NOVL Reads Banned Books

A NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST!

Discover the power and hope of this acclaimed, bestselling, often-banned novel that gives voice to a young girl robbed of her childhood.

Lakshmi is a thirteen-year-old girl who lives with her family in Nepal.  They’ve always made ends meet, but when the harsh Himalayan monsoons wash away the family’s crops, Lakshmi’s stepfather says she must leave home and take a job. He introduces her to a glamorous stranger who promises to find her work as a maid in the city. To help her family, Lakshmi journeys to India and arrives at “Happiness House” full of hope. But she soon learns an unthinkable truth: she has been sold into prostitution.

Lakshmi’s life becomes a nightmare from which she cannot escape. Still, she tries to live by her mother’s words—Simply to endure is to triumph. Gradually, she forms friendships with the other girls that enable her to survive in this terrifying new reality, until the day comes when she must make a decision: will she risk everything for a chance to reclaim her life?

Written in spare and evocative verse vignettes by the acclaimed co-author of I Am Malala (Young Readers Edition), this powerful novel renders a world that is as unimaginable as it is real, and a girl who  dares to dream of more than just survival.

* “Hard-hitting … The author beautifully balances the harshness of brothel life with the poignant relationships among its residents.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

* “An unforgettable account of sexual slavery as it exists now.” —Booklist (starred review)

Publishers Weekly Best 100 Books of the Year
NPR’s Best Books of the Year
American Library Association Top Ten List, Best Books of the Year
Gustav-Heinemann Peace Prize
Booklist Editor’s Choice Award
New York Public Library Best Books for Teens
Children’s Literature Council’s Choice 
Book Sense Pick