is about three untold stories of young women facing modern slavery. Breaking Free is a shocking and heartbreaking non-fiction novel about Somaly Mam, Minh Dang, and Maria Suarez’s childhoods. As young girls, Somlay, Minh, and Maria grow up in poverty, which made living difficult. But poverty was not the only problem; being sold for their bodies was the other problem. Constantly having sex with people either from family relatives to complete strangers, these girls faced rape throughout their whole childhoods.
Somaly was abandoned as a baby in northeastern Cambodia and was raised by a different family that called her their own. Everything in Somaly’s life was going smoothly until she was old enough to go to school. The family realized how expensive her education would be and decided to sell Somaly to man who said to be her uncle. From that very moment on, Somaly’s life went downhill. Minh Dang’s life also went downhill, but she lived in San Jose, California with her mother and father. Minh never thought of them as her parents because they always hit and yelled at her even when she was not doing any harm. The only person who was really doing harm was her father. Late on night, her father would come to Minh’s room while she was asleep and aggressively rape her. Minh felt trapped in her home, but she was not alone. Maria was trapped in a stranger's home in California while trying to start a new life and leaving Mexico behind. Maria was trapped with a man who constantly raped her and treated worse than an animal.
These young women facing modern slavery were mentally and physically trapped. Readers would want to support Somaly, Minh and Maria as they find their ways out and discover their voices. Be prepared to face the truth about modern slavery and the tragic situations that come along, as well.
July 9, 2014
This book presents the stories of three women who spent part of their lives in slavery, how they found their freedom, and became heroes in the work of ending sex trafficking. Sher gives introductory information and statistics about sex trafficking, as well as many resources to learn more and become active in the moment. I received this book through NetGalley, and highly recommend the book. The topic is eye-opening and the writing is breathtaking.
March 2, 2014
very difficult to read, but a must read. The stories must be read and shared, and we need to talk about sex trafficking and the victims of this crime.
The book is horrendous and painful to read, but at the same time filled with strength, empowerment, hope and perseverance. It has inspired me.
The book is horrendous and painful to read, but at the same time filled with strength, empowerment, hope and perseverance. It has inspired me.
April 29, 2019
This is extremely painful reading, but thankfully it's also written very simply (apparently with middle or high schoolers in mind?) so it's a fast read. It focuses on three different women with very different experiences of sex trafficking. I think the second one is one that many U.S. readers will find very eye-opening and shocking: an apparently middle class set of parents in a San Jose, CA suburb rape and beat their daughter regularly from age three, and take her every night to work in a brother from age 10. She goes to school and soccer practice during the day and she even does so well academically that she attends UC Berkeley, the top public university in the country. Still, her parents pick her up every day while she's at college to force her to continue her nightly brothel work, until she finally emancipates herself in her early twenties.
A lot of U.S. residents tend to assume that forced sex work is something that happens to poor or vulnerable women and children elsewhere (as is the case with the first and third profiled women--these stories are also horrific and the failure of the U.S. "justice" system in the third case is appalling) but the second one shows it could actually be your normal-seeming classmate who is being abused by her parents. We could all be doing more to eradicate slavery. I appreciated the list and description of antislavery organizations in the back of the book; a dispiriting number of them are in the U.S. (dispiriting because the problem here is so big in "the land of the free"--I am very glad that some people are attempting to help victims with essential services).
Update: after reading someone else' review, I learned there is a lot of controversy about how much of the story of first survivor profiled, Somaly Mam, is made up. She recently resigned from her foundation after investigations into whether she was a child prostitute as she claimed. I'm docking a star because those issues were not addressed in this book and her story was presented as fact. I don't want to read lurid torture stories that are fake, I want to know about real situations and help real people. Plenty of organizations, like Polaris, are doing just that.
More info http://news.trust.org//item/201405282...
A lot of U.S. residents tend to assume that forced sex work is something that happens to poor or vulnerable women and children elsewhere (as is the case with the first and third profiled women--these stories are also horrific and the failure of the U.S. "justice" system in the third case is appalling) but the second one shows it could actually be your normal-seeming classmate who is being abused by her parents. We could all be doing more to eradicate slavery. I appreciated the list and description of antislavery organizations in the back of the book; a dispiriting number of them are in the U.S. (dispiriting because the problem here is so big in "the land of the free"--I am very glad that some people are attempting to help victims with essential services).
