Books

Titles in blue have a link to a book review post.

GLOBAL trafficking issues:

 

Not for Sale by David Batstone

Award-winning journalist David Batstone, whom Bono calls "a heroic character," profiles the new generation of abolitionists who are leading the movement. This groundbreaking global report is now updated with the latest findings, new stories, and statistics that highlight what is being done to end this appalling epidemic—and how you can join the movement. With profiles of twenty-first century abolitionists like Thailand’s Kru Nam and Peru’s Lucy Borja, Batstone tells readers what they can do to stop the modern slave trade

Purchase Book Here
 

The Road of Lost Innocence by Somaly Mam

A riveting and beautiful memoir of tragedy and hope–by a woman named to Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world.  Born in a village deep in the Cambodian forest, Somaly was sold into sexual slavery by her grandfather when she was twelve.  She recounts the experiences of her early life and tells the story of her awakening as an activist and her harrowing and brave fight against the powerful and corrupt forces that steal the lives of these girls. 

 Purchase Book Here
 

 

Sold by Patricia McCormick

A fictional story of a thirteen-year-old girl from Nepal who is sold into slavery in India. Lakshmi's stepfather says she must leave home and take a job to support her family. He introduces her to a glamorous stranger who tells her she will find her a job as a maid in the city. Glad to be able to help, Lakshmi journeys to India and arrives at "Happiness House" full of hope. But she soon learns the unthinkable truth: she has been sold into prostitution.

Purchase Book Here


 

Terrify No More by Gary Haugen (Founder of IJM)

Tells of Cambodian girls sold into sex slavery by their families or tricked into it by the promise of legitimate work. In Terrify No More an international team of investigators goes undercover to infiltrate this ring of brothels and gather evidence needed to free these girls. The team perseveres against impossible obstacles—police corruption, death threats, and mission-thwarting tip-offs—in a mission focused on bringing freedom to the victims.

Purchase Book Here

 

Escaping the Devil's Bedroom by Dawn Herzog Jewell

Dawn Jewell weaves the stories of individual victims with the grim realities that propelled them into prostitution in North America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America. Alongside she highlights ministries that are reaching one life at a time through prayerful visits to strip clubs, bars and seedy streets. Readers will glimpse the Gospel's transforming power in individuals who have left prostitution and found new life in Christ.




 

Half the Sky by Nikolas Kristoff

Half the Sky is a passionate call to arms against our era's most pervasive human rights violation: the oppression of women and girls in the developing world.  An odyssey through Africa and Asia to meet the extraordinary women struggling there.  Through these stories, Kristof and WuDunn help us see that the key to economic progress lies in unleashing women’s potential. They make clear how so many people have helped to do just that, and how we can each do our part.

Priceless by Tom Davis

A fictional story about the plight of orphan children in Russia.  Stuart Daniels is on assignment in Russia and is persuaded by an old friend to help save two girls from a desperate situation. Soon he becomes a key player in a dangerous campaign to rescue helpless women trapped in the sex-slave trade. What Daniels encounters during his journey will shake his faith, test his courage, and even threaten his life. Yet as Daniels gets deeper and the stakes get higher, he will discover that hope can be found in the darkest of places.

 

A Walk Across The Sun by  Corban Addison

A fictional story about Ahalya Ghai and her younger sister Sita who are as close as sisters can be. But when a tsunami rips through their coastal village, their home is  
swept away, and the sisters are the sole survivors of their family. Destitute, their only hope is to find refuge at a convent many miles away. A driver agrees to take them. But the moment they get into that car their fate is sealed. The two sisters--confused, alone, totally reliant on each other--are sold. 

 

 

DOMESTIC trafficking issues: 

Refuse To Do Nothing by Shayne Moore and Kimberly Yim
The sad truth is, slavery never ended. It just went underground, where it continues to exploit powerless men, women and children in horrific ways throughout the world. Now for the good news: you have power.  "Abolitionist Mamas" Shayne Moore and Kimberly Yim share their stories of coming to terms with the power available to them in their normal, everyday lives to join the fight against slavery.
 

This is my personal favorite.



Girls Like Us by Rachel Lloyd

During her teens, Rachel Lloyd ended up a victim of commercial sexual exploitation. With time, through incredible resilience, and with the help of a local church community, she finally broke free of her pimp and her past and devoted herself to helping other young girls escape "the life."  In Girls Like Us, Lloyd tells the story of her groundbreaking nonprofit organization: GEMS, Girls Educational and Mentoring Services.

 

The White Umbrella by Mary Frances Bowley
The White Umbrella tells stories of survivors as well as those who came alongside to help them to recovery. It describes the pain and the strength of these young women and those who held the "white umbrella" of protection and purity over them on the road to restoration.  This book offers principles and guidance to anyone with a heart for these hurting young women and a desire to help. It is an ideal resource for individuals or organizations seeking to learn what they can do to assist these victims in becoming whole again.


