Sold - Patricia McCormick

This was a difficult book to pick up because I knew that the subject was harsh and edgy.  But I am so glad I did.
Patricia McCormick weaves a sensitive tale, in a series of vignettes, of 13 year-old Lakshmi living in dire poverty in Nepal.  The family is so desperately poor that, when their small farm's crops are washed away, she is told she must travel to the city to work as a maid.  But when she arrives, Lakshmi realizes she has been sold into prostitution.

So far away from her village, Lakshmi is forced to endure a  life of cruelty but finds lasting friendships and some happiness as she secretly plans to  escape. Ms. McCornick traveled to India and managed to interview several child prostitutes, bringing the hard edge of reality to the story.  This is a great read.