Update: after reading someone else' review, I learned there is a lot of controversy about how much of the story of first survivor profiled, Somaly Mam, is made up. She recently resigned from her foundation after investigations into whether she was a child prostitute as she claimed. I'm docking a star because those issues were not addressed in this book and her story was presented as fact. I don't want to read lurid torture stories that are fake, I want to know about real situations and help real people. Plenty of organizations, like Polaris, are doing just that.
More info http://news.trust.org//item/201405282...
May 18, 2022
The only reason this book is rated YA is because of the content. The writing style/reading level strikes me as middle-grade level. And by middle-grade, I mean 10 or 11 years-old.
That doesn't necessarily bother me- plenty of books on serious topics written for middle-grade readers are done quite well- but this was like... Obnoxiously condescending middle-grade. Like, "here, stupid and ignorant child, let me hold your hand as we skip along the topic of sex trafficking".
It does not work for this topic. It's just too much dissonance between the extremely heavy topic and the extremely juvenile way of conveying it.
There's also the additional fact that the information in this book is... Not entirely accurate, given what eventually came out about Somaly Mam (the first woman profiled in the book, who gets the most airtime). In short, it was found that she had fabricated and exaggerated parts of her story, coached and pressured some of the girls she helped into doing so as well, and also lied about her daughter getting kidnapped and trafficked.
Which you... Cannot do, I don't care if it's to get more funding or not. When you get caught out lying about stuff like this, no one will trust you ever again.
This stuff (most of it, anyway) came out around the time the book was published, and IDK how old my copy is, so maybe it's one of the first ones. I don't blame the author for not knowing, but it does definitely impact my interpretation of the book.
That doesn't necessarily bother me- plenty of books on serious topics written for middle-grade readers are done quite well- but this was like... Obnoxiously condescending middle-grade. Like, "here, stupid and ignorant child, let me hold your hand as we skip along the topic of sex trafficking".
It does not work for this topic. It's just too much dissonance between the extremely heavy topic and the extremely juvenile way of conveying it.
There's also the additional fact that the information in this book is... Not entirely accurate, given what eventually came out about Somaly Mam (the first woman profiled in the book, who gets the most airtime). In short, it was found that she had fabricated and exaggerated parts of her story, coached and pressured some of the girls she helped into doing so as well, and also lied about her daughter getting kidnapped and trafficked.
Which you... Cannot do, I don't care if it's to get more funding or not. When you get caught out lying about stuff like this, no one will trust you ever again.
This stuff (most of it, anyway) came out around the time the book was published, and IDK how old my copy is, so maybe it's one of the first ones. I don't blame the author for not knowing, but it does definitely impact my interpretation of the book.
August 22, 2019
I am not usually a fan of non-fiction books but I decided to give this book a shot because it is an important thing to read about. The book follows the stories of three women who were part of sexual abuse and human trafficking. It tells how they came out of it and moved past it (or are trying to). It tells how they became activist to protect others in their situation.
While I have never been part of something like this it is inspiring to hear these women's stories and makes me want to help in some way. The book has got me all tore up inside. I will be looking into different ways I can help in my local area.
This is a book that everybody needs to read. Thank you for writing such an amazing book! In a world like this it is much needed. We need to help save these women and protect them as much as we can. Women are people not commodities to be sold and used for somebody else's profit. Please take the time to read this book and learn how these people lived.
While I have never been part of something like this it is inspiring to hear these women's stories and makes me want to help in some way. The book has got me all tore up inside. I will be looking into different ways I can help in my local area.
This is a book that everybody needs to read. Thank you for writing such an amazing book! In a world like this it is much needed. We need to help save these women and protect them as much as we can. Women are people not commodities to be sold and used for somebody else's profit. Please take the time to read this book and learn how these people lived.
January 23, 2019
Let me be clear - I didn't actually *like* reading this book. It was difficult to get through but I'm glad I picked it up. It was on a table at our local library that I stopped at and I'm glad I did. I hope that reading these stories will help me be more aware of my surroundings and to speak up if/when I notice something that seems out of the ordinary.
I was horrified by the way these women were treated but, if I'm honest, the hardest part for me to read was in the back of the book when the "Minnesota Pipeline" was called out as one of the worst areas for trafficking. My home state! I remember talk of work being done before we hosted the Superbowl but I thought that was just precautions for a big event.
I was horrified by the way these women were treated but, if I'm honest, the hardest part for me to read was in the back of the book when the "Minnesota Pipeline" was called out as one of the worst areas for trafficking. My home state! I remember talk of work being done before we hosted the Superbowl but I thought that was just precautions for a big event.