 

Somebody's Daughter by Julian Sher

Author Julian Sher takes you behind the scenes to expose one of America’s most underreported crimes: A girl from New Jersey gets arrested in Las Vegas and, at great risk to her own life, helps the FBI take down a million-dollar pimping empire. An abused teenager in Texas has the courage to take the stand in a grueling trial that sends her pimp away for 75 years. Survivors of the sex trade in New York, Phoenix, and Minneapolis set up shelters and rescue centers that offer young girls a chance to break free from the streets. Somebody's Daughter is a call to action, shining a light on America’s dirty little secret.
 

 

In Our Backyard by Nita Belles

Human Trafficking in the United States? In Our Backyard uses true stories of trafficking on our soil to instruct, inspire and invest the reader to be God's hands in helping stop this atrocity. Though clear in exposing this evil, Belles words are always marked by hope. A book that is sure to change the lives of its readers and change how the church views and joins the fight against modern day slavery In Our Backyard.

 Includes study questions for small groups!

 

Not in My Town by Dillon Burroughs and Charles Powell

Not in My Town answers questions and promotes discussion about the slavery system that crisscrosses Atlanta, Orlando, Las Vegas, New York, California, Texas, North Carolina, Haiti, Amsterdam, India, Cambodia, and beyond. The authors’ gripping journey shocks but also motivates and provides resources to equip new generations of abolitionists from all corners of society and diverse worldviews who share the common call to stop injustice.

Includes a DVD and discussion guide!

 

The Slave Across The Street by Theresa Flores
True story of Theresa L. Flores and how her life as an All-American, blonde-haired 15-year-old teenager who could have been your neighbor was enslaved into the dangerous world of sex trafficking while living in an upper-middle class suburb of Detroit.  And it all happened while living at home without her parents ever knowing about it. Involuntarily involved in a large underground criminal ring, Ms. Flores endured more as a child than most adults will ever face their entire lives.

Purchase Book Here

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
A powerful retelling of the story of Gomer and Hosea, Redeeming Love is a life-changing story of God’s unconditional, redemptive, all-consuming love California’s gold country, 1850. Sold into prostitution as a child, Angel, survives by keeping her hatred alive. And what she hates most are the men who use her, leaving her empty and dead inside.  Then she meets Michael Hosea, a man who seeks his Father’s heart in everything.

 Purchase Book Here



Scars And Stilettos by Harmony Dust

Fear of being abandoned keeps nineteen-year-old Harmony trapped in an abusive and cruel relationship. She thinks she has hit bottom - tens of thousands of dollars in debt, struggling to get by, and so controlled by her boyfriend that she doesn’t protest when he begins openly sleeping around. Things get worse when someone tells her how much money she can make as a dancer. For the next three years, Harmony lives a double life as Monique, a dancer in a fully-nude strip club.

 

Purchase Book Here

 

Nobody' s Girl by Barbara Amaya

A memoir of lost innocence, modern day slavery and transformation. Sexual abuse, human trafficking, drug addiction, rape, prison, and domestic violence—Barbara Amaya experienced it all on the streets of New York, most of it before her sixteenth birthday.  In Nobody’s Girl, Barbara shares her journey from trafficking victim to human rights advocate, weaving together a story of loss, pain, courage, and transformation.

Purchase Book Here

Fallen by Annie Lobert

In Fallen, Lobert writes about her harrowing account of a high-class call girl in the clutches of the sex trafficking industry.  She tells about her sixteen-year journey being owned by a violent pimp who took every dollar and beat her multiple times within inches of her life. After more than a decade and a half of countless arrests, rapes, life-threatening calls, and utter loneliness, the freedom she had once sought became her prison. Then after being diagnosed with and treated for cancer, Annie eventually found herself at death's door from a drug overdose. That's when she finally surrendered to the love of a beckoning Savior.

Roadmap To Redemption by Rebecca Bender

Roadmap to Redemption is the first of it's kind... a workbook for survivors of sexual trafficking written by a survivor. Rebecca Bender was lured into the life of human trafficking at the vulnerable age of 18. Now, rescued and restored, she uses the valuable lessons she learned to help bring other survivors to redemption. This nine week workbook is cupped with her personal testimony and injected with scripture. She uncovers the seductive tactics traffickers use in America today and equips anyone who wants to work with exploited victims. Roadmap to Redemption should be in the hands of every victim of trauma! www.roadmaptoredemption.com
 

Renting Lacy by Linda Smith

Forced into a life they never chose, manipulated, abused and tortured at the hands of the pimps who control them, our country's children are sold on the streets, on the internet and at truck stops across America every night. They come from our neighborhoods, our schools, our churches, and sometimes our own homes. Author Linda Smith brings to life characters based on real stories and interviews with teen survivors. Meet Lacy and Star and be drawn into the lives of these young girls as they struggle to survive each night, watching their childhood hopes and dreams slip away in the darkness. Let it compel you to action.