All posts tagged: human trafficking

Childhood Homelessness in America is on the rise–why–and how you can help, plus, resilience, writing, and imagination in this gorgeous and evocative novel from Rene Denfeld, THE BUTTERFLY GIRL

By Leslie Lindsay Gorgeous companion to THE CHILD FINDER, this book stands on its own and is as stunning as harrowing. I loved Rene Denfeld’s previous book, THE CHILD FINDER (2017), but THE BUTTERFLY GIRL (October 1 2019) absolutely glimmers. It’s a gripping account of underprivileged, disadvantaged children and their circumstances . Naomi is an exceptional young woman who has a knack for finding missing or displaced children. Now, we continue with her story as she is wracked with the guilt and compulsion of finding her own sister, who disappeared years ago when both girls were in captivity. Naomi escaped, but her sister didn’t. Naomi has no picture, no idea even what her sister’s name is. She can’t remember; it was that traumatic. And she was just a kid when it all happened. All Naomi has is a vague sense of a strawberry field at night, black dirt rimming her nails, and bare feet. She ran for her life. Now, nearly twenty years later, Naomi is in Portland Oregon, amidst skid row, where scores of homeless children wander in and out of shelters, abandoned paint factories, and …

WeekEND Reading: The horrific truth of human trafficking, keeping our kids safe, writing with a psychology background, & so much more from Rena Olsen in her debut, THE GIRL BEFORE

By Leslie Lindsay  I have a thing for new authors. There’s inspiration and awe within the pages you hold in your hands. There’s potential and excitement. It’s all about newness of exhilaration. Clara is in the midst of brushing her daughter, Daisy’s hair when armed men invade her home, taking Clara away from her husband and beloved daughters to an investigation room where they demand answers.   But Clara isn’t talking. Alternating between past and present in a “now” and “then” format without specific chapters, we learn the horrific story of Clara’s fractured life. We see her grow up in a captive brothel-like environment under the guise of a happy home in which she “trains” girls for their clients. She falls desperately in love with her captor’s son, the second in command of this…operation. Now, she’s sequestered in a barren room, questioned by men and women who only want to help her, but she’s not convinced anything is wrong. Her past and present collide with new revelations about whom she was and who she’s become. …