June 20, 2021
The first few pages were really hard to read. I had to put the book down and weep. I didn't think I would be able to read this in its entirety. But then I felt like I had to because I owe it to all the survivors and current people in the sex slave industry. They weren't in this situations because they wanted to be. They didn't have a choice. Even when they fought back they just received punishment 10 fold for it. I'm glad I finished this because even after all they have been through they are proof you can overcome anything if you believe in yourself. Even being a modern slave.
September 16, 2017
This book addresses a very difficult topic in a simplistic introductory matter geared towards teenagers and possibly even some mature pre-teens. Human trafficking is a huge issue globally and awareness needs to be increased. It's nice that there is a resource to help explain and educate in an age appropriate fashion. For those who feel a call to action, there are many ideas of ways to help listed at the end of the book as well.
November 19, 2023
A very quick read about three women's experiences with modern sex trafficking. Someone commented that it feels like it's written for kids - well, I think Amazon says target ages are 5-7 grades, that's definitely kids. But if it doesn't dig into details or hard questions the way I would have appreciated as an adult, it stays respectful and doesn't devolve into lurid details, so that's a plus. It's a good introduction to the subject, but lacks substance of some of the other books I have read on the topic.
February 7, 2018
I like the goal of the book but it seems the research wasn't done well enough or the author was trying to hide that Somaly Mam (one of the women this book is about) seems to have fabricated some stories.
January 23, 2019
The book was very interesting and had many parts that made you want to keep reading. There were also some pretty dark parts of the book that made the book not for me. If you are interesting in reading a book that states facts, doesn't mess with the original story, this book is for you.
June 6, 2017
Absolutely heart warming, hearing the tales of young girls being treated sexually as adults.
June 7, 2017
Touching story about what life is like after almost dying. Finding your soul in your broken heart, a must read for all teens and young women.
November 19, 2017
Although I could appreciate the subject being brought to light and much needed so, I thought it was written poorly.
March 30, 2018
it was a great book, it made me tear up a little
May 24, 2018
Three stories of young women who escaped modern slavery, whether due to abandonment, family, or kidnapped. Very touching.
January 23, 2019
Heartbreaking and hope all in one.
February 18, 2019
We are more than just flesh and bones . Pure inspiration!
May 9, 2019
Definitely stories that need to be told but not by this author. The writing is not very good and whole it’s an easy read the writing style is more for middle schoolers.
July 26, 2020
Such an important book giving awareness to human trafficking. It was raw and to the point I think everyone should read a book like this.
Read
January 10, 2021I want more elaboration about their healing process. So far, it moved me, my emotions.
November 7, 2023
This book is a great teaching sobre for middle school
March 27, 2014
See this review and more at my blog Reviews For The Living And The Undead. Also feel free to follow. I love having followers.
Breaking Free: True Stories of Girls Who Escaped Modern Slavery is about three girls who survived human trafficking and managed to escape. Even though these girls have gone through horrible things, they are not all that different than any other girl. They have just gone through horrible things that could have happened to anyone if they were in the same situation as them. Still it is amazing how strong the women are and how they are now dedicating their lives to helping people.
I am going to start off by saying like I did up above that this book is amazing. I found all three of the stories to be sad, but I was also moved that they were able to help other people who have gone through the same things. I think this is the kind of book that people should read in schools. Not enough people know about human trafficking and instead believe that slavery is only something in the past or they believe that human trafficking can only happen in other countries and not their own. That is not the case.
Even though this is a non-fiction book it is not boring and is very easy to read. It explains a lot about human trafficking and this book doesn't talk down to the readers. At the end it also tells how teenagers can help end human trafficking.
Ending human trafficking is an important cause and I have included human trafficking in some of my novels. I am glad that I got the chance to read this book because I got the chance to learn even more about the issue and it really was an amazing book that lots of people should read.
Overall I would give this amazing book five out of five. I would recommend it to pretty much anyone, since everyone needs to know about human trafficking.
I got this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Breaking Free: True Stories of Girls Who Escaped Modern Slavery is about three girls who survived human trafficking and managed to escape. Even though these girls have gone through horrible things, they are not all that different than any other girl. They have just gone through horrible things that could have happened to anyone if they were in the same situation as them. Still it is amazing how strong the women are and how they are now dedicating their lives to helping people.
I am going to start off by saying like I did up above that this book is amazing. I found all three of the stories to be sad, but I was also moved that they were able to help other people who have gone through the same things. I think this is the kind of book that people should read in schools. Not enough people know about human trafficking and instead believe that slavery is only something in the past or they believe that human trafficking can only happen in other countries and not their own. That is not the case.
