Breaking Free
True Stories of Girls Who Escaped Modern Slavery
by Abby Sher
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Pub Date Jun 01 2014 | Archive Date Sep 12 2014
Description
Breaking Free: True Stories of Girls Who Escaped Modern Slavery, by award-winning author Abby Sher, explores the global issue of human sex trafficking from a survivor's point of view. It recounts the harrowing stories of three courageous women--Somaly Mam, Minh Dang, and Maria Suarez--who were all forced into sexual slavery as children. After escaping their captors, these three women could easily have become voiceless victims, lost to the horrors of their own histories; instead, they have each become leading advocates and activists in the anti-trafficking movement.
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. Told with breath-taking honesty and simplicity, Breaking Free: True Stories of Girls Who Escaped Modern Slavery sends the message that, even in the most tragic circumstances, the unwavering hope and compassion of the human spirit can and will shine through.
A Note from the Author and Publisher of Breaking Free: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 B.E.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 B.E.S. Educational Series, Inc.
A Note From the Publisher
please contact:
ERIC LOWENHAR
Marketing Manager
Barron's Educational Series
elowenhar@barronseduc.com
631-434-3311 x 208
Advance Praise
"The harrowing real-life stories of three girls who turned their
experiences as sex-trafficked children into a fight to destroy the
practice.
This set of brief biographies opens with 9-year-old Somaly Mam in
Cambodia around 1979. Sold to a brothel by her ostensible caretaker,
Somaly experiences rape, beatings, starvation and punishment—she is
covered in snakes and sewage.
Her torments may seem alien to some readers, at least partly due to
inadequate contextualization of Cambodia's historical moment (the
immediate aftermath of genocide). It's therefore useful that the next
story is Minh Dang's in 1990s California;
her parents force her into prostitution when she's only 10. Her story
seems otherwise so commonplace American (she plays soccer, gets A's in
school, and is expected to attend and graduate from college) that the
overlap between her experiences
and Somaly's seems that much more horrific. The final biography is of
Maria Suarez, a Mexican immigrant who's kidnapped, forced into a sexual
relationship with an older man, arrested after his death, imprisoned for
two decades and nearly deported
on her eventual release. The girls' stories could be too devastating to
read save for each tale's conclusion, detailing the efforts these women
have made to rescue girls and eliminate childhood slavery. Minh Dang is
upset when people speak of her as an
inhumanly brave heroine; the focus here on activism after suffering may
be enough to show the women as people, not victims.
Harrowing, yes—and inspiring."
"This book focuses on how survivors of prostitution and human trafficking have become leaders of change. It is invaluable for young people to learn about not just the horrors of sex trafficking but also how victims can become survivors and finally leaders." —Prof. Ruchira Gupta, New York University, and Founder and President Apne Aap Women Worldwide
"If we want real, systemic change, we must listen to survivors. Abby Sher shares these survivors' truths with care and compassion, highlighting the courage and resilience of each woman. This is an excellent read for anyone who believes that ending exploitation is possible." —Lauren Hersh, Equality Now
"These searing, harrowing stories tell us the dark truth of the lives of enslaved girls and women, our own sisters and daughters. In Abby Sher's generous, thoughtful prose, they also become tales of unbelievable courage, hope, and triumph." —Jennifer Finney Boylan, Author of "She's Not There."
"Breaking Free is a courageous and compassionate exploration of a deeply difficult subject matter, filled with hope and solutions as well as important truths. I would say it should be required reading for every high school, but really, it should be required reading for every HUMAN." —Alysia Reiner, Actress, Orange Is the New Black
“It is a fantastic book that is extremely interesting and informative.
Every student should have to read this in school. It is teacher
friendly, and I could not put it down. I would love to use this in my
class.”
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Author is available for NYC Metro Area School, Library, Bookstore, and other speaking events/appearances
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781438004532 |
| PRICE | $9.99 (USD) |
Featured Reviews
Librarian 160277
Breaking Free was told in a sensitive, but not sanitized narrative style that broke my heart for these girls. I appreciated that Sher emphasized consent in sexual relationships, or more specifically the lack thereof in Breaking Free. Too often these girls sold into sex slavery are shamed and spurned by society, so I think this book is doing important work to show the full scope of psychological and physical damage that happens to women in the sex industry. This is an important book, and I'm very grateful that I was able to read it!
Brittany G, Reviewer
A heartfelt, inspiration story of three strong women who have joined the fight against sexual slavery after being victims themselves. Raw and inspirational, I felt right beside the young women and wept with them and celebrated with them.
Staci V, Librarian
This book is a great addition for any high school library. Students who are researching social issues will find this to be inspiring, thought provoking, and helpful.
Martha D, Reviewer
What a beautiful, inspiring book. We need more strong women willing to tell difficult stories. I will definitely be recommending this to young women at my library. It's a book for thinking girls, budding social activists.
Concetta K, Librarian
These concise accounts of three women breaking free from the slave industry was eye opening. I'm glad the author shared resources at the end of the book on how to get involved with the worldwide movement to end the sex slave industry.
roxi N, Reviewer
Heartbreaking in so many ways, Breaking Free is inspirational and eye opening. Not for the faint of heart to read at all, even at times I had to spend some time away from the book as it was a bit difficult for me to read, envisioning the children close to me in similar situations. It was truly wonderful and we can thank Ms. Sher for bringing those stories to light.
Erin G, Librarian
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 highly recommend the book. The topic is eye-opening and the writing is breathtaking.
Karen S, Librarian
A hard topic to handle gracefully with young adults, the author has done a commendable job of pulling back the layers and dropping any sense of sensationalism or voyeurism to tell the stories of three women who suffered sexual abuse and injustice due to the sex trafficking industry and cultural mores regarding the value of women in society that flourish around the world. Though the unfortunate Newsweek expose of the lies of Somaly Mam, the first victim covered in this collection, may cause some hesitation, there is much valuable information here about a topic which our society finds difficult to discuss. Recommended.
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