Even though this is a non-fiction book it is not boring and is very easy to read. It explains a lot about human trafficking and this book doesn't talk down to the readers. At the end it also tells how teenagers can help end human trafficking.
Ending human trafficking is an important cause and I have included human trafficking in some of my novels. I am glad that I got the chance to read this book because I got the chance to learn even more about the issue and it really was an amazing book that lots of people should read.
Overall I would give this amazing book five out of five. I would recommend it to pretty much anyone, since everyone needs to know about human trafficking.
I got this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
January 4, 2015
This is an easy read-written for young adults and older teens. However, that designation does not pertain to the stories of three young women. Their stories are of fear, horror, tragedy, mental, emotional and physical pain that no young woman should ever have to endure. Each of the women's stories begin with their being sold into sexual slavery. In one case, a very young Cambodian girl whose parents are apparently dead, is taken by a "kindly grandfather" and sold into early marriage, which involved horrible abuse, and ended with her capture and slavery in a brothel in Phnom Penh. Another very young girl was sexually abused by her father and then prostituted by her PARENTS! This was in a working class neighborhood in the United States. (So, Yes, it does happen here in our own back yards!)The third, a young girl from Mexico, who does not speak much English, is offered a job by a Spanish-speaking woman on the street. She is taken to a house where she becomes a prisoner and sex slave. When a man is murdered on the property, she is arrested. She was convicted and spent 25 years in prison for a crime she did not commit.
The extraordinary thing is that each of these women had strength, courage and intelligence and found their ways to freedom, determined to help others in similar circumstances.
This is a stunning story of brave women and at the same time a cautionary tale. The book includes helpful web sites, telephone numbers of helping organizations and things for all young, naive girls to beware of.
Highly recommended!
The extraordinary thing is that each of these women had strength, courage and intelligence and found their ways to freedom, determined to help others in similar circumstances.
This is a stunning story of brave women and at the same time a cautionary tale. The book includes helpful web sites, telephone numbers of helping organizations and things for all young, naive girls to beware of.
Highly recommended!
January 5, 2016
June 3, 2014
Dear Readers, Students, and Educators:
Breaking Free: True Stories of Girls Who Escaped Modern Slavery recounts the harrowing stories of three women--Somaly Mam, Minh Dang, and Maria Suarez--each of whom have become leading advocates and activists in the anti-trafficking movement.
Within a few weeks of the book's release, Newsweek Magazine published an article (May 30th, 2014 issue) reporting that Somaly Mam had fabricated and embellished her life story. As a result, Somaly Mam has resigned as president of her Foundation.
To say the least, this news came as a complete surprise to us. These accusations are extremely disturbing and disappointing, and we sincerely apologize for any alleged fictitious content in our book regarding Somaly's story. Nonetheless, we continue to believe that the work of Minh, Maria, and other human rights activists and organizations should not be tarnished as a result of these revelations concerning one individual. The work they do to rescue girls who have fallen victim to the scourge of human trafficking can and should be respected, even in light of this recent development.
The author and staff of Barron's Educational Series hope that you still find this book to be an informative and thought-provoking call-to-action for all those committed to ending human trafficking.
Sincerely yours,
Abby Sher
The Staff of Barron's Educational Series, Inc.
Dear Readers, Students, and Educators:
Breaking Free: True Stories of Girls Who Escaped Modern Slavery recounts the harrowing stories of three women--Somaly Mam, Minh Dang, and Maria Suarez--each of whom have become leading advocates and activists in the anti-trafficking movement.
Within a few weeks of the book's release, Newsweek Magazine published an article (May 30th, 2014 issue) reporting that Somaly Mam had fabricated and embellished her life story. As a result, Somaly Mam has resigned as president of her Foundation.
To say the least, this news came as a complete surprise to us. These accusations are extremely disturbing and disappointing, and we sincerely apologize for any alleged fictitious content in our book regarding Somaly's story. Nonetheless, we continue to believe that the work of Minh, Maria, and other human rights activists and organizations should not be tarnished as a result of these revelations concerning one individual. The work they do to rescue girls who have fallen victim to the scourge of human trafficking can and should be respected, even in light of this recent development.
The author and staff of Barron's Educational Series hope that you still find this book to be an informative and thought-provoking call-to-action for all those committed to ending human trafficking.
Sincerely yours,
Abby Sher
The Staff of Barron's Educational Series, Inc.
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